Posted by red on April 29th, 2009 in Impact Toys, Kinky Gear, Review, Sex Toys

John at Leather Thorn paddles makes some amazingly beautiful spanking implements that would be worthy of a much heftier price tag than he gives them. I previously reviewed the Small Rose Paddle, which is gorgeous (review here), and I’d like to draw attention to the other paddle shapes he offers, as well as things like the strap and tawse. In addition to all those fun, classic leather shapes, John makes something extra special called “The Brat Loop”, which has quickly moves up the ranks to become one of my favorite spanking toys.

And because it’s worth pointing out, John’s prices are amazing. Through normal online sex toy retailers, the paddles you can get for the same price as John’s paddles are a fraction of the quality, and nowhere near as lovely. So hold off on getting that heart-shaped furry blue paddle, for god’s sake, and invest, instead, in a Leather Thorn Paddle. I promise (for serious!) that you will be THRILLED.

Now without further ado, lets talk about the Brat Loop…

In A Nutshell: Another beautiful hand crafted leather implement from Leather Thorn paddles.

What’s Not So Awesome? Well, it’s mean, so it’s probably not for everyone, right?

Rating:

In my quest to find the ideal implement of sensual/painful impact play, I have learned a lot about my tastes as both a top and as a bottom. The things I like as a bottom, I tend to like as a top as well. As a top, I like applying sting (oh, I love it!) and do so readily and liberally whenever possible. As a bottom, however, I really dig thud most of all. Don’t get me wrong, sting is great and all, but it just hits me hard and deep – wakes me right-the-fuck up and become hyper aware. It pulls me from anything resembling subspace and keeps me wavering on the edge of a “Hey, what are you gonna do next????” attitude that some might call “topping from the bottom”.

Hey, at least I know it about myself, right?

Anyways, as such, stingy looking impact toys tend to appeal more to the top in me. Yet strangely enough, when I first saw the brat loop on leather thorn paddles, the bottom in me got absolutely captivated. Rarely am I so taken by such an obviously stingy impact toy, but this little wonder made me dream of feeling its bite.

When it arrived, I was a little surprised at how large it was. The picture online makes it look very compact, sharp and sadistic – but in actuality, it’s quite long and elegant. A test wack across my jean clad rump confirmed my earlier suspicions, however. Sharp and sadistic is a fitting, albeit mellow description of this toy.

Crafted from two thick leather loops, the Brat Loop features a compact yet ergonomic leather handle. My handle is a very fetching reddish brown color, but John can make this toy with a variety of handle colors to suit your tastes. The leather loops are laid out in a concentric fashion, with the inner loop being a bit more rigid and inflexible than the outer loop. The leather is rounded on its edges and so it always hits smoothly. It is challenging to wield precisely, as it is long and floppy – but by the same token, it delivers quite a bit of bite even with slow purposeful strikes.

Sensation wise, it’s similar to a loop of cable wire, and also not unlike a simple leather strap. It is able to snap and leave a welt, but at the same time, its caress and kiss are one of beautiful smooth leather. If flicked slowly with a loose wrist, it dances wonderfully about an exposed behind, alternating sharp stings with soft flicks depending on how the loops hit. Wielded hard, however, it demands attention and is anything but serene. When it hits, the two loops can hit at different times, depending on the topography of the target, so care should be taken to select the point of impact to avoid (or NOT avoid) pesky snapping from the loops wrapping around. I have found that I can be adept at placing the strike of the inner loop, but the outer loop is more challenging, which makes it overall quite fun to be beaten with as there’s an element of surprise built into every strike. Because really, who doesn’t like surprises?

Highly recommended – only $35 from leather thorn paddles, and wonderfully unique!