The most basic, unvarnished, straightforward spank is a swat on the bottom with your hand. That can be done any time, anywhere the girl’s behind is conveniently located, whether she’s aware the swat is coming or not, and whether she’s standing, lying down, bent over, or draped across your lap. But I already did a major ramble on positions so I’ll talk about implements, and I don’t consider the hand an implement. An implement, in spanking terms, is any device used in lieu of one’s hand to strike her bottom, and in most cases this amounts to using a tool the better to accomplish your task, i.e., to impart tushy sting more stringently than or different to what one might with a bare hand.
As with all tools, evolution has been at work. One can imagine a prehistoric father, worn out from a long day chasing mastodon, returning to the family cave only to find his children completely out of control, arguing with their mother, scratching obscene petroglyphs on the wall, and generally acting like wild Neanderthals, so rather than pull up their bearskin skirts and give them a good bare skin smacking with his hand like he usually does when they behave like cave brats, he grabs a limber twig from the kindling pile, uses it to create fire of a different sort in their naughty bottoms, and has the little hellions bawling and grunting promises to be good forever and ever in less than half the time it ordinarily takes him to make his point. Pleased with himself for having developed such a wondrous labor saving device, he settles down by the fire pit to enjoy his supper of lightly scorched filet of giant gopher, his well chastised children sniffling quietly nearby but beyond reach of Father’s new-fangled switch, his wife looking on in awe and adoration of her ingenious and manly mate – and possibly wondering what she might do to earn a lively dose of his device, and perhaps of the switch as well.
Over time, mankind developed ever more effective implements designed specifically for corporal punishment and to inflict maximum injury with minimum effort – the whip, the scourge, the knout, the cat o’ nine tails, and no one expects the Spanish Inquisition! You didn’t, did you? But my point is that punishment in my worldview should never involve brutality, let alone injury. Girls I spank in actuality or in fiction don’t expect extremes, and I even avoid the words ‘pain’ and ‘hurt’ when I write spankings, in favor of such terms as ‘sting,’ ‘heat,’ and even ‘burn,’ which in context works quite well since the ‘fire’ is metaphorical. I do this because the spankings I write, whether as punishment or as foreplay, are romantic, and I find nothing romantic in harshness, although I do use such words as ‘pain’ and ‘hurt’ in reference to my characters’ emotional lives. Romance should hurt; there is no story without conflict. But spankings should sting – sometimes a lot. Girls need to feel the burn, even if it is metaphoric.
Although I much prefer to spank with my hand, simply because I relish the touch of a girl’s warm bottom, there are occasions when I’m very glad for the existence of implements. A case in point would be when I deal with a girl whose behind is well-seasoned, meaning used to a large amount of serious swatting, and is just not that impressed with or affected by my manual prowess. Here I’m thinking of Erica Scott and her bionic bottom, but there have been others. And some girls simply need the extra stimulation, the additional sting, and certainly there’s nothing wrong with variety. Implements common to my way of spanking fall into two very basic categories – flat and wide, and round and narrow. An example of flat and wide would be a paddle, of wood, leather, Lexan, PVC, and so on. Round and narrow describes a cane, a switch, or a whip.
A hairbrush is a special case of a paddle, a traditional instrument of bad little girl chastisement due to its ready availability, and linked intellectually and emotionally in a bad grownup girl’s mind to either remembered or fantasized ideals of adult authority figure discipline. Also they sting like hell. Even Erica has a healthy respect for hairbrushes, and I have to believe part of the reason is their size. With a good, solid wooden brush, such as the Shadow Lane model I used on her in the video, the impact area is small and specific, as opposed to a larger flat implement such as a sorority-type paddle, and the brush’s effect more intense because of that concentration – the sting is all RIGHT THERE in those few square inches of bottom flesh, rather than being spread across the cheeks as would be the case with a long paddle.
Small is also easier for the spanker to control, coloring every bit of her behind red and ouchy with an artist’s brush instead of a paint roller. However, when dealing with non-bionic bottoms it’s best to exercise care, because the weight of the wood can and will cause bruising, so unless that’s what she wants it’s best to go easy – light, wrist-snap pops more than swinging for the fences.
Similarly, a house slipper – never worn since you don’t want to soil your little girl’s tushy – or a pristine leather shoe sole (Hi, Michael!) has the benefit to the spanker of focusing the impact in a somewhat limited space, but without the hairbrush’s heaviness. The sting is intense, but the risk of bruising is relatively limited, although of course marks can occur with vigorous usage. And as always, DON’T WRAP THE TOE around her hip. That hurts too much and not in a good way, as we learned from another video experience.
Gwen’s Favorite
But back to paddles in general – they come in all shapes, sizes and materials, and the production thereof has become a thriving cottage industry. Kitty in Las Vegas makes some really nice models of wood, and I gave one to Dawna and Floyd as a wedding present. Unfortunately I’ve heard that ‘the Papa paddle’ doesn’t get nearly as much use as it should. Paddles can be applied with a girl in almost any position, though for over-the-lap work you want a fairly small one for better control, and they get your point across with minimum effort.
A wooden implement shouldn’t be terribly thick (see the ‘Mickey Paddle’ post a couple weeks back on this blog) because we’re not going for a bludgeon effect, nor should they be terribly thin, because too thin is ineffective, and also tends to break. Thin paddles of other material, Lexan, plastic or PVC for instance, can be effective and are quite durable, but they aren’t terribly romantic. Wood is warm and natural, and imparts a warm, natural ouchiness to your loved one’s bare situpon, although most girls of my acquaintance claim not to be all that enamored of the material. But sometimes what they need is more important than what they want.
Leather paddles also partake of this warm and warming nature, as do belts, straps, and razor strops. Again, with any limber implement, care must be taken to stay on target and not go wrapping the end anywhere – safety before safe word. The razor strop is an interesting device, and one of many household items available on short notice when your naughty girl has earned an impromptu spanking. Kitchen utensils, spatulas, wooden spoons and that sort of thing, can be quickly grabbed and put to good use quelling sudden outbursts of petulance. (RubySue despises wooden spoons and has thrown many into the trash, only to have them replaced by someone who has her best interests very much in mind and doesn’t hesitate to prove it on her bare behind.) Of course razor strops aren’t nearly as common in today’s homes as they once were, but I can’t help think that the one hanging from a hook on great-granddad’s bathroom door gave his teenaged daughters reason to pause and reflect before considering any form of misbehavior that might force him to unhook it and use it on their impertinent rears. Our fantasies aside, I have to think most parents, even way back then, weren’t big on spanking a well grown girl on the bare, and such heavy leather would be felt keenly even when applied over several layers of clothing.
The other category of implements, round and thin, aren’t much to my liking, simply because whips, canes, and switches tend to leave marks, are in fact designed to leave marks, and I prefer to have my girls’ bottoms hot pink or even red hot rather than welted. That preference is far from universal, of course. Some girls and their spankers consider welts, marks, and stripes to be souvenirs of time well spent, or even badges of honor. Not that I haven’t utilized such instruments, in fiction and in real life, but sparingly, and of course carefully. Many people carry ‘toy bags’ to spanking parties. These are satchels of various sizes that contain this sort of implement, and it often astounds me the variety and number of these toys folks have accumulated. But my point is that whips and canes should never be treated as toys, that is, used irresponsibly or capriciously. There’s too much potential for real damage, and I’ve seen it happen all too often that someone is injured. Not that this occurs by accident, not usually anyhow. Some spankers simply get carried away, and put their wants before those of their spankees. The result never is pretty, and almost always the item used is a cane. Of course, any implement in the wrong hands is potentially dangerous, but in my experience the cane, for whatever reason, is the weapon of choice, which is too bad because controlled properly its use can be very enjoyable, in a serious and intense way. Here I’m thinking of Ian at London Tanners who from what I’ve seen and heard is the Da Vinci of caning.
Spanking is an art to me as well, one that requires skill whether I’m using an implement or my bare hand. Anyone can smack a bottom, but if all he does is smack indiscriminately, without connection to his partner, without finesse, without empathy and understanding, then he’s beating rather than spanking. I’m not saying everyone has to spank like I do. If she wants serious paddle rash that lasts two days, roll up your sleeves, bend her over the bed and swing away, just don’t take your eye off the sweet spot. If marks, welts and stripes float her boat, and you’re not averse to giving them to her, by all means get a cane or a single-tail whip – only learn to use it properly, start slowly, and above all control yourself. The same goes for any implement, and even your hand, come to that. Some girls are lightweights and need nothing more than love taps, so know your partner. If you don’t know her, learn to, keep your eyes and ears open. And girls, communicate. Don’t be afraid to let him know you, and what works for you. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spell it out, but if your guy isn’t blind – and maybe even if he is – your body language tells him a lot about where you want your spanking to go, and perhaps even that you want one to begin with.
So it may be the case that your cute little dear with the bare behind simply needs her tushy hand-warmed in order to sleep better; or perhaps she’s been a stroppy, blustery brat all evening and nothing short of a good hairbrushing will settle her down; or you come home from work and find her wearing a plaid skirt, white blouse, knee socks, and a very guilty look, and her schoolgirl paddle is hanging by its leather cord from the pole lamp. The bottom (!) line in every spanking situation is, the right tool for the right job. And as with any skill, practice makes perfect.
Carry on.
Devlin out.
