I did figure I’d share the review, though. It’s a quickie, and it’s a touch different than I posted on the other site. I added some extra information that I thought about after the fact and corrected some grammar errors. Without further ado:

The Bandito by Fun Factory

Okay, wow. This is a fun toy.

This was my first silicone toy, and if they’re all this good, I’m hooked (so is the Bandito, coincidentally). The silicone was non-irritating for my girly bits, which is good. I seem to have developed a sensitivity to jelly and have had to dispose of a couple of beloved toys…*hangs head in respect*

First, as I’m sure you’ve all heard in the past, silicone is good. It can be sanitized completely so it can be shared; give it a good boiling.  It’s a lovely smooth material, and it has some decent weight to it.

This particular toy has a very distinctive curve at the tip for g-spot stimulation…and boy howdy, it does its job. It’s not a huge toy; it’s not a small one either. Perfect size, perfect curve, and perfect material. The surface of the dildo has beautiful ridges and whorls and looks sculpted.

It is harness-compatible, but I didn’t try it with a harness (don’t own one yet). The three-sided base seems as though it would be excellently designed for the function, though. Speaking of the base, while it doesn’t look like a suction cup, it does work as one. I haven’t yet found the right angle to use it when suctioned to a wall, but it stays on strongly.

A few caveats: First, if you’re like me, g-spot stimulation is wonderful if you’re already quite worked up, but annoying if you’re not. Make sure you’re very very ready by the time you slip this guy in, and it’ll be spectacular. A corollary to this warning: if you are an ejaculator, get a towel ready.  Srsly.

Second, being silicone, don’t use your silicone lube with it. Ever. It’ll destroy it. Don’t even think of your silicone lube when you’re holding the Bandito.

Third, get something to keep it in, even if it’s a big ziplock (bigger than a quart). Silicone attracts everything. Dust, lint, cat hair…let it go too long and it’ll look like a lint brush nightmare.  As a side note, silicone would make an excellent cat grooming tool.

All in all…worth the price. I’d definitely recommend.

Posts upcoming: Humor and fun in BDSM. A review of the Bandito (thanks, Essin’ Em!). Possibilities for moving the blog. A little introspection (yes, again, introspection). More pervertibles. More DIYs and How-tos.

So look forward to those, and more.  In the next few weeks, I’ll also be starting to review products for Babeland.com, which is a supercool thing. If you’ll look on the right of this page, you’ll notice a Babeland graphic. Click on that if you decide to shop, kay? ;)

More later.

Tonight, we played for the first time in a few weeks (d20 Modern X-Files homebrewed game). We jokingly threatened CK (“No, don’t throw me in that there briar patch!”) with being tied up after the game.

Without going into too much detail–because really, I’m simply too tired for a full-blown post–here, ladies and gentlemen, is your HNT for this week. Not me this time, mind you. ;)

Enjoy!

The Rules-
* Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog – some random, some weird.
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
* Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Step one: check.

Step two:

• I roast coffee, brew beer, and can skin and butcher my own meat.
• I get mildly obsessive about learning how things work.
• My college work was in psych and criminal justice.
• I’ve been trying to get the Playgirl issue with Peter Steele (from Type O Negative) for about ten years now; I’ve offered upwards of fifty bucks, but nobody I know will part with it.
• I love durian (It’s a fruit. Look it up. You’ll understand why it’s worth mentioning).
• I’ve seen Tom Jones live in concert. And y’know what? He was pretty damn cool. So was Johnny Mathis.
• I have a small collection of bladed weapons that I’m always interested in expanding.

Step 3: This one’s tough, cause damn near everybody’s been tagged already…but here goes.

Thursday’s Child: Because she’s just so much fun.
Narration by D: Because he doesn’t write enough!
Mina and Sylvanus: Because I miss them on Twitter.
Alpine Subdreams: Because she posts pretty pictures. I still love the feathers!
Ellie: Because I’m so going to meet her one of these days.
VanImp: Simply because she’s awesome.
Curvaceous Dee: Because she inspired me to start this blog and I love her for it. ;)

Step 4: Profit! Err..comment! I’ll get right on that (eventually). ;) Forgive me if your comment doesn’t show up for a day or two…

Some of these you’ve seen pictures of before, but here they are all together.
The colors unfortunately don’t come through as well as I’d like, but I’m working with a camera phone. Them’s the breaks until I get a decent camera.

The one at the top was the length I dyed last night: 30 feet of 6mm hemp. I used Scarlet 5 Rit brand dye, the liquid form. I followed the instructions to a point, though I didn’t stir constantly (it’s rope, not fabric), and I did let it simmer longer than recommended because I was *ahem* testing a new acquisition for review and got distracted. I found it easy to use (just dump in the water, heat, and go), but it seemed to take longer to rinse to the point of clear water than other methods. That may be because of the longer simmer time, but we’ll see. The color was very true to the label and very even. I also dyed two white cotton shop towels to match. I figure I’ll throw ‘em in my toybag for various and sundry needs. ;)

The second one is also 30 feet of 6mm hemp. The dye used for this experiment was Purple 15 Rit brand dye, powder form. The instructions said to add a little detergent to the dyebath and a cup of salt, which the liquid form did not. I followed the directions on this batch almost exactly, and the color came out beautifully rich and even. It was somewhat darker than the package, but that’s what I was going for. It rinsed clear faster than the liquid type. I dyed two matching shop towels for this color as well. Gorgeously rich purple.

The third is another 30 feet of 6mm hemp. I used Kool-Aid for this one, three packs of Tropical Punch and one of Grape. The process is described in a little more detail a bit farther down in this entry, when I talk about my first experiments with it. The color isn’t as rich as I’d like, and didn’t seem to penetrate perfectly. I did only leave it on the stove for about half an hour, so perhaps longer time is needed.

The fourth is yet another 30 feet of 6mm hemp. This is the rope in its natural state, and I put it in the picture so you can see the base color for the previous three experiments. :)

The fifth and sixth in the picture are each 30 foot lenghts of an 8mm nylon-poly blend. To dye them, something I’ve mentioned before: Kool-Aid. The top one was Grape and the bottom Black Cherry. I also have a 30 foot length of Tropical Punch, not shown. ;) I saw several websites dealing with the idea, and all were different. The one I stuck with had some good visuals. Now, the page said to use one package per ounce; that’s overkill, people! Experiment with it, but you don’t need nearly that much. Now, you’ll notice that it’s not a uniform color. That was unexpected, but not a bad thing at all. Basically, one type of fiber took the dye and the other didn’t. The resulting effect is very pretty, almost candy-like. If I could figure out which fiber took the dye, and then find another type of dye for the other fiber? That’d be fun. ;) Any suggestions are welcome.

The seventh is 50 feet of 10mm nylon-poly blend. I used Red Rit brand dye (I don’t recall the number), powder version. I was actually disappointed in this dyejob. I followed the Two Knotty Boys‘ instructions to the letter, down to the exact brand and length of rope. I’m thinking either I completely missed something in the video I found, or there’s something odd about my water chemistry. Either way, instead of rich, even color I got an odd variegated pattern. Now, after the fact, I kinda like it. It looks vaguely like serpentine scales (only vaguely, but the impression is there).

The eighth experiment was the first I did, actually. It’s about five feet of approximately 6mm nylon-poly, dyed with super-strong tea (English Breakfast, to be precise, but any black tea will do). Brew it hella strong, strain out the leaves, then let the material simmer in the pot for a while. The color on the white rope makes it look somewhat like hemp at a glance; on fabrics like linen it makes it look antique.

To sum up: All of these experiments worked to a degree. For the truest, deepest colors, Rit seems to be the way to go. The Kool-Aid dyed ropes would be suitable to use in the mouth (bit gags and such; thank you again, Two Knotty Boys). The Rit-dyed rope I would be uncomfortable using like that unless it’s been washed several times and I was sure of the colorfastness.

All of these methods were similar in ease of use and ease of cleanup, the very simplest was the liquid Rit, which called for no additives. Colorfastness has yet to be truly determined, because that’s going to take time, use, and washings. The Black Cherry rope has been used and washed once and kept its color perfectly. As for color transfer to the skin, I think it passed the test (FM? Chime in. Did ya end up with any Kool-Aid marks in unfortunate spots? ;)).

A caveat to anyone that I practice on: I apologize if you end up with dyemarks. ;) I’ll keep soap on hand for cleanup.

As always, if anyone has any suggestions or comments, I love hearing them!

Essin’ Em ran a contest on her blog Sexuality Happens, and the prize was the Bandito.  My limerick squeaked out a win (not sure how; there were some really good ones submitted. Check them out).  Also, check out the contest she’s throwing for her two year blogiversary. It looks like a hoot and I can’t wait to see the results. 

Yeah, so I’ll soon have a new toy. I’ve been wanting one anyway, and this one looks like it’s fun and versatile. ;)  It’ll be my first silicone toy as well, and I’m looking forward to it.  Fun Factory has a good reputation, from what I understand.  And of course, in good blogger fashion, I’m just gonna have to share my opinions when I get a chance to try it out. *grin*  

In other news, I’ve changed my mind on the dyeing of the hemp rope. I’m leaving one 30′ length its natural color and dyeing the other three lengths with three different methods. When I’m done, I’ll let you know how each method worked. That post should be up by Monday if all goes well. 

Again, thank you all for your patience during the past couple of weeks.  Normal posting should be back on track soon.

I’ve had kind of a rough week on the family health front, so I haven’t been in much of a headspace to post. However, things are starting to look up, so I’m going to be making myself get back into my routines again.

I have several posts planned, and there will be a review coming up at some point…so stay tuned!!

(Forgive any oddness about this post; I’m writing it in a restaurant on lunch break)

This is a pleather bustier I got from Torrid a few years back. I dig it. ;) 

This shot is far less careful than most shots I’ve done so far for HNT. Instead of being focused on a small area, it shows stretchmarks and belly and arms and such…but it also shows boobies. Therefore…all is well. 

Also featured in this picture are some now-greenish remainders of some lovely bite-bruises on the soft curve of one breast and on my belly just beneath the bustier.  I debated showing those because I wasn’t sure how most HNT viewers would react…then I really thought about it. My conclusion? If they don’t like it, there’s plenty more bare flesh out there to look at. I’m doing this for me, not for them…and I enjoy my bruises. ;)

As for the pictures hinted at in the post from Sunday, you’ll just have to wait. I don’t have my paws on ‘em yet. But soon…

The word ‘pervertible’ is not a word I coined, but my personal definition of it is this: something that is marketed as a mundane item that can be used in a decidedly different, and kinky, way.

I consider it different from DIY. Pervertibles are things that are usable as they are, or with very minor alterations. The DIY stuff consists of toys made from other things, if you get the distinction.

This first installment will consist of things I’ve already picked up, where I got the item and approximate pricing. The ones I’ve used I’ll review. ;) 

1. Dish Brush. Dollar Tree. $1.

This worked really well. The wide head full of stiff bristles got nice squirming, and the little bitty area of even stiffer scrubbing bristles on the backside (when I wrote this, I meant backside of the brush, but backside of the victim works in this context too. :)) got even more. This experiment was a success.

2. Mini-Duster. Dollar Tree. $1.

I figured this for a tickling kind of toy, but it wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped. I may go for a second test run of it with a different bottom (and different body parts). 

3. Flipper. Dollar Tree. $1. 

This was a fun one. *grin* It’s hard plastic, but just very slightly flexible. It gets a nice snap on various body parts. This was a very good success. 

4. Wooden ‘paddle’. Craft store. < $1.

This thing was even labeled ‘paddle’! Very nice, very stingy, completely nondescript. Another success.

5. Various and sundry clothespins, pegs, and clamps. Dollar Tree. $1 each pack. (cat not included)

Wow, these worked well. I’d never played with these guys before Saturday night (either on myself or others). I used the metal ones on DB for just a few minutes (he hadn’t used any quite that tight before). When they did finally come off and the blood started coming back…that was fun to watch. *grin* Now, the wooden ones: CK and I were doing a little playing last night(not a full-on scene, just a little fun) and he dragged ‘em out. All I have to say is: wooooow. Best buck I ever spent. My nipples are still sore and supersensitive. I think I may coat the bitey end of a few of the wooden ones in tool dip for easier cleaning (in case I end up using ‘em somewhere other than nipples. *grin*). Big success!

6. Loofah glove. Dollar Tree. $1.

Mildly scratchy surface. I haven’t used this one yet, but I think it’ll be interesting when I do.

7. Handled cutting board. Old Pottery (inexpensive kitchen/decorative stuff). $1.99.  

This is going to be a very effective paddle, I think. *grins evilly* I find myself walking through dollar stores, craft stores and kitchen stores smacking various things as subtly as possible against my thigh to test its pervertibility quotient. ;) This was my latest treasure.

Like I said, I hope to make this at least a semi-regular thing. I’ll post websites as I find them. If any of you have any ideas or interesting sites, send ‘em my way! There’s an email link below. Pictures are always welcome, and I’ll include any submissions in a future installment, credited to the submitter. :)

The hunt for rope began at Home Depot. 

I picked up a package of a nylon/polyester solid-braid blend and made floggers out of it. This began my fascination with the stuff. After that, I picked up another pack of 8mm nylon/poly, this one more of a twisted rope. I cut this into thirty-foot lengths, and this was my first set of bondage rope (the set I dyed with kool-aid, if you’ve been taking notes). I also picked up some ten-millimeter stock. I used this to make a rather heavy flogger that’s quite nice. 

In the interim, I bought a batch of manila and another of sisal. The manila simply isn’t going to get where I want it to be, therefore I gave up. As for the sisal, I researched it and realized it really wasn’t going to suit my needs before I wasted any time trying to condition it.

So I finally got my hemp rope in.  It’s from a company called Rawganique out of Canada.

After getting good information from Ellie Lumpesse, I started by singeing the rope to remove any sharp or long fibers.  I had a pot of water on hand in case of incident. The water attracted a certain curious pussycat.
After that, I plopped it into the pot to let it boil. It boiled for six long, stinky hours. I then dumped it out and hung it to dry.

This morning, I stretched it. My tools? Gloved hands and my feet. 

After the stretching came more singeing, then I oiled it with scented mineral oil. I’m not sure how much oil is actually called for, but I’m going to be working the rope more and adding more oil. It’s very very lovely, and I have four thirty-foot lengths of it.

I also have a spare three feet that I’ll be using for several dyeing experiments. This first batch is staying its natural color, however.

Conclusion: While I’m not completely done conditioning this rope, I will say it was worth the time. I don’t know if it’s going to be something I do often, or learn to do with any efficiency, but I’ve been enjoying this. I now understand the work that Twisted Monk puts into his stock, and I’ve heard his stuff is absolutely amazing. 

By the way, check out my bitchin’ sailor’s whipping:

It looks so much better than the electrical tape I did have on the ends of all my rope before. Oh, and the blurry black thing? Not the monster from Lost. That’s a cat trying to get his catfoot into frame while mommy’s shooting pictures.

There’s something about making your own tools. You’re putting your own time and sweat into it, and you’re putting something of yourself into it. There’s a connection there. My rope floggers aren’t the prettiest critters, but I know the feel of them. The vampire glove I made (which I gifted to DB) was downright ugly…but it got the job done, and I knew it. I urge everyone to make at least one toy for your bag. ;) See if you don’t enjoy it.

Tomorrow: Pervertibles!!