Crave strap whip - whip discontinued by Spartacus - review by thekindthorn

This is a medium intensity leather flogger, best for eliciting a 'thuddy' feeling. Might be more on the warm-up side for more experienced players, but in the right hands it would be a nice experience for intermediate and beginners (or just those that don't like to go as far on the pain scale). It is pretty good at landing where you want it, but even if it doesn't, it won't cause too much undue pain. It didn't manage to leave any good marks when used solo, but I know in my partner's capable hands it could make a nice impression, though not to the extent of some other floggers.

The core of the handle appears to be a rod of wood (hopefully not resin), and the entire flogger is one piece of leather, like a long rectangle. The piece would have been scored on one end to make the tails (which do have nice tapers on them) and left solid to make the handle piece. This rectangle appears to have been wrapped around the core twice, creating a nice supple handle and a full look in the tails. The base of the handle has a braided detail and a D-ring. The handle is studded with rounded rivet-type things, which work well to provide extra grip.

It is very nicely made for the price (and for being a semi-mass produced item), and the purple dye is quite lovely. It hasn't come off or smudged on anything yet, so I'm assuming that it was done fairly well. The dye covers the entire piece, and there are no annoying bald spots. There is a nice, subtle leather smell, which is accompanied by a hint of 'dye' smell, which I'm assuming will fade with time. It's not offensive to me, though, and you have to really stick your face in it to smell it.

The purple leather makes me super happy (I'm a purple fan, if you can't tell from my favorites), and the studs and D-ring make this a very display-able piece. I think it could hold its own in most kink spaces, even though it's not as heavy or hard-hitting as more advanced toys.

The leather falls are nice and soft, but the tapered ends on the tails add a little bit of bite to it. There were no cracks or anything, and I think that with proper care this leather will stay supple for a long while. I expect this piece to last quite a long time, perhaps not multiple decades like handcrafted pieces, but it's definitely not going to fall apart any time soon.

First tested on a pillow, then on myself, and finally with my partner, this toy did not disappoint at any stage. I've never picked up a real flogger before, and this was no problem for me to control, even doing some target practice. It felt nice in the hand, but you might have to wiggle it a bit to find the most comfortable place to hold the studs. I liked them on my palm, instead of in my fingers like I'd thought I would.

The only impact play I'd had experience with before this toy was with a homemade flogger, made of nylon shoestrings with plastic tips, which was very, very stingy and left nice welts, and a leather belt. So this flogger was quite different than those; it is satisfyingly “thuddy”, but it still has a small bit of sting to it. The tails are finished on one side and raw on the other, so you get a varied experience with each stroke.

I was unable to create intense sensations with it by myself, although the experience of rhythmically flogging my self in a specific sequence became trance-like after a while and was nice on its own. When used by my partner who is quite strong, it was quite effective, and I think it could result in some very nice head-trips if used in a scene with longer flogging sessions and other diverse sensations.

As it is leather, and many parts of it are raw/soft leather, there is no way at all to sanitize this toy. I suggest using it for only one person, or only for people that you are intimate with often because if it breaks skin there could be transmission of bacteria and such.

I imagine any leather cleaning and conditioning products would work ok with this, but be careful to not take off the dye or the smooth finish. I would NOT use polish or sealant of any type; it would ruin the color and the texture of the leather.

The D-ring allows this piece to be hung up or to be hung on a belt. The plastic box it comes in is also kind of reusable if you have to pack it up or something and don't want the tails to get bent or cracked. It is currently stored by hanging it from a pushpin in the wall next to the bed.

The packaging is simple, with the toy coming in a clear plastic display box that pops open and closed. There is a little insert with a scantily clad woman who is either CGI or overly-photoshopped. I think the inclusion of this image is a little unnecessary as it doesn't add to the product and it could be alienating to many people. There were no instructions included, which I expected with a product like this. (If you need flogging tutorials, there are plenty online for free). I recommend researching how to use floggers before investing in this product, though.

As above, the box is usable for storage if you can't hang the flogger up. It might get beat up after a little while, but as long as you don't cut or crush it, the box is fine.