This toy was definitely designed
I get the impression that a lower intimidation factor was what Spartacus was after with their Crave line, and there are lots of handcuffs that have a certain “girly” element to them (the
Fresh wrist restraints and
Marylin wrist cuff are great examples). What turned me off to those was that they either seemed to be playing to a crass stereotype or were simply unattractive. All the more power to those who enjoy pink fake fur and plastic rhinestones, but I like my kink with a little more elegance.
A little more elegance and a lot less intimidation is exactly what
Kinklab’s wrist cuffs provide. They’re as gorgeous a pair of
wrist restraints as I’ve ever seen. There’s no bulky hardware, the colors are appealing without being vulgar, and, most importantly, they work.
The leather is thick. When you put it on there’s no question about what’s happening - you’re being restrained. I had some concerns about how secure the bonds would be given that there is no buckle, but there was no need to think twice about it. Once the cuffs are on, they are not going to come off unless someone wants them off. After a few hours of being put to the test, the restraints were no longer as tight as they were when they were first put on. They did, however, stay on my wrists without any chance of them falling off (I’m still amazed you can have that without a buckle).
Most
wrist restraints come with a d-ring or an o-ring wide enough to accommodate a wide range of attachments. That’s not the case here and you do have to keep in mind the size of the attachment rings. There are two points which can be used to link the cuffs together or attach them to something else - one hoop that functions exclusively as an attachment point, and a second which fastens the closure strap. I tried passing a few different things through the attachment points and had mixed results. Very thin rope/clothesline, carabiners, snap hooks - all of these work as long as they’re thin. Any hardware or rope thicker than approximately 3/4 inch will not pass through the attachment points.
The Kinklabs restraints are wide enough not to cut into your skin and thick enough to hold your wrist securely in place. If you’re concerned about the friction of the leather irritating your skin, consider wrapping your wrists with an elastic bandage, gauze, or bondage tape first. They also accommodate a very wide variety of wrist sizes. The smallest setting would fit the smallest wrists and the largest setting the wrist of a large man. Translating that into actual measurements, the circumference of the smallest setting is about 5.5 inches. The largest setting’s circumference is about 8.5 inches. If you’re unsure what that means for you, you can always take a tape measure and measure the circumference of your own wrist.
That's a really good question that I hope someone else may have the answer to. I would assume that leather soap could be an option... but isn't that only for the smooth side?
How do you clean these?
Thanks for the heads up about safety, PS! It's something I think can't be mentioned enough in this context.
I don't think the loosening was because of the leather, either. It happened, but I would have to have much more experience with a much broader range of cuffs to be able to say why.
The fastener really is cool. The attachment rings are tiny and it all comes down to what you like to play with. It's a total non-issue if you attach the cuffs with double snaps. If you decide to use rope, it can be a bit of a pain.
I'm not sure I'd like a set of cuffs with tiny attachment rings, as you describe. The fastener sounds really ingenious though. I'm surprised that it would loosen. Do you think this was due to simply wearing in the leather a bit?
Be careful using something like elastic bandage, not to bind too tightly. Elastic bandage can be deceptive, because it's so flexible.
When I wrote that I was thinking more of bending my wrist against the edge, but the leather is definitely stiff enough for there to be friction. I guess it would have to be because the stiffness is really what holds the entire cuff together without the buckles.
I wonder how these wrist cuffs hold up against the leather ones from Spartacus.
Did you feel the leather was stiff enough for there to be friction, ie, warranting the possible elastic?
Glad you liked them!
No, CW. I'm glad you asked, though. I didn't have enough space in the review to go into the details.
If you look at the photos on the product description page, you'll see that there are a row of slits. There's also a tab (for lack of a better word) at the edge of the cuff. It's the metal part that has 4 rivets. You put the slit on top of the tab so that the 2-inch thick piece of leather is in a circle, kept together by that tab that sticks out and through the slits. Then you pull the thin leather strap through the tab to keep it in place. No doubling back.
The hard thing to get used to is that there's no buckling or any sort of fastening like I've seen before. That also makes it hard to describe. Hope my attempt is helpful.
Interesting... is the thin leather strap doubled back through the slits to keep it secure?