Popular Flogging Devices

Riding Crops — Oh, how I love riding crops! They look sexy, they feel great, and they make a cool sound. Probably one of the most versatile tools of the trade, they can be used almost anywhere on the body.

I distinctly remember that during one of my first sessions, a gentleman ran one over my shirt and my magic wands immediately perked up. He then slipped the riding crop under my shirt. It was cool and soft and he smacked my breasts lightly with it before running it over my jeans, eventually thrusting it between my legs. When he finally got around to smacking my ass with it, a puddle had begun to form beneath me. Years later, when I met a new lover and noticed he had a crop hanging over his door, I knew we would hit it off.

When using a crop, as with everything else, start slowly. Caress your sub’s body with it. Maybe even make him or her kiss the crop. Basically get your sub hot and bothered before getting into it, building to some decent thwacks. We won’t go fully into “sub training” for this book since it’s a beginner’s manual, but there are certain positions that are deemed appropriate for “taking” the crop or any other instrument for that matter.

The first position, “kneeling,” involves simply going down on one’s knees. “Arch,” on the other hand, demands that the sub both kneel and lean back toward the floor. The “submissive position” involves kneeling while simultaneously bending forward, ass in the air. Finally, one performs “display position” by standing up with your hands behind your head. You will find a variety of names for these positions, and there are no hard and fast rules dictating submissive positions or behavior. If you are a sub, just thrust that ass in the air to show that you are enthusiastic!

Paddles — Paddles is a sweeping category. Traditionally, paddles come in two varieties: wood and leather. But ... I have seen everything under the sun—Ping-Pong paddles, hairbrushes, seemingly innocent kitchen utensils, things that looked like boat oars, and even a picket from a white picket fence. (When you’ve been a sub or a Dom, it’s tough to ever see a hardware store or even an office supply store the same way again.)

Paddles feel a lot like a spanking, but they spare the spanker’s hand. Careful with them because they, too, can leave bruises—and if it’s a wooden hairbrush, it’s gonna hurt like hell. My favorite paddle was named “Pam.” It was obtained by Mr. Hall, who bought it from a sweet elderly woman at a yard sale. We believe a sorority used it in the ’60s for “hazing” pledges.

Mr. Hall recounts, “I can’t recall who I was fucking at the time, but we saw the paddle and HAD to have it. I tried to play normal by buying some pottery and then I asked about the paddle. Though in memory I thought it was for a fraternity, it seems that it’s from a sorority. Anyway I purchased the paddle (and pottery) quite cheaply. Pam has several markings. On one side it says, ‘Florida State’ in large letters. In smaller letters are ‘Gamma Phi Chapter, Jan. 25, ’69,’ something that appears to be a Florida State seal and the maker, ‘Old hickory paddle co. DANVILLE IND.’ The other side also has a seal, the Alpha Omega symbols, and the name, ‘PAM.’ I love Pam.” Since then, Pam has seen a lot of action.

Slappers — A slapper is a lot like a paddle, only it consists of two pieces of leather, sewn together. It makes a sound much like slapping, hence the name.

Single-Tailed Whips — There are a few varieties of single-tailed whips, with the bullwhip being the most popular, or at least the most recognizable. Other types include blacksnakes, stock whips, buggy whips, and signal whips. These mothers are not easy to use. Keep in mind that the longer the whip is, the harder it is to control, thus increasing the risk of injury. The best way to learn to use a single-tailed whip is from someone who already knows how to use one. And believe it or not, the Internet is full of instructional videos on how to use a whip. (Less creepy than researching spanking online.)

The “forward crack” is the simplest stroke to deliver. To perform this, hold the whip with your dominant hand and let the whip lay perfectly straight, trailing behind you. If you don’t keep the whip straight, it could result in whipping your own leg. (Uncool!) Now swing your arm forward and up. Your hand should come up to your shoulder, with your palm facing your body and your elbow aimed at your target. Return downwards to your side. Continue swinging up and down, but don’t crack it yet! During the upswing, the whip should fully and firmly extend, then create a loop to make a pop. If you follow the steps accurately, the whip makes a loop at the top of the upswing, right as you bring the whip out towards the target.

Again, solo practice is encouraged. One good rule of thumb when first learning to crack a whip is to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and to move only your arms. Practice on stuffed animals or pillows, really anything that isn’t a human, and when you finally try it with a partner, check for clearance! I just read a story online (while tirelessly researching this book) about a dude who went to whip his ladylove and got his bullwhip caught in the overhead ceiling fan. The fan subsequently fell on his sub. Luckily, no major injuries occurred.

Multi-Tailed Whips — Again, this is a diverse group of implements. All multitailed whips deliver something of a thud and a sting, but each varies depending on how it’s made. The sting factor is decided mostly by the type of hide you are using, whereas the thud usually depends on how thick the hide is and how many tails it has. A general rule of thumb is that the fewer tails a whip has, the more it will sting, whereas a whip with a lot of tails can almost feel like a deep tissue massage.

The general term for most multi-tailed whips is flogger. There are a million types of floggers, combining different tails and handles. The most popular amongst them is the cat o’ nine tails (often just called “the cat.”) It’s about 76 cm long and comprised of nine knotted thongs of cord. It was originally designed to lacerate the skin and cause intense pain. Like everything else on this list of devices, it was historically used for punishment (mostly against slaves) until pervs found out how much fun it was. Its shorter cousin is the French “martinet,” which is made of a wooden handle of about 25 cm in length and about 10 lashes of equal, relatively short length.

Using a multi-tailed whip is much easier than using a single-tail. (If I can wield one, chances are, you can, too!) A simple horizontal whack works well on the buttocks when one’s partner is bent over and sticking them out while a vertical stroke works well on the shoulder blades. A “figure 8” move is also relatively easy to master, as is a propeller move wherein you spin the tails around in a circle from your wrist and then bring them up against your partner’s booty. For more of a sting, flick the tails against your partner’s buttocks as you would a wet towel in a locker room.

If you shop for floggers online, you will likely find that many of them are made of leather (and are pricey). If you are a vegan or just a poor person, don’t panic! Just head (again) to Home Depot and pick up some rubber tubing or rope. It’s quite easy to make your own. I even found someone online who made a flogger using two used bike inner tubes, scissors, a scalpel, ruler, and pen. (The scalpel wasn’t entirely necessary.) I won’t describe the exact process for making your own because this isn’t an arts and crafts book, and because I don’t want to bore you to tears, but just know that there are many vegan pervs out there who have shared detailed instructions online.

Straps — A strap, sometimes also called strop, is exactly what it fucking sounds like: a strap of something, usually leather. It’s a lot like a paddle and should be used much like a paddle, though (unlike a paddle) it will likely have a little bend to it, so be careful it doesn’t wrap around to a vulnerable body part.

Belts — Pilgrims once wore these on their hats, but now people worldwide have discovered that belts a) hold your pants up and b) can be used to erotically “torture” subs in BDSM play. Much like using a strap, be careful of them wrapping around your partner’s body, especially because of their length. You don’t want to aim for the ass and get the pudenda or lower abdomen.