Coco de Mer Brown Leather Ball Gag

Personally, BDSM for me screams class and sophistication. While at times the quick and dirty approach (cheap metal hand cuffs or cable ties, for example) can be very exciting, in order to take my sub to the highest levels of control and submission I want my gear to reflect my attitude. This gag is a step above anything else I have owned or used so far. It is a gag which I felt proud to be sliding into my sub's mouth while tightening the antiqued brass buckles.

As the product description states, this gag is made from a luxuriously soft deep chocolate brown leather, which is really very soft against your skin while being rugged enough to pull tightly and keep the ball in place.

The craftsmanship is above anything I have seen. The delicate leatherwork exhibits the makers skill with completely clean lines and perfect stitching all the way around the band - there is not a loose thread or manufacturing oversight to be found.

On delivery (of course completely discreet and plain packaging as always, thank you LH), it comes sealed in a thick plastic bag, with an oversized canvass bag included displaying the 'Coco de Mer' logo, which holds the gag within.

The attention to detail is obvious as you open the packaging, as each part of the gag which holds the brass metalwork was carefully wrapped in tissue paper and secured to ensure the finish remains looking great until it reaches the customer.

The metal fastenings are strong and expertly installed, I have no doubt that this product can fulfil it's role for many many years to come.

The soft chocolate brown leather straps are around 1 inch thick (2.5cm), which help to ensure that the silicone ball stays put when tightened by staying flat against the face unlike entry-level gags which can be much thinner. The leather is of a very high quality and really is 'buttery' against the skin. They are so proud of their leatherwork, it seems, that they have also stamped the 'Coco de Mer' logo on the leather strap.

There are 10 holes for adjustment of the buckle in order to tighten the gag, and my sub is fairly small (size 8), so we used the very last hole in order to secure it nice and tightly. At this setting she was still able to push the ball out of her mouth, but with some effort. These single-strap gags all suffer from this, however, but I believe the D-rings on this gag help to keep it that much more secure than others I have used - those rings can also be excellent anchor points for further restraint/bondage ideas.

The ball was slightly larger than my sub is used to. However, we have been planning to increase the size now that she is used to the whole process, so while this spread her lips fairly wide and filled her mouth quite nicely she told me that it was not at all uncomfortable after roughly 30 mins of use the first time. The silicone ball is soft enough to allow some slight movement in the jaw, which I feel helps prevent many problems with pain when trying these out for the first time.

My little subbie also informed me that the small leather strap which holds the silicone ball (the ball travels freely along this leather strap within it's core) did start to rub against the corners of her lips after a while. It was not a problem during our play, but I had asked her to be very critical for the purposes of a decent review and she felt it was worth mentioning.

To sum up my feelings, I would have to say that this gag is without doubt the finest example that I have seen to date. It is made with pride and the manufacturing standard is incredible. As a gag it performs wonderfully, and whilst spanking my little sub the muffled screams and moans sounded gloriously muffled.

I can't wait to see what else these guys offer, if this is their general standard as a company I feel that 'Coco de Mer' are going to find a long term customer from this satisfied dominant.