Black and Blue? Yes. Frat Paddle? Meh...

The Black and Blue frat paddle by Spartacus is a leather spanker that can be used to slap and sting various parts of the body. Leather lovers will be happy with the quality of the material and the overall look and feel. Indeed, anyone could appreciate its sleek and sexy qualities, and the simplistic design. It would look great as part of a naughty costume or prop at party, and would be a fun addition anyone's collection.

People wanting to experiment with light BDSM may want to start off with something smaller and easier to control. If it is pain you want, this paddle will surely deliver, however experts may find it lacking in stability. I hesitate to recommend this for beginners, simply because there is no easy way to control the intensity of the slaps. The length of this paddle paired with the unstable flexibility of the material can make it difficult to judge how hard you are going to hit your target.

This frat paddle measures 16 1/2 inches in total length, with 5 3/4 inches being the handle. The generous length allows for stimulation of a much larger area of flesh at once, compared to the smaller "every day" paddles. This also allows for simultaneous spanking of both ass cheeks, which I find very exciting!

The spanking part measures 3 1/4 inches across and the handle only 1 1/4 inches to 1 3/4 inches at the very end. This end is also where the leather hanging strap is placed through it's aluminum reinforced hole. This spanker is a very thin 1/4 inch thickness. This makes for a very light spanker, at only .4 pounds!

The design for this paddle is a simple one. Made of genuine leather, it smells as delicious as it feels. Of course, I can't seem to get enough of touching, smelling, and tasting leather as much as possible, but that's just me. Some one else, not being so enamored of the material, might think this spanker too plain. Not I! I love the simplicity of it. No rhinestones or metal studs, no disgusting fake fur, no cute or naughty words, no embellishments or textures at all. Just soft, smooth leather.

The majority of the paddle is made up of two layers of thick, sturdy, black leather, sealed along the edges by some sort of leather sealer. There seems to be a support that is sandwiched between these two layers, of what material I have no idea. There is a thin layer on one side, of a much softer leather than has been dyed a deep royal blue. On the smooth black side, I can make out the faintest outline of a 1/2 inch strip of something very thin and flexible that runs through the middle of the entire length of the paddle all the way down to the end of the handle. You can not see this at all on the blue side, and you can not feel the edges of it on your fingertips. I suppose it is there to lend some stability this longer and thinner paddle. All of this is held together by tight even stitching all along the outside.

Looking at the pictures on this product's page and reading the description, I was under the impression that this paddle would be like the "frat" paddles you see in the movies. Now, I realize those are usually made of wood, and this leather, but I was expecting that same solid smack. I was truly excited and have had this on my wish list since joining the site. I was so glad when I finally got the chance to review it.

Sadly, as soon as I took it from the box and felt it in my hand, I was disappointed in the flimsiness. Not to be deterred, my man and I began practicing with it. It was hard to control, and I ended up getting some pretty wicked stings and slaps. He used it on all parts of my body; tits, thighs, and of course ass. I like that sort of pain, but I can imagine that beginners might need to work up to that. He had a real problem controlling the intensity of the slaps, and when I practiced hitting the back of the sofa or the bed, I could understand why. This paddle simply needs a stronger core support, something a little more stable at least in the handle. We found that by wrapping the hanging loop around our hand twice(yes it is long enough to do so, even on my huge hands), it gave a bit more stability in the handle. This helps control the intensity better, though it still couldn't deliver the thudding hard paddling that I was expecting. Granted, my expectations ruined this a bit for me, but regardless, the flimsy handle alone would make this paddle hard to control.

Leather doesn't like to get wet, so I would avoid getting any lubes or bodily fluids on it. Besides the overall wear on the leather itself, it can not be sterilized. Should you find need to clean it, a very damp cloth immediately followed by a dry cloth will suffice. If deeper cleaning is needed, you can always use your favorite leather cleaner. The best thing I have found for leather is Saddle Soap. It uses many less chemicals than other leather cleaners.

One thing I noticed upon taking this out of the box, is that the thin layer of super soft blue leather had some pressure and light scratch like marks on it. That is not to say that the "scratches" are deep or noticeable, but you can tell that the blue leather is much more delicate. I would be careful storing this right next to metal or any rough material that could scratch or damage this delicate side of the paddle. Other than that, I really expect this to last a long time and hold up to some pretty rough play, as have all of the products I have gotten from the same company. While the material quality and excellent craftsmanship of this product is what I have come to expect from Spartacus, the flaws come with the actual performance or "use" of the paddle, which I will explain in the next section.

The packaging on this was VERY minimal. Other than the shipping box and bubble wrap, it was only wrapped in a thin plastic bag. There was a small tag hanging from the handle with the company name. I think some extra care should have been taken, to prevent damage in the delicate side of the paddle.

Our first bumbling trial of this paddle left me with some pretty good welts and bruises. While I don't mind them if the pain warrants them(I feel like I've earned them), we do try to avoid damage to my skin when possible. I feel it would be very easy, too easy, to get hurt with this if you are new to paddles and slappers. That is not to say that beginners shouldn't try it. I am just saying that one should be careful and warm up the skin first with a flogger or hands first. Then test the paddle out slowly and lightly at first. Practice, for my partner and I at least, made perfect(as could be) after some adjustments, though I can not necessarily promise that this will be true for every one. So, take it slow until you get a feel for it, and always make sure to communicate with your partner.