When I got my start as a BDSM/fetish photographer, I thought I would only want to use leather whips, rattan canes, riding crops and other “traditional” implements for props. For whatever reason, I thought a classic look was going to be important if I wanted to follow in the footsteps fetish photography greats. THANKFULLY all it took was a visit to the booth of Dragons Designs Impact Toys at a big kink event to realize what a dopey notion that was. I immediately saw you can still get a traditional look with paracord toys or other synthetics if you want BUT you can also make room for whimsical fun and savagery and that’s OK too. If you’ve ever seen a scene in a dungeon where there was as much laughter and mayhem as there was screaming, you know there is plenty of room for hijinx along the way to a desired destination.
Why Go Synthetic?
As I quickly learned once getting ahold of a selection of multi-colored paracord floggers, these things are awesome from a photography standpoint. There are a lot of cases where they are FAR more readable as floggers than dark leather in images, especially when shooting in monochrome, in black light or against all black outfits and backgrounds. And if you like shooting clowns in a BDSM context, which is something I have come to enjoy way too much, fuggetaboutit.
What’s more, due to the nature and flexibility of the medium, paracord toy makers have been able to take creativity and artistry – not to mention brutality – to soaring heights. They do things you just can’t do with leather in terms of knots and wraps. In addition, they can easily incorporate evil (or funny) elements into the design such as steel cables, BBs, barbs, steel shot, dice, golf balls, lacrosse balls, rubber chickens, plastic ice cream cones, wooden beads and neoprene. Some of these things look downright silly, others look wicked (because they very much are) and then there are those who look soft and cuddly but are anything but.
Clean-up for synthetics can also be another major benefit. Some makers suggest putting their gear inside a garment bag and sticking it in the dishwasher. Others suggest boiling water and alcohol. And, of course, there is good old soap and water. None of these things work too well with leather.
From a sensation perspective, since there a lot of variations in what makers do with synthetic toys, there are a lot of sensations that can be produced. While it is true that some things that can be done with leather that can’t be done with paracord, there are also some sensations you can produce with paracord that you can’t get with leather. But, in many cases, there is a lot of overlap.
In terms of cost, there are a lot of simple paracord floggers and toys that look great and function beautifully that can be had for relatively little money ($60-$100 and, in many cases, these are custom made to order with the colors of your choice). Other paracord toys are super elaborate and take a lot of time and effort to produce. These can cost as much or more than some of their leather counterparts, but those that do are works of art.
Favorite Paracord Toy Makers
Currently there are four paracord toy makers whose products I use frequently in the studio for both photos and play. Each of them seems to be constantly innovating and offering more and more great designs. I’m providing links to mainstream social media sites or websites for each, but if you really want to get a good idea of their complete product lines, the best place to check them out is on FetLife.
Black Knot Toys – Until recently, the primary focus of Black Knott Toys appears to have has heavily flogger-centric. Some are simple, some extremely intricate, some naughty, some nice. However, it appears as if the product line is rapidly being expanded well beyond floggers. My most recent acquisition is a modern take on a medieval flail using a monkey fist with a lacrosse ball inside instead of a spiked metal ball. I’ve yet to photograph it or put it through its paces, but I’m sure it hits like a wrecking ball without a whole lot of effort.
Dragons Designs Impact Toys – Dragons Designs probably hast the most diverse product line of the group. The catalog includes a wide variety of floggers as well as canes, whips, slappers, paddles and more. Not all toys are paracord-based but all are synthetic and vegan. Some toys lean pretty far to the brutal side of the spectrum while others are soft and fluffy.
Overall, the Dragons Designs toys aren’t as intricate and decorative as some other makers, but there is still a lot of beauty in the simplicity (and the savagery). They also deliver a lot of bang for the buck. This is the toy maker that made me realize how awesome synthetic toys can be for both photography and play and some of my all-time best photos include Dragons Designs toys. My favorite toy in their catalog is a paracord cane that kind of looks like a giant strand of DNA called the Helix. Inside the paracord is steel cable that adds a lot of heft. They also make a slapper that looks totally unassuming and fluffy, but it, too has steel cable inside. Both of these don’t look it, but they pack a serious punch.
The Fat Unicorn – Fat Unicorn has an extremely diverse product line as well and some serious artistry goes into pretty much everything they make. If you want to see how many types of toys can be made with paracord, take a deep dive through the Fat Unicorn archives. Like many paracord creations, beauty of some of these toys hides the serious punishment they can dish out. One of my favorite toys of all time is the Mini Mad Monkey. It’s a flogger consisting of 5 monkey fists with golf ball centers. While it is a little challenging to wield, it hits really hard and the bruises it creates cannot be mistaken for bruises made by any other toy.
Whipsical Crafts – This is a fairly new maker based in Cyprus who has gone from 0 to 100 MPH (not KMPH) in a matter of months. Many of the company’s first floggers were simple, straightforward and elegant. The product line includes small and medium-sized floggers as well, which have proven to be useful in tight spots or on delicate body parts. I added BBs to the falls of my Whipsical Crafts cat and it became the favorite impact toy of the night for one experienced bottom. Lately they have been coming out with a bunch of fun, crazy stuff including a flogger made out of Ethernet cables and finger floggers that converts into a tail held in place with a butt plug.
Even if you’re a total leather snob, the fact is no toy collection is complete with out paracord toys. When it’s time to deliver a beating, sometimes they just cannot be beat.
