Chain tickler - whip discontinued by Sportsheets - review by leopardprint

This toy, dubbed by its company the "Chain Tickler," I think is somewhat poorly named. This is not to say that it's a bad toy. Its sturdy construction is definitely a selling point (and its inexpensive price), but it has more capacity for temperature, impact, sensation, and electrical play than tickling, in my experience.

That said, this toy is pretty versatile (I say that about everything... maybe it's me that's versatile, and the toys are just toys... it's how creatively you use them I guess). There are a few nice design features, so it can be used in a variety of ways.

Since it's made of plastic and metal, there's no reason why it wouldn't be safe to use in a watery environment; if you want to bring some impact or other sensation into the shower (bring a cup of ice water to dip it in if you're feeling devious), this would be a suitable choice.

The design of the Sportsheets Chain Tickler is solid. It has a nice, long handle, well-mounted falls, and the chain falls themselves are short & somewhat uneven, but substantially heavy for their size. The toy definitely feels "heavier" at the metal end; it balances a few inches up the rod from the head. This toy seems like it could handle a lot of use, which is always a plus! The handle is about as long as my forearm, but the falls are pretty short (just shy of 6 inches). This is okay, because they don't need to be very long before they would get really unwieldy and dangerous.

The full length of this toy is about 25 inches, or just over two feet. The exposed metal ball chain falls average 4.75 inches, though the longest one nears 5.5. It has a "handle" that is hardly discernible from the rod and isn't ergonomic or squishy, just hard plastic. The rod also appears to be made of hard plastic.

The falls originate up in the handle a little bit; there's a rubber "head" that is fused to the rod and has the falls coming out of it. This is illustrated in the toy's photo on this site.

Like most plastic toys, it has some seams here and there, but no sharp edges or unpleasant smells or anything of that sort.

I didn't really know what to expect when receiving this toy. I was intrigued by the temperature element of it, since metal conducts temperature exceptionally well, and also its potential for application with a violet wand (a static-electricity bdsm toy; see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_wand for more basic information).

I used this toy to tease & smack; it has a nice feel, unique in its capacity to hold onto temperature. You can dip it in cool/warm water for this effect, or you can put it in the freezer/fridge, or next to the radiator if you want it to absorb temperature. It feels nice either way, or just at room temperature, depending on what effect you want.

For smacking, there are a few options: you can use the falls (which takes a little bit of practice; be sure to remember that if you hit with the handle at all, that will sting more than the metal falls), or you can flip it over and use the handle to give a nice little caning feeling.

Be mindful though: if you hit the wrong spot with a chunk of metal or hard plastic, you can do serious damage! I have no doubts that this toy, when applied judiciously to someone's tender bottom, could draw blood. I also think it would make some delightful bruises, if you're into that.

If not, this toy is still a good option for a unique sensation experience. And remember, tops: a blindfold is your best friend! You can probably make this thing feel like at least two different toys :)

It's metal and plastic, so it would be easy to sterilize the metal falls by dipping into boiling water or a 10% bleach solution. I would imagine that any soap & water/bleach solution & cloth would be suitable for the handle. This this is pretty long, so it might be a challenge to store. It is not very large in diameter though, and would fit easily into a shipping tube or on a shelf.

There was a little tag on it that explained how you could use this toy for temperature play and "tickling." I'm pretty ticklish, and didn't really get that from this toy, but maybe it's just me. Also, though it's shown with a flower (?!), I didn't get one.

There is a little video of a heterosexual couple using this toy on its info page. The video was kind of terrible; just poorly produced, and the "couple" was really tan and straight and white. That sort of marketing doesn't really get me going, I guess. I did appreciate the light bdsm set-up in the scenario, however :)

If using this toy with a violet wand, it would be best used by the reverse method (when the recipient has the electrode somewhere on their person, and implements that come into contact with them conduct static electricity). Gently drag this along their skin to make the toy arc and zap them! It's great fun, and the plastic handle should ground sufficiently that you won't feel a thing (if you're on the giving end, that is)!

If anyone on here is going to engage in electrical play, please read up on it, get trained by someone who knows what they're doing, and BE SAFE! There are a lot more risks involved when you use electricity and it's really important to know how to deal with those risks and consequences. While electrical play is, in and of itself, relatively safe, electricity can interact lethally with water, for instance. It's the BDSM adage: RACK: Risk-Aware Consensual Kink. Know the risks, be prepared to deal with them, and, if you choose to do something, have a great time!