I love that new leather smell! I was so excited to receive these beauties as they are the third set of cuffs I've reviewed and, after two bad reviews, I figured third time's a charm. I figured correctly as these were exactly what I wanted in a pair of ankle cuffs.
Materials
The package (which was promptly eaten by my roommate's dog and thus not pictured) lists the following traits of the cuffs:
- Restricts free movement for extra excitement!
- Two ankle cuffs with a detachable metal chain with two karabiner hooks.
- Cuffs made of black leather, softly padded inside.
- Each approx. 6 cm wide, adjustable size with buckle between approx. 18 and 30 cm.
- Metal chain including karabiner approx. 60 cm long.
- Material: split leather/metal.
About the materials, I will say that the leather is genuine and gorgeous to look and feel. It's not that bad-quality, thin crap that I often see at many adult novelty stores that frays and rips easily. This leather is thick and sturdy enough for aggressive use in bondage play.
The metal chain was also a surprise. When seeing metal and not getting an in-depth description of the type of metal, I usually assume cheap aluminum and/or nickle. Instead, the chain is made of the same sturdy material used to make high end dog leashes for large and aggressive dogs (found this out through a friend of mine who has a large, aggressive breed of dog). I was impressed and do not have many worries about wearing these cuffs out any time soon.
Wear and Tear
I received these cuffs the day before the Anchorage Fetish Ball at Mad Myrnas. What a perfect event to try them out!
The cuffs were comfortable enough to wear the whole evening walking around the club and standing to watch various play scenes. I showed the cuffs off to friends and fellow kinksters at the event and everyone who saw them was impressed and wanting to know where to purchase a set of their own.
I have since Fetish Ball also worn them to a couple of smaller meet-up events that leather-gear was welcome at. They received the same interest and praise there as at the large event.
I have also worn them to sleep in. Their comfort and easy wear allowed me to sleep in them all night with no problems and woke without discomfort or any scratches to the leather from movement in my sleep.
Cleaning and Care
Since these cuffs are genuine leather, they can be cared for, conditioned and cleaned like any other leather gear. My first recommendation is to have them cleaned by your local boot black at an event. If you've never had this done, it is an experience that is sensual, instructional, and beneficial to the leather gear.
If there is no bootblack near you, then you can clean and condition your leather just as you would leather boots. In many cases all that is necessary to clean leather is a damp cloth or a store bought leather cleaner. For a deeper cleaning a leather soap or saddle soap can be used. This is followed by polishing with a good leather polish/conditioner.
The metal pieces will be fine when cleaning the leather. Simply make sure they are dried and wiped-down completely before storing.
I give these cuffs a 5 out of 5! They're comfortable enough all night, sturdy enough for intense play, and beautiful to behold!
