A Guide to Buying BDSM and Bondage Gags
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After experimenting with a bit of light scarf bondage, leather wrist cuffs or rope bondage, or trying out gentle sensory-deprivation toys such as blindfolds, many people wish to expand their repertoire of BDSM play, but there are many types of gags on the market today and the question arises "What sort of gag should I buy?"
This guide is an introduction to some of the most common types available and covers such aspects as their purpose and some of the important safety issues that you should consider when planning to buy and use them.
Why should I buy a gag?
This is probably one of the first questions that a less experienced person asks. Surely they are used to stop someone you're with from speaking and, thereby, preventing them from withdrawing consent, aren't they?
Well, yes, many are designed or intended to restrict someone's ability to speak, however there are a couple of issues to cover here.
Firstly it is virtually impossible to render someone completely incapable of making a sound, even if you were using duct-tape to seal a person's mouth shut, it is still possible for them to go "MMM!" quite loudly which any responsible player should take notice of.
Secondly, if, as all sensible bondage players do, you wish to engage in SSC (Safe, Sane and Consensual) or RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) play, you will have arranged a Safe Signal prior to starring in order to let the Slave, Submissive or Bottom to indicate that they wish whatever the Master or Mistress, Dominant or Top is doing to them to stop.
Another reason for buying a gag is that wearing one or having someone put one on you can be a deeply submissive act, surrendering your ability to speak, or simply for the "look" of it, many people find their appearance to be very arousing.
What are some of the BDSM safety issues I should consider?
Especially with a new partner, you should always check to make sure that they do not have any medical conditions (e.g. congestion, asthma etc) which may make it difficult for them to breathe when gagged. This does not necessarily mean you cannot use gags, but you should stick to ones which have less risk of obstructing breathing, for instance the Breather, Bit, Ring or Dental Gags.
Another consideration is whether the wearer may have an over-reactive gag reflex. If they do, you should avoid toys that penetrate the mouth (e.g. a Penis Gag or even a large Ball Gag) as this risks causing the wearer to vomit and that could subsequently be aspirated (inhaled) by accident, causing choking. Naturally, even if this seems not to be a risk, taking a First Aid course that includes CPR is always a sensible idea.
You should also check to see if your slave or sub has weak teeth or has had dental bridgework, tooth-caps or similar as some types of gag (e.g. the plain metal Dental Gag) could risk damaging their teeth by accident.
What are Safe Signs and Signals and how are they used in BDSM when someone is gagged?
A Safe Sign is a way for the Bottom (person on the receiving end of play) to indicate a problem or that they wish the Top (the person doing the play) to slow down, reduce the intensity of, or completely stop the play.
Safe Signals can, for instance, be done with the fingers, one finger meaning "I'm OK", two meaning "this is getting close to my limit" and three meaning "stop what you're doing". There is also five fingers repeatedly which means "Emergency stop, something's gone wrong" and the person wants the whole scene to stop, perhaps because they're getting cramp etc.
An alternative is to have the Bottom hold a bunch of keys or a bell which they can use to make a noise or that will be noticeable when they drop it to warn the Top or Dominant of a problem.
What types of gags are available?
Ball Gag- This is one of the most common type of gags, often seen in BDSM pornography. As the name suggests, this uses a ball (usually rubber or a similar material) on a leather or latex strap (or occasionally a chain) to fill the mouth and make it very difficult for the wearer to speak.
If the wearer is capable of pulling their lower jaw back some distance, it is possible to spit out the ball, however this can be prevented by using the Head Harness Ball Gag. This generally has a buckling strap that goes under the chin and two straps that go from the sides of the mouth to meet at a point in the middle of the forehead. These are then attached to a strap which goes over the head and secures to the buckle-strap at the back of the head. If the wearer tries to spit this ball out, it will just pop back into their mouth!
Many Ball Gags are made with hard, solid-rubber balls of the type that are sold in shops for dogs to play with, however these are often too big and too unforgiving for users because they simply will not fit comfortably in their mouth or they force the jaw too wide making it ache. Another drawback is that it is almost impossible for the wearer to swallow the saliva that inevitably collects in their mouth.
One of the easiest ways to avoid this issue is to use one that has a soft ball with a rubber shell and a foam inner. These are compressible, meaning the wearer can close their mouth sufficiently to swallow, but it will subsequently re-expand to fill the mouth again.
Breather Ball Gag- Some users find that a soft rubber ball is not suited to their play because they find it frightening to not be able to breathe through their mouths. This style will have air holes through it, for instance many use a practice golf-ball (a hard, hollow, plastic shell with holes through it) to allow the wearer to breathe more freely. This will, of course, also have the additional humiliating effect of making the wearer tend to dribble all over the place!
There is also a Head Harness Breather Ball Gag available.
Bit Gag- Based on the style of a horse bit, mainly these are made from a solid or hollow rubber tube but sometimes they can be made from a rolled piece of leather. There are also versions made from metal (i.e. the sort seen on a horse's bridle). Sometimes they have large O-rings at the side, whilst other versions have D Rings which allow a set of reins to be attached, again emulating a horse's bridle.
These are suited to users who wish to have something to bite down on or chew upon, something which may not be possible with other types of gag, either due to the style or because the material they are made from would be damaged by such actions.
They also, naturally, are ideal for those who people who wish to engage in Pony Play (i.e. animal role-play)
Combined Ball-Bit Gag - So what happens when you have someone who likes the idea of a Ball Gag, but also wants something they can bite down on, like the Bit Gag? Or perhaps they want to try a Ball Gag, but don't want something that pushes too far into their mouth.
Well the answer is to buy a Combined Ball-Bit Gag. This, as the name suggests, combines the mouth-filling soft rubber ball from the Ball Gag with the rubber bit gag that they can chew on without damaging the ball, giving the best of both worlds!
Ring Gag or Plug Gag- These are often used by people who wish to engage in (consensual) "forced" oral sex. The former comprises a metal ring (often coated in PVC or wrapped in leather) to hold the mouth open and allow oral penetration or similar activities to be carried out without the wearer being able to close their mouth to prevent it. Generally the ring will be attached to a strap and sit just behind the front teeth to prop the mouth open.
The latter type is often seen in Japanese BDSM pornography and is made from the fittings of a bathroom plug attached to a leather panel so a metal tube goes between the wearer's teeth and there is a plug on a short length of chain which the dominant partner can take out or put back in when they wish access to their slave's mouth. This is also available as a Head Harness Plug Gag if preferred.
Dental Gag- Based on equipment used by oral hygiene professionals, these generally comprise a pair of narrow, hinged metal bars that run horizontally across the mouth and have catches or a ratchet to keep them open. The two main types are the Jennings Dental Gag which has a single ratchet at the side and the Whitehead Dental Gag which has a pair of ratchets, one each side of the mouth, for a more dramatic look.
You can also buy these with PVC Coating on the metal bars to protect the teeth by preventing them from coming into contact with the bare metal. This style often has a leather strap which fastens around the back of the head to stop the wearer spitting the gag out.
Penis Gag- As the name suggests, this has a fitting which is shaped like a penis, usually made out of latex rubber, often with a softer foam filling. When buckled in place with a leather strap, the wearer has to suck on the rubber penis which can be humiliating for them.
A variant is the Penis Gag with Dildo where the wearer can be made to use the dildo to penetrate their partner or, alternatively, a Dominant woman can sit on their slave's face and ride the dildo for her pleasure.
So what sort of gag should I buy?
The answer to this question is "What do you want it to do?" To simply "silence" the wearer (or restrict their speech) a basic Ball Gag, Combined Ball-Bit Gag or Penis Gag is probably most appropriate.
If you want to hold someone's mouth open (e.g., as mentioned, for "forced" oral sex) then a Ring Gag or Dental Gag would be a suitable choice.
If your slave or submissive wants something to bite on, for instance if you wish to cane them or engage in other heavy discipline play which makes them grit their teeth, the Bit Gag (orthe Combined Ball-Bit Gag) could be the best choice.
Remember, though, whatever gag you choose to buy and use in your BDSM play, keep in mind the simple safety rules of monitoring the wearer to ensure that they are able to breathe freely and that the gag will not accidentally interfere with this.
Do you have any comments on buying gags?
Are you thinking about buying a gag, but have questions? Do you have any useful hints and tips for others who may be wanting to buy gags?
Is there a particular type of gag which you think is better than the others?
Perhaps you've bought a gag from us already and would love to tell people your experiences of using it!
Whatever the case, we would love you to add your comments below...
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