Toy Tuesday: Gags

Hi out there! Happy Tuesday :) This is a long one, so let's get right to it.

Today's Toy: Gags

Yet another great toy used in BDSM, gags are meant to restrict a person's ability to talk or make noise. Some people use it simply for its practical uses, to shut a person up, while other practitioners incorporate them into their sex play as a tool of arousal and/or humiliation. The mere sight of gags alone can be extremely erotic for some; to the point that they've inspired a paraphilia of their own (it even has its own erotic fiction), but that's a Fetish Friday for another day.

Yay! Here's a toy that can be enjoyed by either sex. It doesn't matter if you have a V, P, both, or neither, gags don't discriminate. If you have a mouth, you can shove one of these in there. Now, which to choose? There is quite the selection:

• Ball: The poster child. When you hear "gag" your mind probably goes to this. This model has a ball center with straps to tie behind your head. Beginner styles will normally be made of silicone or plastic with holes throughout to enable easier breathing, similar to a wiffle ball. More advanced/extreme ones will include harder materials such as glass, metal, porcelain, and for those kids at heart, candy.

• Bit: This gag is popular among pony play enthusiasts. It's similar to a horse bit, and can be made from silicone or leather.

• Butterfly: A kind of inflatable gag, the main bulb goes in the wearer's mouth, while the wings go between the teeth and lips. If you're having trouble holding it in place, use a ring gag to stabilize it, similar to a strap on.

• Cleave: Frequently used by malevolent Russian bad guys or cartoon evil-doers with pointy mustaches, this style will look familiar if you've seen an episode of "Rocky and Bullwinkle". This style consists of a handkerchief going over the damsel in distr...er...sub's mouth and through the teeth.

• Over the Mouth (OTM): If that allows too much room for your victim...ahem...lover to make noise, then there is the OTM method, or "Detective" gag. It's pretty self explanatory.

• Over the Nose (OTN): As is the OTN, a.k.a. "bandit". For those bandolero fans. Ay chihuahua!

• Forniphilic: Mainly used to humiliate and dominate over a sub. The sex slave wears the gag and the dom may screw in any tool onto the external end. Some accessories include toilet brushes, ash trays, dildos, and feather dusters. The example below is from Pipedream's Fetish Fantasy Series line.

• Funnel: What every bro/frat guy/spring breaker has ever had a wet dream about. Your prayers have been answered, fellas.

• Harness: For those overachievers that believe two straps are not enough. This model has several straps that encompass the head and limit sight as well as sound.

• Inflatable: What do you think this one consists of? It inflates? Good one. Like the Butterfly gag, use a ring gag to hold in place.

• Knotted: Cleave gag + a knot in center. BAM. New gag.

• Medical: The stuff of nightmares/German sex dreams. It's not very effective for silencing, and is used mainly for it's aesthetic. Two types of medical gags are Whitehead and Jennings.

• Mouth Corset: A corset...for your mouth. (Not recommended for beginner or intermediate users. If the wearer begins to choke, it is very difficult to remove)

• Mouthguard: Similar to sport mouth guards, with straps that run from the front to the back. Because BDSM is about taking everyday things and turning them into sexual torture instruments.

• Muzzle: Essentially, a harness and OTM gag in one. Resembles a dog muzzle.

• Panel: A muzzle gag without the head harness.

• Pecker: Similar to an OTM gag with a phallic bulge inside for the wearer to bite. Get it? Pecker? Like a dick. Ha.

• Ring: A hollow version of the ball gag. I don't mean that in a metaphorical way; it's not like the gag is an emotionally detached toy, refusing to cuddle or share its secrets with you. I mean it's has a ring in the middle instead of a ball. Pretty useful for giving head if the ring is big enough [because your dick is never too small fellas, it's always the ring's fault ;) ]

• Rope: Do I really need to explain this one?

• Spider: A variation of the Ring gag, its four protrusions make it easier to hold the ring in place. Aesthetically, this is my favorite.

• Stuff: Just stuff a bunch of shit (junk, not actual shit) in someone's mouth. Fetishists are nothing if not resourceful.

• Tape: See Rope

• Tube: Preferred by gimps and latex enthusiasts, it's a tube that allows the person to breath.

To safely use gags, make sure you have one to two fingers worth of wiggle room between the straps and your neck. Also, your mouth should fit (within reason) comfortably around the mouth piece, unless its an OTM/OTN. While using some models, you might drool; don't worry, it's normal.

When using them, it is imperative that you trust the person you are fucking. These aids are meant to cut off speech, and in most cases they also restrict your breathing. If at any point you feel any discomfort or difficulty breathing, remove it immediately.

Luckily, maintenance is a cinch. Just remove, clean with warm water and antibacterial soap and air dry. With certain silicone and glass/metal toys, you can sanitize by placing in boiling water for two minutes.

Difficulty to use:

Although there is a large selection of styles to choose from, for the most part, gags all function the same way. Either tie down or buckle up; it's pretty simple stuff. Some models have extra straps or look tricky at first, but one quick trip to the internet should help you figure it out. I believe in you!

Variety:

Like a flurry of dominant, leather-clad snowflakes, no two gags are the same. With the amount of variety vendors and shops provide for you, there's an endless possibility of designs to choose from. Materials, straps, colors, sizes, buckles, and the gags themselves vary immensely, so you shouldn't have any trouble choosing the right mouth restraint for you.

My Rating:

Last night was my first experience with spider gags and I have mixed reviews. The gag definitely adds to the element of helplessness and feeling dominated, but I wasn't a fan of the drooling. I did like that it makes it easy to breath, and it looks awesome. The metal was hard to bite down on, but I liked it. After a while, though, my jaw started to cramp up, so I couldn't wear it the whole time. It definitely makes it difficult to communicate though, so there's no point in begging.

Guy Rating:

He may be biased because he was turned on by the fact that I was wearing a sundress with a gag, cuffs, and plug in, but he loved it. (No one said you can't look feminine while having your face shoved into a pillow). He wasn't able to give me a rating today, but from his reaction, I'm guessing: