My first impression was a bit harsh, because right out of the box, this gag seemed to need some work. I had to finish punching some of the holes through, because they were sharp, and if I didn't, let's just say, Ouch! No Thanks.

When I put this in my mouth, the first thing I noticed was the smell. It has a very chemical smell, that I thought smelled a little like gasoline, but my partner didn't agree. He says it just smells like a chemical, to him. I don't notice any taste, just the smell. At first it was off-putting, but after leaving it out for about 3 days, it's diminished to the point where it's no longer a concern of mine.

Before reading the description on the box, I thought this toy was Faux Leather. It's actually Real Leather! So needless to say, it's not the best quality of leather. It didn't have any type of leathery smell, which was disappointing, because I live for the smell of leather, but it still has genuine leather strength. It has held up to many uses, and has shown absolutely no signs of distress, which is really saying something, because we're brutal on our toys. So even the cheapness of this gag isn't a big deal, other than it maybe a little aesthetically unpleasant in some areas(the coating peeling off of a brad, and the cheap leather look).

The ball on this gag is made of rubber. I assumed it would have some give, and be at least a little squishy, but it has none. It is very firm, and feels very similar to thick plastic. I wish it had a little more give, so that the uneven placement of the holes would have been a bit more comfortable. There is a seam running across the middle of the ball. I have to place the ball in my mouth, so that neither the seam, nor the holes can touch the roof of my mouth, because they're both uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it's all balls, but mine happened to, luckily, have no holes in the area that goes against the roof of my mouth on one side.

Overall, I'm glad I bought this toy. Even though there are some things I didn't like about it, it's still a great deal for the money, and the cons were all things that were easy for me to work around. Although I'm not a big fan of the sharpness of the ball's details, it was okay because I don't necessarily like my BDSM toys to be pain-free. I will most likely buy another one that has some more give and hopefully isn't as "sharp", in addition to this one, so that I can be a little more comfortable when I want to be.