Truly A Gem

This toy is made to be fastened about the neck and then to the nipples. If you can think of another use for it, you're much more creative than I am! It is a very decorative, beautiful piece as well as being functional and effective. I feel that this product would be great for just about anyone, from beginner to advanced. You can adjust the tension of the nipple clamps for a range of sensations, keeping them just loose enough to stay in place or tight enough to bring tears of exquisite agony to the eyes of the wearer. I have enjoyed using this toy on my own, but believe that the thrill would certainly be multiplied if using it with a partner.

I'm impressed. This collar is absolutely beautiful and built to last. It is designed and, for the most part, crafted very well.The leather is cleanly cut and of uniform dimensions and color, a gorgeous shade of plum purple. It is soft and supple, emanating a slight scent of leather, which I absolutely adore.

There are two thin, twelve inch black chains that are attached to one another, and to the D-ring by another small ring. Each chain ends in an adjustable, broad-tipped clamp. The rubber tips on the clamps are a bit loose on my unit, which makes me nervous as I've lost tips before, thus rendering the clamps useless as the pain of bare metal clamps is too intense for me, personally. I would suggest removing the tips and applying some super glue inside before replacing them to insure that they don't get lost.

When fastening the collar in place (in a host of sizes, from 12-18"), the inside straps (the bottom piece of leather), must overlap one another so that the buckle can be brought together. It's important to make sure that the buckle side inner strap, is sandwiched between the two pieces on the side without a buckle. Otherwise, it's impossible to reach to the last two holes on the collar, on my unit. However, mine has a small flaw, which I will address later and which I think contributes to being unable to use it that way. Other units may not have that problem.

The collar is made of two straps of leather riveted together at intervals along its length by small black fasteners. The overall width is 1 1/2", with the top piece being 1" and the bottom being 1 1/2". A small, but sturdy D-ring is held in place at the middle of the collar by the center most two sets of rivets. Unfortunately, on my unit, the rivets have been placed incorrectly, resulting in an excess of leather between two of the points. That is to say, if the collar is laid flat on a tabletop, one side of the top piece of leather lays flush against the bottom one, but the other side is raised up, since the rivets were placed too far along it. This also causes the aforementioned problem with being unable to reach the last two holes on the collar, since the strap with the holes on it is consequently "shorter" due to the incorrect placing of the rivets.

This doesn't really affect my personal use of the toy as it's just a cosmetic flaw since I use something like the fifth or sixth hole and have no need of the last two. Also, when fastened around the neck the excess leather lays nearly flat, so it is much less noticeable when it's in use. It just bothers me because I hate when things are uneven. Overall, it doesn't affect the toy's use much beyond me being slightly irritated, lol. It fits snugly and is extremely comfortable. I feel very sexy with it on.

The toy performs very well. Although the stems of the clamps seem to have slightly different angles and one is a touch more difficult to turn than the other, they still have the capability to deliver similar tensions, with a bit of fiddling. I've had no problems getting them to stay securely on my nipples. However, I have fairly small nipples and I suspect that someone with larger nipples may have some trouble with the "fit" of these short, broad clamps.

I like to store my collars coiled up and this one is no different. I coil it up and then thread the clamps and chains through the middle a few times to hold it all in place. Leather is a material that is extremely durable, strong, and resistant to serious damage. It can be scratched and dented, but is very difficult to tear or puncture.

Leather is a great insulator, so extended periods of wear may make you a little... (dare I say) "hot under the collar" (hehe, literally speaking, of course). Leather can be cleaned simply with a wipe of a damp rag or a bit of soap and water if necessary. I'm uncertain as to what type of metal the chains are made of, which is something that I feel ought to be included in the product description and also in the review, as some people have allergies to certain metals. Please, be aware of the possibility of allergic reaction and check before buying to make sure there will not be a problem. Metal can be boiled or bleached to disinfect or simply washed with soap and water.

The packaging is very attractive and easy to open, with a bulleted list of the toy's features on the back and a description of the beautiful Crave line on the back, as well as a blurb vouching for Spartacus' (the manufacturer's) quality and dependability. Also, a liability disclaimer! The package is molded to hold the collar securely, but when I received it, the chains were sliding all over the place and the shell of the very easy to open package was bulging apart since the chains weren't sitting in their little notches and staying in place. This didn't do any damage to the toy, just looked a bit sloppy.

As a submissive and a masochist, I can vouch for the ability of this product to aid noticeably in sending me quickly towards my headspace. The light leather scent wafts up and I love the feel of the material encircling my throat.The clamps send thrills of delicious pain from my nipples, straight down between my thighs. Not only do I feel submissive with this collar on... I feel gorgeous.