So what positions and restraints are the most comfortable for a long session?

Since rope can be a problem, I guess that leaves manacles and handcuffs, properly adjusted of course. Those wide Clejusos are very good.

I’m sure everybody finds hands in front to be the most comfortable position, but it’s also not very confining. Hands behind the back seems to be more comfortable than it looks, and hands over the head is less comfortable than it looks — your arms tire surprisingly quickly.

Those cuffs seem to be pretty popular these days, I’m seeing them on a lot of sites. But I can’t quite see how they work. Is that a padlock that’s been cut apart and made part of the cuff, or does it take an ordinary separate lock, or what?

They look like they should be secure yet very comfortable when properly sized, but they don’t appear to be adjustable. Do you have to maintain a big assortment to be sure of fitting any particular model’s wrists or ankles?

Some of the older handcuffs you use a lot, like the Darbies or the Irish 8’s, also look like they might not be very adaptable. Modern handcuffs don’t have that problem…

I have had an idea in my mind for a while and am sure that it is not original but can’t for the life of me think where I have seen it before (I am not convinced it has not featured on RE in the past). The idea hinges around locking the model in a cage or in cuffs and leaving her with the key to unlock herself and escape? The twist? trap the key in a block of ice, such that she will have to either wait for the ice to melt

This is a really old self-bondage release method; I’ve seen it in decades-old magazines. The key is frozen in a piece of ice and hung on a ceiling hook or elsewhere so you can’t get at it until the ice melts and it falls within reach. There are lots of variations but they all work the same basic way. Obviously this has to be very reliable, and you can never have too many backups.

That said, none of these methods come close to real play with a real partner for fun and/or safety.

Speaking of story lines, I wonder just how important they are? I tend not to pay too much attention to them; maybe it’s that RE’s models, bondage and photography are usually so good that the story lines pale in comparison.

I’ve always loved the idea of being bound where I might be discovered. One of my favorite youthful fantasies was to be stripped, bound and left in the girls’ locker room at school (I’m a straight male switch).

But it should go without saying that not all fantasies should come true.

I think Ariel and Hywel were somewhat lucky that the police didn’t show up after the jogger encountered her handcuffed amongst the bluebells.

Or at least they would have had they been in the US. I’m not sure which would be the lesser offense, a sex-oriented photography session with a consenting model or a true kidnapping. And I’m only half joking when I say that. I dunno about the UK, but this country is absolutely stark raving mad about anything and everything even remotely sex-related.

Aside from that, consent is absolutely basic to the BDSM game, and that includes spectators and potential spectators as well as participants.

There’s some good stuff here. I don’t really have much in the way of suggestions for storylines, but I do know what I like for bondage positions. In a word: handcuffs and nudity. Well, two words: handcuffs, nudity and leg irons. Well, uh, THREE words: handcuffs, nudity, leg irons and a fanatical devotion to the pope…oh damn…let me start over.

I much prefer modern police handcuffs over the antique Darbies and the custom fetish shackles. I think it’s because the modern cuffs, especially the hinged ones, confine the wrists much more closely. The old figure 8’s sure look great when they hold the hands very closely together behind the butt — where hands and cuffs should always be placed.

I also loved that closeup of the cuffs on Ariel’s butt in the bluebell feature. It’s important to tug gently on those cuffs like that, Ariel. You need a constant reminder that they’re there and you’re simply not getting them off until you’re let out. 🙂

And I just loved your story about trying to hide the cuffs. As a switch, I know there’s an extra bit of humiliation from being restrained andI being unable to hide your restraints.

Leg irons look great too, but rarely do they restrain the model very much. Regular handcuffs on the ankles do a much better job. You MUST keep the model from running away! I fear handcuffs might be too small for some ankles. Are they?

Speaking of cuff sizes, I loved the “Bad Neighbor” set except for one thing: it’s pretty obvious that Jasmine was cuffed to the tree with a set of leg irons instead of regular handcuffs because a long chain was needed. I will BET those ankle-sized cuffs couldn’t be tightened enough to keep her from easily slipping out. Am I right? Next time you could cuff her hands behind her back, then lock them to a chain around the tree.

@lockjaw wrote:

My favorite set in 2008. Handcuffs and great facial expressions! 😀

Lockjaw

Yes, that was a nice set, but it didn’t get really good until she lost her top and she was cuffed behind her back. That makes a big difference; to me, being cuffed in front hardly even counts as bondage unless the cuffs are attached to something solid. Behind is always much more restrictive and therefore better.

I also wish leg irons were used more restrictively. Most of the time, as here, you see them applied to models who are just sitting or standing. They don’t really do much. They should keep her from walking at all. Shorten the chain with a padlock, or replace them with handcuffs if they’ll fit. They can also be chained to something solid or used in hogties.

Without voting for any specific model, I would like to express a general preference for models with natural, unenhanced breasts. So many otherwise stunning models have breasts that look like grapefruit halves bolted onto the chest (I think that’s the terminology some plastic surgeons use).

There’s something about a natural, unenhanced breast that is much more appealing to me even if it’s “small” by today’s standards.

Both playful and dark scenes can be fun, but what I really want are erotic scenes. I want the model to say with her face and body language: “this is really turning me on. Stop playing with your cameras and lights, let me go and I’ll really make it worth your while!”

@lurker wrote:

“Allow me to offer a contrary view: For me, the turn-on is the “victim’s” helplessness and vulnerability – but *not* her discomfort or distress. I don’t find pain or humiliation to be erotic.”

I absolutely agree. I want the restraint to be completely inescapable and even fairly strict, but still reasonably comfortable. I’m turned off by real pain, distress or discomfort, such as “predicament bondage”. I want to see a look of “this is really turning me on, if you’ll just let me go I’ll make it worth your while”.

I’m fond of metal bondage, especially police handcuffs and leg irons. They look great and don’t hide too much. Behind the back is definitely best; I want the (nude) model exposed and unable to hide herself.

Handcuffs are quick and easy to use. Properly used, they’re completely inescapable, which is important, yet reasonably comfortable. They allow some movement to avoid cramping and to depict moderate struggling, which can be pretty hot. The custom steel restraints look nice but I still prefer police-style cuffs, plus chains and padlocks.

Simple “handcuffs behind the back” poses are still good, but my favorite position is probably the hogtie. It’s definitely strict, but done right it can still be comfortable even with handcuffs and leg irons. The important thing is to not pull on them at an angle, and in a hogtie this can be done with a waist chain or belt to take the stress from the ankles away from the hands.