Bondage - bdsm kit discontinued by Leatherbeaten - review by Rayne Millaray

The contents and design of Bondage make it great for bondage play on the go. The restraints and leather strap are light, and small enough to fit in pretty much any space, making them perfect for travel.

The blindfold prevents your partner from seeing where you're going to strike next with the strap, while the rope and wrist restraints prevent him or her from stopping you.

I'd suggest this kit to almost anyone interested in BDSM from those who are experimenting to those who've been at it a while. Unless you're a toy snob. In that case, you're probably going to want to check out another product.

This kit has the potential to be awesome. It's halfway to awesome. There are a couple things holding it back.

The blindfold is gorgeous. The front is gold and brown embroidery in the shapes of Oriental dragons and flowers on a black silk background, and the back is soft fleece lining. It's eight inches long and sculpted to fit perfectly over the eyes. Each eyepiece is three inches wide and it dips down to about an inch and a half where the nose peeks out. The strap is sturdy black elastic.

The "leather paddle" is actually a leather strap reminiscent of something an old schoolmarm might use. It's made of one piece of what feels to me like belt leather folded over a metal ring and held in place by a metal fastener. One end is angled to a point and the other is rounded. Its usable length is nine and one half inches. Its total length, including the ring, is eleven and one half inches and it's about an inch wide. The leather fragrance is almost non-existent, which was sort of a disappointment.

The design of this strap makes it pretty loud in use. So, if you're going to be somewhere you'll want privacy, I'd suggest using a different toy.

The rope is ninety inches of black and red woven nylon. It's semi-soft and seems well made. It's just too short to use for anything other than securing my hands or feet with.

The wrist cuffs really leave something to be desired. They're made of soft, floppy leather and are held closed with a giant, heavy metal buckle. There's a second piece of leather holding a d-ring in place and ten holes about half an inch apart. They're twelve and one half inches long and feel positively fragile.

The blindfold seems to function splendidly. It stays in place and doesn't itch. There is only a slight gap between the bottom of the nose piece and my nose. And when I say "slight" I mean that I can't see anything other than the skin on my nose. Most of all, though, the design on the front makes me feel alluring and feminine. And that's something that's become pretty important to me of late.

The strap isn't too terribly painful. I'm sure it would be perfect for a beginner or light BDSM player. It's great for warm up. And if you catch even the experienced masochist off guard with it, it can sting a bit. But there's this point in a play session where a masochist stops processing pain the way a non-masochist does. At this point, the strap loses all effectiveness.

The rope is strong and sort of attractive. It looks absolutely stunning tied around pale wrists, with red lips and fingernails, against a sexy satin gown. But it's a little short for much else when it comes to bigger girls like me.

So far, we've only used the wrist restraints as decoration. And that didn't last long, either. The buckle is clunky and, when it's not getting in the way, it makes the restraints spin on my wrists no matter how tightly I buckle them. They're just plain uncomfortable for me. They might not be for someone else, though.

We're afraid to use the restraints in a play session. I'm pretty strong and tend to pull on my restraints, and we're worried I'll rip the leather.

You could probably toss the blindfold in the washing machine on the gentle cycle, but I'd suggest hand-washing to avoid ruining it. Same goes for the rope. The normal saddle soap and avoid water rules apply for the leather stuff.

As for storage, the plastic case it comes in is perfect. Or toss it loose in a backpack, if you're going camping with your partner. It'll fit easily into your luggage and is quick to put away in a pinch. Just stuff it in a pillowcase or kick it under the bed and it's gone.

This kit came in a clear plastic case that's hinged in the center and snaps shut. Inside is a paper insert that says, "Bondage ...Sex for the mind and body!" in red and yellow on a black background. Beside it is an orange naked couple. The back tells you what's inside.

Besides the paper insert, there's a pamphlet with scene suggestions and suggested readings inside.