I must say, that when in the 'throes of passion' I tend to get loud. Really loud, actually, to be honest. While my fiancé Synthetik may not mind it and actually enjoys it, the neighbors.... well, not so much. Let's just say they don't take too kindly to hearing what sounds like someone dying or in horrific pain. What's a girl to do?

Enter the Silicone Ball Gag by Spartacus! *Cue the trumpet fanfare*

This product is great for keeping that special someone quiet, as it does a very good job of muffling the sounds made by the gagged person in question. I do believe, though, that this is particularly suited more for advanced users, due to the size of the silicone ball and possibly the fact that it is not of the breathable kind, depending on the beginner's preference.

This is a nicely made product that I feel will last no matter what paces you put it through. The leather is soft and doesn't seem to shed, and let's not forget the nice smell it has as well. The metal used is nickel-free, so those with allergies to it can use it without issue. This gag's strap has a number of holes at half inch increments for fastening with the buckle, meaning it can fit a range of sizes from around 16 inches to about 21 inches in circumference. It fit me very well and comfortably.

The gag is designed in a way that you can take the ball off of the nylon strap and clean the two without putting the lovely leather strips at risk. This also allows you to change the ball out for a different sized or colored ball, should you so desire.

Speaking of color, I got this gag in the purple/black swirl option. I read up on this and it turns out that Spartacus couldn't decide on whether to make the second color option purple or black (the first option being red), so they decided to do a swirl of the two. I think this was a great idea and it made for a very nice looking color combo for the ball. This also makes each purple/black ball unique, since no two will have the same swirl pattern.

The Ball itself is massive! At a circumference of about 6 inches (about 2 inches in diameter), this gag is literally a mouthful. It is made of silicone, meaning that it is non-porous, squishy, and has so far been very resistant to bite marks. While I and other advanced users may not have very much trouble with the sheer size of it, I would not suggest this size for a beginner. It may be painful for them if they are not used to having a gag this size. If you are looking for a smaller version, Spartacus also makes it in a smaller size, found here: [https://www.edenfantasys.com/silicone-removable-small-ball-gag/adult-toys-dvds-27566]

While I do very much love this product, there are a couple key flaws that do need mentioning.

For one, the middle nylon strap. Now, I can see the reasoning for how it's designed, and I like it very much, with exception to the folded over ends. The tips are melted to keep the nylon strap from fraying, which is a very good thing, don't get me wrong, but this makes the ends very hard, prickly and chafing of the skin on the corners of your mouth. I feel that these could have and can be easily remedied with a quick dip in a Plasti Dip solution or something similar after the tips were melted, for a smoother, more comfortable, and less chafing strap that still retains a tidy appearance and is safe/non-toxic after fully drying. A couple more remedies to this, if there's no Plasti Dip on hand, is to turn the nylon strap to where the ends are facing out and away from your face, or to cover the tips in duct tape, as a temporary solution like I have until I can obtain the rubber dip from a hardware store. These may be less aesthetic than many may prefer, but this makes the straps much more tolerable during use.

Another flaw I noticed, and it may just be on my gag, not necessarily on all of them, but there is an odd circular gash (for lack of a better word) at the top of the ball, situated along the ball's seam. This actually sort of nagged at me, to be honest. When I say that it is a circular gash, it is about 2-3 millimeters deep and is not cleanly cut. Unlike the rest of the ball, which is very smooth, the piece in the center of this gash is uneven and oddly dimpled. While it may seem like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, this, for me, impacted the aesthetics of this Ball gag. While it's shown no signs of becoming such so far, it could possibly become a weak point in the craftsmanship of this product (I very much hope it will not be, though, as I like the Gag *alot*).

Those two points aside, I still firmly believe that this is a great, beautiful product and I am very happy with it.

While testing this product thoroughly with my fiancé, I found that I was indeed *much* quieter than if I had used my old breathable one or none at all. While the size of the ball made my jaw ache slightly, it was not to the point that it was uncomfortable; and because I had covered the abrasive ends with some duct tape as a temporary solution, these did not bother me either.

Synthetik *loved* when I put this gag on. Nothing says submission like being unable to say anything at all (among other things, of course). According to him, while using the Ball gag, the chances of hearing me outside of a closed door were nil, which is exactly what he and I were hoping for. Not only that, but he very much liked seeing me wear it.

I must say we were both very pleased with this Silicone gag. Any flaw that this product has was completely forgotten while in use.

The Silicone Ball Gag is very easy to clean. All you have to do is unbutton the snaps, slide the ball off the nylon strap and then proceed to clean the silicone ball. You can do so by putting it on the top rack of your dishwasher, boiling it, or using hot water and an anti-bacterial soap.

I *highly* suggest that you store this in a bag, satchel or toy box/drawer, as the the silicone ball will attract a crazy amount of dust and hair. While even though a fairly quick rinse will get rid of the dust bunnies that happen upon your product, even storing the ball gag inside of a ziploc bag will generally eliminate the need to do so before use.

The packaging is classy and simple, yet very effective. It is in a clear clamshell package, so while you can definitely see the product through it, there are none of the usual, near-naked "lovely models" to lustfully stare you down. Therefore, I consider it to be semi-discreet, as the exact level of discretion can vary when it comes to the eye of the beholder.

To my surprise, I didn't find myself cursing at or attacking the clamshell package with a pair of scissors. It's not difficult at all to open, and I know some may worry that easy to open means 'easy to open on accident' too. This is not the case, however, while it's easy to open intentionally, the chances of it opening up on accident are slim (trust me, I've tried making it open via shaking forcefully and the like and it will not open).

All in all, I'm happy with the packaging. Not only was it easy to (intentionally!) open without the need to jab it with scissors, it kept the product nice and safe.

I would like to point out that when incorporating bondage into your 'play time', it is *highly* recommended that you use a safe-word. A safe-word ensures that the submissive, if pushed past their limits or in an emergency, can bring things to a halt. A lot of times people are aroused by struggling, saying "Stop", "No", and the like. So a safe-word sort of acts in place of "Stop", so that the Dom/me knows that you *actually do* want and need things to stop. Choose something easy to remember, say, like 'apple', 'pomegranate', or using colors like those found on a traffic light: 'red' to stop everything, 'yellow' to tone things down a bit without completely stopping, or 'green' to keep going or up the intensity, whichever is preferred.

However, since it's sort of hard to say just about anything with a gag in your mouth, things have to be gone about differently. Safe-signals are your best bet in situations where you are unable to speak. Having something in your hand that you can drop to show that things need to stop is one way you can try. Another way, if the room is dark and a dropped item can go unnoticed, you can buy an inexpensive, battery operated finger-light (similar to ones that ravers use), attach it to your index finger so that in case of an emergency, you can push the button with your thumb and make the light turn on, alerting the Dom/me that something is wrong.

These are just a couple suggestions and examples when it comes to safe-words/signals. If you find a better method that works for you and your partner, then by all means use it! You may never even have to use the safe-word/signal, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Just be sure to talk things over with your partner so that they are in the loop and know what to look and listen out for and you're all set.