advanced | Velvet Thoughts by Aemilia Hawk

I do not know exactly what it is about sounding that I love, but there is something about forcing a man up against a wall, shackling his arms and legs wide and forcing cold metal rods down his manhood that I find very erotic.

Personally, I like it to be a soft and sensual act, a delicate and precise procedure with the exception of a quick movement or extraction every now and then for increased sensation or with sadistic intention.

And sometimes I like to soak his feet in baby oil so he cannot keep his footing on the dungeon floor during the process, relying solely on the shackles for support…

Anyway, I digress.

When the wonderful people at Uberkinky offered me a new urethral sounding rod to review for them, how could I refuse?

Uberkinky Ribbed Urethral Dipstick Sounder:

Ribbed for his pleasure (sorry, I could not resist).

I have many urethral sounding rods. Among my collection is a full set of Hegar, a full set of Bakes rosebuds and even a vibrating urethral dilator. But they are all relatively smooth; this is the first sounding rod added to my collection which is of an unusual shape or texture.

A solid shaft of stainless steel with a high quality chrome finish, this dilator comes in four diameters and has a lovely length and weight when held in the hand, it is slightly heavier than what I am used to, but the added weight made a significantly positive difference from my perspective. I chose the rather comfortable 8mm. In my opinion: not too big, not too small.

From the moment of insertion, I could see the effect. Normally the most shocking part of sounding (especially with a Bakes rosebud dilator), is the first step; when the head of the rod pops through the eye of the meatus. After this beginning step is over, it is generally a clear sailing of desired sensations because the rod shafts tend to be smooth. With the URUDS, the popping is continuous with every rib and of course, the sensation inside the shaft would be significantly different. Judging from the expressions and sounds he made during play (compared to normal), I would guess it is far more intense (which in turn, made me enjoy it all the more).

Have you ever taken a length of ball chain and ran it over a piece of wood? No? Neither have I. But I imagine the sound you get from quickly extracting this sounding rod is incredibly similar. The effect it brings is very intoxicating.

Would I recommend this sounding rod for a beginner? No. Definitely not. A beginner should start off with a smooth set and become comfortable with the basics before moving on to more advanced options.

However, once comfortable and knowledgeable about basics and safety; DEFINITELY try one of these.

I think the only preference I would have, if the option ever became available, would be a rounded head instead of a tapered one. More as a personal safety preference. Other than that: I think this is a pretty awesome addition to any sounding rod collection.

From the 12th October -14th October, Benjamin and I spent the weekend in London under the tuition of the Shibari and Kinbaku professionals : Esinem and Nina Russ.

Rope play has always been an interest of mine (unfortunately, having claws can make it difficult to master effectively; ergo, I have never done advanced courses), but when Benjamin was introduced to images and movies of it, he fell in love with the artform and expressed a huge desire to learn it. I, in turn, have nurtured this desire (as well as offering to be his practice model) and after several months of play, practice and research, higher learning for him was inevitably required.

When it comes to any form of bondage, especially rope bondage, safety and knowledge is paramount. I highly recommend that it is not attempted without at least being taught the basics, either by research using the internet or books, or by attaining the services of an experienced teacher. There are many aspects to take note of during this kind of play; including asphyxiation and nerve damage. Do not be an idiot; Play safely.

To this end we contacted Esinem for his offer on residential private tuition and made plans to visit him at his home and studio in London for an intensive training course to further our learning.

After copious hours of practice and training with both Esinem and Nina Russ (living and breathing rope bondage for three days), I personally have developed a great respect for the rope bondage models that you see in all the images across the internet. I make it a personal rule to experience anything that I intend to put anyone else through (this is true for all forms of BDSM play that I practice). This kind of bondage can be incredibly painful (especially rope suspension). For me, the weekend was a significant learning experience which tested my endurance and stamina to great lengths. For Benjamin; well, let us just say he has returned from the experience with a slightly frazzled brain from taking in so much information, sore fingers from extensive use of the rope and a significantly vaster knowledge of the artform (as well as his own set of Asanawa Tossa Lite 6mm Jute ropes, a birthday present from me and my partner).

We do plan on having further private tuition with Esinem and Nina in the near future, but we must first put what we have learned over this last weekend into frequent practice. This kind of skill takes a great amount of time and dedication.

Thanks to the wonderful Nina Russ, I also experienced full rope suspension. Another thing which I do not recommend unless in the hands of an experienced and well practiced individual. To quote Esinem’s website:

“As safety is a prime concern, please be aware that, like so many good things in life, there is always possibility of accidental injury. Rope suspension is undoubtedly edge play and should only be undertaken by those who are physically and mentally up to the challenge. Suspension is safe but not without risk, regardless of proficiency or experience, so is definitely RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) rather than entirely SSC (Safe Sane and Consensual). The more extreme suspensions require a high degree of fitness and often a reasonable pain threshold, so don’t imagine everyone can do what professional models make look easy!”

Luckily, I was physically and mentally adequate, however, as I mentioned earlier in this blog post, the whole weekend experience (full suspension, partial suspension and constant floor practice) has given me a profound respect for rope bondage models. It is definitely not easy.

Despite the aches and pains that I was suffering by the end of the weekend and despite the fact that I am not naturally submissive, I could not resist the chance to be tied up and partially suspended by the man himself.

Enjoy the photos.