cheer_up's review of Bondage Boutique Slim Riding Crop Whip

A lovely introduction

Reviewed: 11 Feb 2012 by cheer_up, a Single Straight Female

My OH and I have been toying with the idea of a whip or crop for a while but this is actually our first. Up till now it's been either a firm hand or a leather belt, occasionally a flat-backed paddle hairbrush. So, as you can see, I'm not exactly the most seasoned of bondage users and this review is written from the perspective of someone new to crops.

PACKAGING:

The crop arrived in a long cardboard box from Lovehoney, but aside from that the only packaging was a clear plastic bag. I'm a huge fan of minimal packaging so this instantly made a good first impression!

AESTHETICS:

The item itself is gorgeous. At one end you have a black wooden handle with a leather wrist-strap just above it. The wood is shaped perfectly to fit into your hand; the handle is neither too thick nor too thin, and the little carved bobble provides lovely little niches for your fingers to sit in when you hold it. All in all, you can have a firm grip on this item.

I think other reviews have said that the leather strap is slightly superfluous (my OH said the same thing, actually), but I really liked it. It meant I could go hell-for-leather with the crop without worrying about it flying out of my hand and destroying any of the Ming vases I bought with my student loan. It just added a little security for me, but then I'm notoriously clumsy and need these kinds of safeguards. Either way, if you don't like it, a quick scissor-job will sort it out and it's just attached by two holes punched in the ends of the straps. There's no reinforcement there.

The stick is flexible black plastic, nothing too swanky (but it doesn't really need to be). The plastic is very flexible, and when swung through the air it makes a lovely 'swoosh'ing noise.

The leather crop is stitched very well, and the leather feels divine. I got the black crop and I think it's beautiful. The leather is soft but it is very good quality.

THE STING:

Now onto the most important bit! When my OH and I tried this out we started off gently and worked our way up. We both have high pain thresholds and found that we could give each other a pretty hefty whack with this item and not worry about causing permanent damage.

The crop makes an absolutely lovely sound as it strikes bare skin, and either gives the recipient a thrilling tingle or a sharp sting (depending on how much force is used). It leaves very satisfying pink marks on the skin, and the smooth leather feels wonderful if you softly run it over the skin to cool after a particularly harsh punishment.

OVERALL:

Because this product is so versatile, I would recommend it to beginners and hardened kinksters alike. It's been a wonderful introduction for my OH and I, but I can imagine that, if wielded violently enough, it would be a force to be reckoned with on the pain scale.

This is a really lovely crop and I think everyone should own one.