---Oh no, not I. I will most definitely survive once the Sex and Mischief Red Rope Flogger walks right out of my life. And that's a great shame, because it had such potential.

This flogger is meant for beginners in the world of BDSM. It's a gentle toy that allows couples to test the waters and see if such play is for them. As such, it is priced well at only $10. You don't have to spend much to give flogging a try, and if you don't like it, you're only out $10, right?

Wrong. But more on my opinions later in the review.

This flogger is about 20 inches long if you don't count the wrist strap at the end. The handle is covered in red vinyl, and it's made of wood underneath. As such, you don't want to get this wet, because the wood can mildew over time. The cords themselves are made of very soft polyester corded rope. There are no knots at the ends of the rope, which makes this a gentler toy than some other floggers out there. However, that alone shouldn't be a reason not to buy the flogger if you are more advanced in BDSM. You can always tie small knots in the end of each rope to give the toy a little more sting.

The handle itself is about 3 inches in circumference and 6 1/2 inches long. This was a good size for both my fairly small hands and the slightly larger hands of my partner, and it looked pleasantly intimidating to me, but not so scary to my partner, who is less experienced in BDSM, that he was unwilling to use it. There are nickel free metal studs at the end of the handle. I found the bright red color very kinky and fun.

Carewise: you can clean the ropes of this flogger with warm, sudsy water (I might suggest Woolite, Suave, or something similarly mild.) I would recommend using an antibacterial wipe on the handle to avoid getting the wooden core too damp. Storage is easy. There are no materials in this flogger that need to be stored in any particular way for safety's sake. You can keep your flogger in a drawer, in a toy chest, hang it on a clothes hanger by its handle, or whatever suits your fancy. This variety of storage options is good, because the flogger came in a clear plastic bag. That's all. I threw the bag out because it was useless as storage as soon as I got the toy out the first time.

Discreetness: This toy is not discreet in the slightest. That didn't bother my husband and I, as we have a nice big walk-in closet to store it in. However, you can't just leave this thing lying around if being discreet is an issue in your living situation. It. Is. Obvious.

Smell: Another disappointing point. This flogger smelled like vinyl right out of the plastic bag, and 2 or 3 days of airing it out did nothing to relieve that smell, which I found very off-putting.

Now, pay attention here. Please do not waste your $10 on this toy. Save your money and buy a better flogger, or even get a better one in a starter BDSM kit. I bought the Sex and Mischief Red Rope Flogger as part of a kit deal Eden had when buying some handcuffs I had had my eye on. I chose this particular flogger because it was one of the cheapest options, figuring I could splurge on another feature in the kit (since I'm on a very tight budget.) This was a big mistake. You get what you pay for.

My first experience with this toy was as a sub. My husband used our new cuffs to chain me to the bed facedown and began experimenting with the flogger on me. He had never used one before, so such a gentle one was a great way for him to get a feel for how rough was too rough, and where to hit me with it so it would make a pleasant sting and not a serious injury. The flogger delivered much more of a punch than I expected given the soft material of the falls. I am a very auditory person, and I really enjoyed the sound the flogger made as it came whistling through the air toward me. It even made fun (but not too lasting) marks on me afterwards, and I was all set to give a stellar review.

Then came the night of our second experience, and I became the Domme. I found that I could really leave some nice marks on my husband with this flogger, and I was having a great time. As I got more and more turned on, I started flogging with more and more force, but I couldn't really hurt my husband as long as I aimed right. Well and good. Then, as we were cleaning up, I discovered that one of the falls had actually come off the flogger, and the ends of the flogger were starting to fray. After TWO uses, folks. I expect my toys to stand up to use better than that, even if they are budget toys.

It is true that a beginner might not play as rough as I did, so your mileage may vary. But really, I strongly suggest that you spend a little more and get one that is far less shoddily constructed. I plan to throw this out as soon as I can save up the points to buy a decent replacement. I can not in good conscience recommend this to anyone, even the beginners it is intended for.

While I am still very disappointed in the quality of this flogger, it turns out to be a decent fit for the needs of my husband and I. Ideally, I would like to wield a flogger with a lot more oomph, but hubby really isn't into being on the receiving end of impact play, so we can probably use this one for a while. Hubby can use this flogger to strike with a surprising amount of force, and it doesn't break when he uses it.

If I was the primary user of this flogger, I would still hate it. Since hubby is the one using it, though, it stings just enough for me. It'll be a while yet before I graduate to anything tougher.