Steel or rope. In the BDSM world these days there are many options which can be confusing for beginners who want to set themselves up but on a limited budget. I have talked in the past about the use of common household items as a cheap but effective means of creating interesting sex implements. I have also spoken of making items from scratch at a fraction of the cost charged by the Ned Kellys of the sex shop industry (may their testicles be stapled to a wall and kicked into eternity). Today I thought I would talk about some of the benefits of steel versus rope for tying. Chains. Chains are a very effective means of securing someone. They are unbreakable with out the assistance of a tool. They look awesome and inspire instant sweaty balls in a slave, from the moment they spy them suspended from the wall of any good dungeon. They are expensive if bought from a sex shop but there are cheap and effective alternatives which can be purchased from any good hardware.

There is a downside with chains however, including weight, chance of damage to skin, metal splinters, difficulty in transport especially in luggage if travelling and do not work in all situations. They can also be difficult to remove in a hurry and require keys and locks. Ropes. Yes I am a rope man. They are perfect in all situations to restrain even the slimiest slave. With just a couple of thicknesses you can tie every appendage, loose bit or flapping piece of meat. They are cheap to buy however if bought from other than a sex shop, care should be taken to ensure they are soft and pliable enough, with the appropriate strength, particularly if suspension is your thing. They are easy to put in a bag when you travel, not too hard to explain to customs officers, and with a bit of thought can provide hours of entertainment with out the need for other toys. Knot tying can be as hard or as difficult as you want. If you want a work of art, then spend hours tying knots so you have a slave bedecked in rope and looking like a crochet rug but with a long gone hard on. Alternatively you can tie the slave quickly, in numerous positions, edging along the way and end up being able to put them in numerous exciting positions which keep them hard the whole time. The only real down side with ropes is that you need to make sure that circulation is not restricted. Handcuffs. These are expensive and have limited use but are very secure and effective. They do have a good psychological effect on slaves but are useless if keys get lost or malfunction. Travelling with them is hard as they show up on every X-ray and impossible to explain to a customs officer. They are quick to operate and ideal for specific scenarios involving prisoner or captive scenarios. You are really at the beck and call of sex shop pirates with handcuffs unless you or your slave is a copper. Stocks. Nothing puts the tremble into a slave like a set of stocks. These have been in use for hundreds of years and are almost impossible to escape from. They allow you maximum access to the slaves body and put them under considerable stress, as they are not very comfortable. Unfortunately you will have difficulty travelling with them unless you run a mobile torture museum. They are expensive but cheap alternatives can be made from gym benches. Spreader bars. These are a very useful thing to have in any good suburban dungeon. They are easy to use and while expensive to buy, they can be easily made. They have multiple uses and can be used on arms, legs, necks, cocks and balls very effectively. They can also be used like humblers or devils violins and used just as effectively on the back as well as front. They can also be used on more than one slave at a time. Travel with them may be possible but it will depend on what they look like when stripped down to basics. In Melbourne where I live, we are lucky and have a fetish sex club and so expensive items like stocks and St Andrews Crosses can be used for a small entry fee. This is the way to go, as these items are really hard to explain when mum comes for a visit. A quick consultation with Master Google should reveal what is available in your area.