Japanese love rope concubine kit - bdsm kit discontinued by Topco Sales - review by anders

This kit is best used with couples, though I suppose one could use the flogger on him/herself if one so desired. I tried this kit out with my somewhat reluctant boyfriend, each of us getting a turn in the blindfold and ball gag. I must confess my disappointment with certain aspects (namely the mini flogger) of the product, but the other items at least met my standards.

I think overall this kit is best for beginners looking to indulge in a little naughty sensory play or punishment scenario without any real discomfort involved. The blindfold is comfortable for anyone with a smaller head, but I'd encourage anyone with a larger head to avoid wearing it for long periods of time. Small stretches would be best as it does not have adjustable straps. It's pretty much a one-size double-band of elastic. The ball gag is the opposite: anyone with a large mouth can find this gag comfortable, while anyone with a smaller orifice is simply out of luck. I couldn't even get the ball gag in my mouth beyond a very small section between my teeth because my mouth is just too small. At least the strap around the gag is adjustable; also the clasp is easy and quick releasing - a huge plus. Finally, the silk rope mini flogger looks promising, but doesn't deliver much more than a tickling/teasing sensation. This is why I say it would be great for beginners looking for a naughty aspect without all the worry and bother of discomfort.

I worry about the durability of anything in this kit. The mask is probably the thing likely to last the longest, honestly. I'm not in love with the shiny faux patent leather outside, but it resists abuse pretty well. The inside of the mask is some nondescript fabric lining and there are two bands of medium-thickness elastic running around the back of this guy. The blindfold is not adjustable.

The ball part of the gag is made out of rubber and is good so long as there's no extreme biting happening. The rope seems to be made of the same silk rope as the flogger, but it's braided pretty tightly. The clasp is simple plastic, but it all seems to fit well together and is pretty durable. The clasp could break if too much pressure was placed against it, but not easily. This ball gag is adjustable, and seems like it would fit just about any head size.

The mini flogger seems the most likely to fall apart with use. The handle is made out of a simple metal ring and the silk rope seems to be attached well to the handle with a metal C-clasp similar to a carabiner, but the ends of the rope fray and tangle very easily. It's only a matter of time before a knot or matting forms.

This is where all of my major gripes about the product are.

For starters, the blindfold fit me well, but probably only because I have a small head. The elastic bands are not adjustable at all, so it became a problem for my boyfriend because his head is significantly larger than mine - and I'm not just being cheeky here. He was comfortable for a time wearing the blindfold, but after about fifteen minutes he started getting a headache. The upside is that the blindfold works great to cover enough area to block out just about everything. Occasionally a little light sneaks in around the nose area, but the rest of it is refreshingly light-tight.

Secondly, the ball gag fit my boyfriend's mouth perfectly, but because my mouth is much smaller, it was way too big for me. The good part about the gag is that the strap is adjustable, and the clasp is easy to release (in case of an emergency or unexpected interruption).

Finally, the mini flogger was exciting for teasing, but the ends of the rope flogger were too soft to make any real impact when being used as a flogger. It might as well be a giant feather. There was no crack-and-sting reaction at all. It was like being flogged by hair. Really long hair.

Since this is a set of three, I'll start with the easiest item to care for and move to the hardest.

The mask is probably the easiest to clean and care for; as it's made from faux patent leather, it's a simple wipe with a wet cloth to clean off the outside. The lining on the inside is a little harder to clean, but not by much. I would caution against soaking the mask since it's unclear what (if anything) is between the faux patent leather and the lining.

The ball gag is harder to care for because it's made out of rubber. Any simple toy cleaner spray will wipe the ball gag itself clean, but biting too hard into the material will cause bacteria from the mouth to get trapped in the lacerations; that will be almost impossible to clean without more harmful chemicals, and as the ball gag goes in the mouth for extended periods of time, I wouldn't recommend using harsher chemicals on it. The rope that runs through the middle of the gag is, presumably, silk rope and should be easy to spot clean with soap and water. The clasp itself is made out of plastic, which is similarly easy to spot clean.

The mini flogger is the hardest to clean as it's made almost entirely from silk rope. I think the easiest way to clean it is to spot treat it with soap and warm water, but for a really sticky mess, it would be almost impossible to completely clean it - too many ridges and crevices for yucky stuff to hide in. The best thing to do is avoid getting any gunk on the mini flogger and keeping it well protected when not in use by safely storing in an air-tight container.

The packaging for this set was pretty simple: all three pieces in a beautifully displayed plastic clam-shell type case which snaps together. I suppose the package could be recyclable if your recycling facility can process this type of plastic; quite frankly, I think it's worth holding onto. I'm a neat and tidy kind of person and I was able to easily put everything back in the original packaging and snap it together. It's pretty flat, also, so it fits nicely under my bed. My only concern with the packaging is lack of information. There is no listing for what materials are in each item in the kit, nor are there instructions for cleaning or care.