Free 50 Shades of Kink by Tristan Taormino Page A

Crops are great for beginners who are just starting to explore spanking and slapping because you can experiment with the sensations without doing very much damage.
    Slappers tend to be longer than paddles, rectangular, and have a more narrow spanking area. A slapper can be made of one single piece of leather, one piece cut into several strips, or two pieces of leather sewn together at one end. Slappers with multiple pieces of leather tend to make a much louder noise than paddles, so they can be as much a sensory head trip as a physical one. In general, slappers can produce a harder slap or a stingier one compared to a paddle, which has a larger surface area to diffuse the impact. If you’ve enjoyed
hand spanking, but crave something more intense or with more of a “bite,” a slapper may be a good fit for you.
    Before you introduce your sweetheart to it, it’s a good idea for you to try out a paddle, slapper, or crop on a fleshy part of your own body to get an idea of what your partner is going to feel. The key to a good spanking with a paddle, slapper, or crop is to start slowly, warm up the area, and not rush to spank too hard. Begin with very light flicks, and alternate each one with a nice rub of your hand. You want to gradually build up to firmer swats. Talk to your partner, pay attention to body language, and pace the spanking accordingly.
    I like to alternate the sting of a smack with a warm and fuzzy feeling, like the rub of a fur mitt or the tickle of a feather. To create a combination of hot and cold, after a particularly hard spanking or in between two mild sets, rub an ice cube over the skin.

Chapter 10
    Smack Harder: Floggers and Canes

Floggers
    Floggers—sometimes called cat-o’-nine-tails or simply whips—have a handle and multiple “tails”—strips of material which are the same length and width. Inexpensive, light floggers (sometimes called “fantasy floggers”) can be found in many sex toy stores and are good for beginners or those interested in exploring light flogging. If you’re looking for a starter flogger, I recommend one that is relatively short, since it’s easier to control. If you want leather, make sure the tails are made of a very soft leather, like deerskin or suede. Sportsheets makes floggers with very thin stretchy pieces of rubber, in several different lengths, which are good for novices.
    Expensive, hand-crafted floggers geared for kinky people with more experience and skill are sold at sex and leather shops and BDSM events. These floggers have handles most often made of leather, plastic, or wood. The tails (anywhere from about twenty to fifty) can be made of a variety of materials, usually different animal hides or rubber. Well-crafted floggers are beautiful and come in magnificent colors and designs, but don’t make the mistake of selecting a flogger just because it looks pretty. You want the right tool for the job. For example, suede and deerskin floggers produce a sensual, warm, light thud and are good for beginners. Cowhide floggers are versatile, and they can create a
soft to medium sensation with a tiny bite. Elk is thicker than deer, and an elkskin flogger creates a heavy, deep, penetrating thud, so it’s better for experienced floggers; elk is also less common and harder to find. The leather of a bullhide flogger has more density, is much heavier, and has quite a bite. Whips with leather braided tails, or tails with knotted ends are among the most severe and are recommended for experienced players only.
    When the tails of a flogger hit the flesh, it can create a range of sensations from light smacks to heavy thuds, depending on the type of flogger and the power behind the strike. Some people enjoy the different sensations a flogger can produce: slaps, stings, and thuds can feel good and release endorphins. If, for example, you very lightly throw a suede flogger, it can feel like a flutter against the skin; put some more