Snapping stretcher - cock ring discontinued by Spartacus - review by Basalt

Introduction:
This stretcher is a leather strap that snaps around the scrotum, with the top edge up against the base of the penis shaft and the testicles constrained to the portion of the scrotum below the strap. It comes in different widths to increase the distance by which the testicles are forced away from the shaft, thus increasing the stretch.

I had been interested in increasing stimulation to my testicles during sex, especially during ejaculation. I thought I would try this item to see if stretching provided a pleasurable feeling. Despite the shortcomings of this stretcher and its snaps, I've enjoyed using this occasionally and am happy with the purchase.


Materials and Design:
This stretcher by Spartacus is made of two plies of leather. The layer facing the outside of the stretcher is thicker, smooth, and stiff, like the typical leather used in BDSM for straps. The inside of the stretcher is lined with a thinner and much more supple layer of leather, similar to a fine glove leather. The two layers of leather are glued together with the two split sides of the leather facing each other, and then sewn together around the edges. This results in a thick leather strap that is finished on both sides, with a a softer inner layer and a durable outer layer that will match other BDSM gear.

It looks very durable, however the edges are not finished other than the sewing and glue. Liquids could especially be absorbed into the leather fibers where the split sides of the leather are exposed around the four edges. It goes without saying that leather cannot be sterilized and could harbor organisms, therefore take care when using this stretcher with or among different partners. Also keep it away from liquids to prolong the life of the leather, and keep it clean by wiping with a damp cloth or using specialized cleaner.

The stretcher has riveted snaps with two points for attachment, one tighter than the other. One snap has the Spartacus logo embossed into it. The heads of the rivets are hidden between the two layers of leather, so the inside of the stretcher that contacts the scrotum remains completely smooth.

This stretcher comes in various widths. I bought the 1-1/2" wide one, which has two snaps. When open and laid flat, the stretcher is about 6" long. There are two attachment points for the snaps, about an inch apart at about 4-1/2" away from the snaps and 5-1/2" away from the snaps.

You can see the snaps and the sandwiched layers of leather sewn together in these photos:






The two attachment points for the snaps allow the strap to be snapped shut with two levels of tightness. When snapped into the first attachment point, the stretcher coils into a ring with a diameter of about 1-3/8". Using the second attachment point creates a smaller ring with a diameter of about 1-1/8", with the excess leather taking up some room inside the ring. These photos show the two tightness settings for the strap and the overlap of excess leather wrapping around the inside of the ring.






The snaps are quite stiff and require some significant pressure to snap firmly to the attachment points, although they have loosened a little since I first got the stretcher.


Packaging:
This stretcher did not come with any custom packaging. It just came in a plain, clear, plastic bag inside the shipping box from EF.


Alternatives:
Many of the stretchers have been discontinued or are no longer carried by EF. Two alternatives to this snap stretcher are a velcro stretcher and a more substantial stretcher with buckles and two attached straps for hanging weights or to use in bondage, both also by Spartacus.

The 1-1/2" width was perfect for me, and I think would work well for most beginners. I may get a larger size now that I'm more comfortable with these, but I think it would have been difficult for me to start any larger. 1-1/2" provides enough stretch for me to be noticeable but not painful.

Putting on this stretcher is difficult. As you can see from the pictures above, the excess leather overlaps when snapped. This makes it easy to painfully pinch some skin between the leather layers. This extra leather also takes away internal space from that available for the scrotum. Because of this bunching of the overlapping leather, I still have never been able to use the tightest setting because there just isn't enough room for me to fit into the ring formed when there is so much extra leather inside the ring.

The snaps are very stiff. They have loosened a little since I got the stretcher, but they often still require me to insert a finger inside the ring to apply some counter-pressure to get the snaps to engage. This is especially difficult given my comments above about how there isn't much room left inside the ring. The only alternative would be to try to press on the snaps without any counter-pressure, but then you're squeezing on sensitive internal organs trying to get the tight snaps to engage! With some practice, I can now engage the looser set of snaps without too much difficulty, but I still have to first make sure all extra skin is out of the way.

The top edge of the stretcher can be a little uncomfortable. Although the inside of the stretcher is lined with soft leather, the overall sandwich of leather layers creates a stiff edge. When worn tightly, as is intended for stretching the testicles, the top edge of the stretcher can press into the base of the penis shaft and be a little uncomfortable.

Some others have mentioned stretchers prolonging or delaying ejaculation. I have not noticed this myself, nor have I noticed any feeling of the testicles trying to retract during ejaculation. However, the slight stretch provided by this stretcher is pleasurable and, if anything, makes me orgasm faster. It feels good, and I am enjoying using it.