Pervertables and Heavy Metal Bondage

Are you kinky but have a tight budget? Or, are you curious about heavy metal bondage, which is often not inexpensive?

Knowledge is power. Come find out what sort of kinky shenanigans can ensue, even if you have a low budget, or a high budget. We are all about dichotomy here!

Workshop Description: This is an advanced in-person class where the attendees will learn about serious metal restraints and pervertables (cheap things that can be used for BDSM). Special emphasis will be directed towards safety, purchasing considerations, and how to use said items. The presenter will have a few metal restraints (steel, aluminum and iron) and a number of pervertables for the attendees to see and play with. These classes have been provided at APEX in the past.

1. Heavy Metal Bondage — Safety Considerations.

A. Differences between cheap and good stuff

Cheap – often thin “pot metal” or other bastardized versions of metal – can be cheap metal poorly clad with some crappy nickel finish that starts to turn green after a few months of use. Charactistics of pot metal are that it is cheap, easy to cast due to a low melting point, and are often a motley assortment of metals. Pot metal can become unstable over time, as it has a tendency to bend, distort, crack, shatter, and pit with age. The low boiling point of zinc and fast cooling of newly cast parts often trap air bubbles, weakening it. Many components common in pot metal, like zinc, lead, tin, and iron, are susceptible to corrosion from airborne acids and other contaminants, and internal corrosion of the metal often causes decorative plating to flake off.

Good metal is often fairly heavy, with the exception of aluminum. If it is light, study it carefully. Feel it in your hands. Is it machined nicely? How is the fit and finish? Is the locking mechanism reliable? There’s a reason why many pot metals are light. Less material equals less cost, all other factors being equal.

B. Pressure and angles. Duration considerations.

The biggest mistake people make with metal restraints is that they try to bind the subject where you go against the “natural grain” of the restraint, resulting in pressure point pain. Over a period of time, this can lead to wounds, infection and death. Yes, BDSM can be a dangerous activity. In the law, some courts have dubbed it an “ultrahazardous activity,” like skydiving, car racing, etc.

Did you know? There are bacteria and viruses (called “superbugs”) common in hospitals and operating suites which cannot be killed by modern medicine. I handle personal injury cases and you generally can’t sue over infections. This is why, in my play, I prefer scenes where the skin is not broken. You can try to manage the risk but that’s not a game I enjoy playing. This doesn’t mean all such play is wrong. To each their own, and informed consent is key.

C. What happens if I lose the key?

The best answer is don’t. In law school, the famous answer to many quandaries is “it depends.” There are a lot of variables that play a role here. How strong is the sub you have bound? What is their pain tolerance? Are they double-jointed? You can go to almost any hardware store and use their bolt cutters to remove a padlock, but it would take a special amount of courage to do this with a chastity device attached to your genitalia. Smaller padlocks can be defeated with two screwdrivers counter-rotated to pop the lock. Or you can use a hacksaw or dremel saw. This is what happens when a chastity key is broken:

D. Chains versus other methods of restraint.

Bondage with chains directly on the skin is often difficult to achieve safely. There is a certain look that makes this sort of bondage awesome, but it takes time, and you have to be cautious not to pull the chains too tight or pinch the skin. Thus, most scenes with chains involve chaining a restraint (hopefully locking) to a fixture or another limb.

Like all metals, there are cheap chains and good chains. For inescapable bondage, you will want to use at least a medium-sized chain. Anything lighter can be defeated by twisting or torquing the chain.

E. Why use heavy metal?

1. Feel. For bondage subs, it’s hard to beat that sensation of inescapability.

2. Speed. Much faster than rope.

3. Comfort. Depends on the use and nature of the metal restraints.

4. Simple. No special rope skills needed. If you can lock a padlock, you can make anyone helpless.

F. Handcuffs, wrist and ankle restraints, and collars.

1. Different types and styles of handcuffs and wrist restraints.

2. Different types and styles of leg irons and ankle restraints.

3. Collars. Light, medium, and heavy.

4. Safety considerations.

II. PERVERTABLES

A. Why Pervertables? So you are kinky but haven’t robbed a bank, thus all of the amazing gear and fetish things available seem way out of your budget? While kink should be for everyone, the reality is not everyone can afford the high end fetish gear that you drool over all the time. Thus, thrift stores, garage sales, and resale shops should become your friend. What is a pervertable? It is simply any common thing which can be used in a kinky and fun way.

B. Where to find?

If you prefer the experience of shopping, or just want to experience a little retail therapy rather than using what you already own while still not breaking the bank, the thrift store is a prime location for acquiring cheap items for use in play.

A dollar store is also good for finding pervertables. The pet section at these stores can provide leashes and collars and other ready-to-play toys, and candles (not really suitable for wax play but can be used in a pinch) can be found in the homewares section. Cheap disposable tablecloths are also great for messy play and can be found in these locations.

Hardware and craft stores have also become a favourite for kinksters looking for low-cost lengths of ropes and chains for use in bondage play. Similarly, equestrian and farm stores can provide high-quality horse riding crops and other impact equipment at prices a lot cheaper than those made specifically for BDSM use.
When looking for cheap things to play with in store settings, just remember to keep your imagination alive and remember that anything can become a pervertable! We also again recommend definitely trying these things out on yourself before doing so on any partner, to keep things clean as you would with any toy used for such intimate activities – and to look after them to ensure longevity and to minimise waste.

When looking online for new things to try out, keep your eye out for discount codes for use at your fave online adult retail store stockists – and don’t forget to look out for sales in adult stores, which typically always have a bargain section.

But remember – your hands and body are the most free and versatile pieces of equipment that you have. Those with low mobility or other additional needs can also engage in kink for low cost as described above, in the same or slightly modified ways.

C. Examples of Pervertables

Pervertables can be a metal or wooden spoon, a whisk, a hairbrush, or a belt or tie. Rulers, clothespins, broom sticks, canoe paddles and just about any household item can be twisted in such a way to make it kinky. Many paddles made for handball, table top tennis and other sports activities make fantastic thuddy paddles for impact play.

While some people are handy enough to make their own BDSM gear, this class is geared towards those who may not have the time, tools and money for such a thing. Keep in mind safety which means anything you acquire this way should be cleaned, sanitized and tested before it is “released into the wild.”

D. Festivals, markets and second-hand gear

Festivals, markets and second-hand stores are also great places to look for those who want to keep their kink on a budget. In fact, most BDSM events around the world include some sort of marketplace in their celebrations and usually include a variety of big brands and small kink-craft businesses alike. They can be a great place to test out toys in person, get special discounts from businesses for the duration of the events and eliminate the cost of shipping.

Occasionally it is also possible to find gear at vanilla or other non-BDSM (or sexuality-specific) marketplaces and in thrift stores – in person or online. Online marketplaces such as Ebay, Etsy and certain FetLife groups are great for procuring secondhand or sample items, as well as auction houses which are sometimes home to the selling of dungeon furniture or other equipment.

When it comes to buying things second-hand, it is our recommendation that you sanitize properly. Same goes for glass and steel butt plugs. I personally avoid anything I can’t run through the dishwasher, and used rubber/latex insertables has a skeez factor that’s hard to overlook.

E. Other ideas for Pervertables

When it comes to the accessibility of play equipment at public events, some hosts will allow you to use a variety of the space’s tools so long as you use said equipment respectfully and return it/leave it in the condition you found it in. This is pretty standard with large pieces of equipment, like crosses and benches, with these pieces of furniture typically seeing many scenes throughout the duration of an event. It is not so common for smaller items to be made so freely available, though some hosts may provide other toys for use, too.

But sometimes the cost of attending all of the events in the kinky calendar can also make for breaking the bank. Don’t want to miss out? Why don’t you try throwing your own kinky party at home? Just like any other house party – but with kink! Get your guests to BYO toys and maybe bring a snack and a drink along, or even ask them to chuck in a few dollars to help cover the cost of refreshments if you want to provide them. Make sure the space you are doing it within is suitable and safe, invite those that you trust or have been vetted by friends, lay down some ground rules around consent and safety and ensure that you have an accessible quiet space.

F. Fashion for Pervertables

For some people, fet-wear (or kinky fashion) is a major part of the play experience – but you don’t have to wear latex, leather or that $100+ harness you see everyone else wearing to be kinky… We definitely encourage working with what you have – to look for inspiration in magazines, on TV and in film and online, to see how you can come up with your own unique rendition of an outfit that you love. Again, dollar stores can provide amazingly discounted accessories and costume items which can always be incorporated into kink and/or roleplay themed outfits. After certain holidays, like Halloween, you should also be able to find a variety of fantasy costumes heavily discounted at party stores online or in person. For those into MtF cross dressing or sissification, discounted lingerie sections within stores are also a great place to look.

Most public play spaces will encourage a dress code of a minimum ‘basic black’ or ‘effort put in’ which typically means no jeans and streetwear sneakers, unless they somehow fit into the theme of the night – which most events will have to get people in the mood of dressing up. Of course, the easiest option would be to go nude but as there are usually policies against this in most public play spaces it is recommended you only do this at home.

Presenter Bio:

Don Burns (“Dakra” on FetLife) has more than 33 years of experience working in personal injury, with experience in Missouri and Kansas since 1991 and in Arizona since 1993. Prior to his graduation from law school in 2009, Mr. Burns was a paralegal for over thirteen years at a large personal injury law firm in Arizona, and currently teaches other attorneys how to handle personal injury cases. He also runs a personal injury practice for two law firms and has his own firm at dosperrosconsulting.com.

Mr. Burns has been engaged in BDSM activities since 1979, when as a kinky 12 year old he started tying himself up, and has been learning ever since. He acquired his first handcuffs when he was 22 years old, and has been a member of APEX since about 1997. He helped to manage a local men’s dungeon here in Phoenix for several years before 2010. His focus has always been on safe, sane and consensual play. Although Mr. Burns identifies as a gay man (and is currently partnered with Jim for the last 15 years), he is not opposed to play with females as well as males. While he prefers to be the one tied up, he can make a mean and sadistic top. He has a private dungeon at home in Tempe and has a variety of interests, mostly revolving around bondage and exhibitionism. Both he and his boyfriend were heavy costumers and often could be found titillating the muggles out in public. Mr. Burns was also is the owner of Southwest Decadence, the successor to SWLC, where he was last Senior Director in 2019. He has presented numerous classes at Kinkfest, Dom Con, Rebooted/Revamped, at Apex and other venues for about 15 years now.

Note Mr. Burns has passed the Arizona “junior” LP bar exam and obtained licensure in July 2023. Regardless, this class is designed to make you think. It is for general informational purposes only, and if you want personal legal advice, talk to him privately.