Im not sure this will answer you entirely, as you say session, we say shoot (the whole day), or you may mean set (as in one set of photos or one video set).

So, I think I can safely say Ariel has been restrained the longest. I know she did a video shoot with Hywel, she was chained/cuffed up (I think) and put in a cage overnight. I dont know anyone has done any longer. But in terms of rope, it would not be very safe being properly restrained in rope for that period of time.

A shoot generally lasts 6 hours, although depending on the model it can be more. In that time, Hywel would expect 6 sets (in this case, photo). Take away a bit of time for lunch, and you can generally see how long a set lasts which should give you an idea on how long a model can be retrained for.

Hope that helps.

Soph x

mmmmm.

Makes note to bring scold’s bridle for sunday.. 😉

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.

Mmm, yes, agreeing with Kate – arms above head gets painful really, really fast. For me it’s just because my hands go numb though, not cos it hurts my back…

I definitely agree that the wide, old-fashioned handcuffs are way more comfortable than modern ones, and although it’s less comfortable with hands behind, it doesn’t feel so much like bondage if they’re in front, so I’d definitely prefer it.

Ooh, we’re talking on the forum. Hooray, I’ve been missing it 🙂

Greetings from New Jersey,

How long a person can be in a given bondage position depends on a combination of a number of factors. The individual restraint used, how it is applied, how tight it is applied, the position involved (if there is one) and the person that will be in the bondage. Every person is different and every person will differ from day to day. It depends on their body make up as well as things like cuts, bruises, illnesses, allergies, muscle strains and so forth. I had the opportunity to play a couple of times with a lady who could normally have her elbow together behind her back or do a reverse prayer position for 45 minutes to an hour. She was that limber in part from being a personal trainer. But there were some times where she could only hold such a position for a few minutes or not at all because she might have a slight strain from over doing things during a workout with a client. Some people’s bodies just will not get into certain positions and forcing it will result in a very short session.
The type of restraint used also has a large part to play in how long someone can be in bondage, particular if we are talking about a fixed position. As Kate and Ariel have said the “old fashion” metal restraints are generally more comfortable than modern thin cuffs. The wider the cuff the more the weight and the contact with the skin is spread over a wider surface area and so the pressure on any one point is reduced. The same thing applies to rope. You can tie a person’s wrists behind their back with a short piece of fishing line. They may or may not be able to escape the tie but the thin line will cause a lot of damage to their skin as they struggle against the bondage. That’s not my idea of bondage and I have no interest in causing my partner discomfort. Distributing the load of rope bondage is partly why you see quality bondage producers (and of course RE is a very high quality producer) use a decent diameter of line and use a number of turns at any tie point. That is one factor that helps the model be able to stay in that tie long enough for the photos or video the producer is trying to get. Of course you can overdo things with the rope diameter also. Bondage with one or two inch diameter rope is generally nor that practical either as the line will not flex enough for a good tie.
The material of the restraint and the quality or the workmanship also plays a part. Rope bondage with hemp rope or some synthetics can be very unpleasant because of the roughness of the material while other synthetics (like nylon but be careful of the way it stretches) are ore comfortable material against one’s skin. The same thing applies to leather cuffs. RE has a number of lined leather cuffs and collars that have locking buckles. These would be pretty comfortable against the skin and allow a lady to wear them for a longer period of time then cheaper or lower quality cuffs. The lower quality or cheaper ones might have a rough inner surface and/or might not have the edges rounded over or beveled so the edges can dig into the skin as the lady struggles.
How the bondage is applied also plays a big part in the duration of a bondage session. If the bondage is poorly applied then it can become painful, cause a loss of circulation or other issues than will shorten the session at best and hurt the model at worst. It’s easy to over tighten handcuffs and it is critical that if the handcuffs are the adjustable type that they have a lock out feature (ideally not the cheap pivoting lever) to prevent the cuffs from tightening further once the lock out is tripped. It’s the same for rope bondage. If the tie is done poorly it can cause pain at pressure points on the body or easily cut the circulation at any number of body points.
How tight the bondage is applied also is a factor in the length of time a person can spend in bondage. I already discussed what can happen if you over tighten handcuffs and the same applies to rope bondage as well. Phithinker02 mentioned that a spread eagle position should be able to be held for a long time. Well yes and no. If the bondage is applied poorly or too tightly that is one limiting factor but it also depends on how tight the limbs are drawn. As a general rule the tighter your draw a person’s limbs to the corners of the bed the shorter the time they will be able to hold the position because the tighter the limbs are drawn the faster they will cramp from the strain. If the limbs have a fair amount of slack to be able to move around (obviously without being able to escape) then the one on bondage will be able to stay in that position for a much longer period of time. They might even be able to sleep through the night like that but only if they normally sleep on their back or tummy. If they normally sleep on their side they will find the position too much of a strain for an overnight session.
Gags behave much the same way but you also have the added problem of the person wearing one choking which clearly is to be avoided. I love the look of a lady wearing a ball gag but how long a lady can wear one depends greatly on the flexibility of her jaw as well as the size of the ball. The larger the ball the more it will stretch the jaw muscles and the quicker the jaw will cramp. So generally a lady will be able to wear a smaller ball gag longer than a large diameter one. I only know a one gag that could be safe overnight and that is a tape gag with no mouth packing. The mouth packing, or any type of gag that places anything in the mouth, will cause more saliva to be generated. I’m not advocating gagging someone overnight because you should always closely monitor anyone wearing a gag. Further, if the lady applies some extra makeup around her mouth before the tape is applied she can easily dislodge the tape at least partly, if needed, by forcing air out through the mouth. The extra makeup combined with the sweat that will build up under the tape will lessen the grip enough to allow her to “blow” the tape off.
Now one of my favorite restraints is a straitjacket (preferably in leather). Assuming the jacket has a strap or two running from front to back between the legs (to prevent the jacket from being drawn up over the head) and loops at the front and sides of the torso that the arms go through (to prevent the arms from being drawn over the head) and the straps are drawn to a reasonable tightness then most people are not going to be able to get out of the straitjacket. Yet if the straps are not overly tightened one can stay in a jacket for a number of hours and sleep in one. But if the arm straps in particular are tightened too much then the arms will cramp in a fairly short period of time. Another favorite restraint is a leather sleep sack. These often have several sets of “D” rings on them. Two sets normally go down the front so a rope can be laced through them to tighten the bag around the person in it. There are also often a set down each side of the bag to allow the bag and the person inside to be secured to whatever they are lying on. If the side or front lacing is made too tight then the person will probably have to come out of the sack earlier than they would if there is a decent amount of slack.
It’s easy to want to place someone in bondage so they can’t move at all but it is kind of a reverse trap. How long someone can be in a particular bondage is often inversely proportional to how tight you make that bondage.
So various things contribute to how long any individual can stay in bondage. Personally I’ve been involved with some bondages, both on the giving end as well as the receiving end (I’m a switch) using leather straitjackets and also some using five point restraints that have gone on for up to 18 hours. Some of these have involved sleeping in the restraint over night. Different forms of gags would be used for up to an hour or so at different times during such sessions. Obviously you have to keep a close eye on the partner in restraint and the lady and I certainly did. Of course the person in the restraints for these play sessions had a lot of mobility and that played a big part in the length of the sessions. They were a great way to spend a winter’s Sunday.

Cheers,

Jeff

@jeff wrote:

I love the look of a lady wearing a ball gag but how long a lady can wear one depends greatly on the flexibility of her jaw as well as the size of the ball. The larger the ball the more it will stretch the jaw muscles and the quicker the jaw will cramp. So generally a lady will be able to wear a smaller ball gag longer than a large diameter one.

A lot of photographers seem to go for the biggest ball gag possible, but I actually find that unappealing. A ball gag should be mostly in the mouth, with maybe only a quarter to a third of it in front of the lips. There’s a current set of Sophia wearing a ball gag so huge that it looks like an apple strapped to her face!

Thanks Sophia 😆