Buck - anal probe by Tantus - review by Incendiaire

The Buck is an anal dildo from Tantus which incorporates a lovely segmented design into the length of the shaft. The shape is reminiscent of something which might have been carved out of a wooden dowel on a lathe, and I suspect that the Buck may have started its life out this way in the design phase; it certainly wouldn't look amiss as part of a railing or baluster. It comes available in only one colour, black, which isn't my favourite colour for sex toys, but in person the Buck does look rather attractive. The dildo is 6 3/4" long and comprised of three main bulges each gradually increasing in size. The first bulge has a modest circumference of only 4 1/4", the second 4 3/4" and the third 5 1/8", which translates into diameters of around 1 1/4", 1 3/8" and 1 1/2" respectively. All three bulges taken together give an insertable length of 5 1/4". It's unclear to me whether the final section after the third bulge is intended to be inserted or not, or whether it is just part of the base, but on the presumption that it's the former this would increase the insertable length to 6 1/4", and it has a circumference of 6" / 2" diameter.

The tip of the dildo is nice and rounded, and combined with its narrow size it makes it perfect for a beginner who's looking to add something bumpy to their toy box as it's very easy to insert. The graduated design also makes it quite a useful tool for someone inexperienced in anal play who's looking to work their way steadily up to something bigger. Each bulge is slightly larger than the one before, but importantly there's a narrow neck-like area between them which allows the sphincter to comfortably rest there while you pause and contemplate tackling the next section. The advantage that it has over a butt plug when being used for this purpose is that there's some length of shaft to play with in the meantime, and gently thrusting back and forth will help to relax the body and get it used to the dildo being there.

The base of the Buck is 2 3/8" wide which is sufficiently flared to leave the dildo completely anal-safe. In addition it's built solidly and feels to have some heft in it, thus lowering the centre of gravity of the whole dildo and giving it good stability when it's stood up. The lower lip of the base isn't quite uniform in thickness, varying between 2/8" and 3/8", so it does give the dildo a slight lean to one side, but it doesn't affect the performance. The lip on the base allows the dildo to be fully harness compatible if desired, and it fits a 2" O-ring. Unusually there's no branding embossed into the base, which is something typically found on products made by Tantus as well as other manufacturers.

Like all Tantus products the Buck is made from silicone, one of my favourite materials, and one of the safest substances a sex toy can be made from. The Buck has a soft velvety surface which holds water-based lube well, and the material has a nice amount of flex in it, as well as give in the surface when it's squeezed. As can be expected from a Tantus product the quality of construction is impeccable; there are no mould lines to be found anywhere on the toy, nor defects along the surface. All in all it's a very high quality piece.

The Buck is very simple to care for when you're done playing with it. As it's silicone you have a variety of cleaning options which include: washing it with anti-bacterial soap and hot water, wiping it down with toy wipes, and even sterilising if you plan to share it with a partner. To sterilise it it needs to be either boiled in water for a couple of minutes or wiped down with a 10% bleach solution. Happily the Buck doesn't seem to attract a lot of dust, unlike some silicone toys, so you can avoid rinsing it before every use.

The Buck is a really comfortable toy to use thanks to both its shape and material. The small rounded tip of the dildo slips gently into the body and you instantly feel a small bump as it glides down to just below the first segment and stops. The soft surface of the silicone acts as a nice cushion against the muscle in case you decide to give the toy a squeeze, so there's no worry about any unpleasant sensations. The smooth surface of the dildo allows the rest of it to slide seamlessly into the body without any friction, and the flexible silicone allows it to bend around inside the body and conform to your shape. Once you've got the dildo fully into the body then the fun to be had with it is through thrusting, enabling you to fully experience the bumpy texture. You can thrust with the dildo by hand, but I feel it's a toy that's better suited to squatting over and using in this position. The Buck isn't quite heavy enough to stay in place by itself, so it can help to hold it down with a hand when you're using it in this way. For a textured toy I have to say that all in all I found the Buck to be a little lacklustre and underwhelming. You do feel the bumps when you're thrusting with it but they feel much less pronounced than with something like the Tantus Echo, and it doesn't seem to make much difference whether the thrusting is fast or slow. What sensations there are are mainly noticeable around the sphincter, and the toy does little to stimulate the prostate at all. For a more advanced anal toy user like myself there just wasn't enough texture to be felt from the Buck to make up for the fact that it's quite a slim toy on the whole. What it does provide though is a good introduction to texture for those without much experience. The subtle bumps are enough to give a decent taste of texture without scaring anyone off, and allow people to make up their minds whether they like it or would prefer to stick to smooth anal toys.