I was overjoyed when I first learned of the existence of the Spur VixSkin from Vixen Creations. I'd been on the lookout for a realistic toy, but many are too large for me to use. The Spur immediately grabbed my interest, and I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint!

The Spur is made of VixSkin, which is a pure silicone meant to replicate the look and feel of skin. It has all the perks of silicone without the drawbacks of some other skin-like materials, though I'm led to understand that it's slightly less durable than normal silicone, due to the particles being less rigid or some such techno-babble (this is why I did so miserably back in chemistry class). Vixen Creations recommends storing it in the original packaging, a plastic cylindrical tube, in order to keep it from gaining any unwanted impressions or textures. It's also best to keep it upright if possible. It can be still be bleached, boiled, or thrown in a dishwasher like any silicone toy (or you can just stick to toy cleaner or soap & water).

It's almost exactly the same size as Tantus's Silk Medium, so if you're familiar with the Silks, then you know what to expect from the Spur. Eden's measurements are 1 1/4" diameter and 4 3/4" insertable length, and that seems pretty accurate, though I admit I'm horrible at making measurements. The Spur has a squishy exterior with plenty of give surrounding a much firmer (but still quite bendable) core. This core ends just below the head of the dildo, so that the head is ridiculously squishy. The base is flared and very firm - it can be bent, but it takes some effort - and the toy stands up on its own quite well. On a smooth surface, the base actually manages to have a fair amount of suction, though because of the short length this isn't likely to work as a hands-free toy.

Does it feel like skin? Not so much. It feels more like silicone and skin had a baby together. There's a very slight stickiness to it, but it's far from off-putting and doesn't stick on your hands at all - that is, if you touch the Spur and then rub your fingers together, they feel completely normal and dry. It's a very pleasant-feeling material, even fun just to pet and hold. The material does seem to hold onto smells a for a bit, the result being that mine was Pina Colada scented for a while (courtesy of Sliquid Swirl, but that's a review for another day), though it seems that such smells do fade, albeit slowly - a couple of weeks, though if you were to store it in the open air (upright, not touching other toys) it might speed up the process. VixSkin has a bit of drag in use, but it's largely eliminated by lubricant. Thanks to the dual-density, doing a silicone lube spot-test on the base won't really give you a conclusive idea as to how the lube would react on the softer length, so stick with water-based lubes. You might want to rinse off before each use, as well, since the Spur collects a lot of lint.

The toy feels amazing in use. Slicked-up, it goes in and out without much resistance, and the base makes a fine handle that's easy to grip onto. The head tends to pop against the pubic bone ever-so-slightly (a popping sensation, that is, not a sound), but it's not painful or even unpleasant. The Spur is a very comfortable size for smaller women - or for anal use if you'd prefer - and if you're as small as I am, can actually feel quite filling. It's important to be aware of the size, since some people will definitely find it too small to be enjoyable.

If you're in the market for a realistic dildo, but are put-off by the average size of most realistics, then the Spur may well be the answer to your prayers!

I'll admit: my first few minutes with this toy after I first received it were spent poking at it and giggling like a sixth-grader. This particular reviewer has yet to deal with the real thing, and does slip into immaturity occasionally. Once I got that out of my system, though, I was completely enamored. Especially once I whipped out my Silk Medium (one of my favorite toys) and found that the Spur was the same size.

I was a bit worried about the sticky feeling, but when I realized how mild it was, I forgot all about it. This was a relief, as my single jelly toy (which was the only other realistically-shaped toy I had any experience with) felt very greasy and sticky, and the feeling stayed on my hands. The Spur's an entirely different pony, much to my relief. All in all, it's a lovely toy, and I don't have any complaints. (Well, except maybe the name, as I tend to accidentally type "Sput" fairly often.)

Oh, sweet Mavis, I love this thing! It's still one of my favorite toys, and it's held up beautifully so far. I love the look, I love the feel, it's just so wonderful I just can't stop singing its praises.

I've discovered that, with air drying instead of towel drying, any smells clinging to the material fade away completely, especially if you leave it out for a little while longer after it's dry. So as long as you're not in a hurry to put it away, you won't have a scented dildo for long. Air drying cuts down on lint too. (Not using the flavored lube so much might help, too - way to go, me, for managing to have a Pina Colada dildo for about two weeks.) As for what I said about it not feeling completely like skin, that still stands... but sometimes, after it's warmed up, the Spur can manage to fool you.

I wholeheartedly think that VixSkin is one of the best materials out there, and with outer layer being so soft and recent confidence boosts, I've gone ahead and ordered a larger one. Even if you don't like the little Spur, there's a range of sizes available. Go check them out if you haven't already.