This particular crop is great for foreplay. It is long enough that you can get a good smack with it but it is very hard to inflict any kind of lasting pain. This could be a problem to more intense users, but I was happy since it was one of the first bondage toys we bought at the time.
I think anyone that is wanting to explore a new side to foreplay would enjoy this. Just because it is a black bondage tool doesn't mean it comes with a cold dungeon and death metal. In my experience I was able to learn with it and figure out what felt good and what was even better.

The design is simply elegant. When i ordered it I decided to spend a little bit more on this than another less reviewed product and I'm very happy. I spent a while shopping for better prices and Eden was the best and most professional. However, all of the sites that offered this crop had rave reviews about it. Everyone liked it over cheaper models.
The handle is a bit longer than my grip which was nice because I could alter the amount of leverage used. The tip is decently soft which is very sexy when it is being trickled down your neck to your groin. My wife really likes the shaft of this, it has a braided rope around it which is very tight and makes it look classy with the silver embellishment on the handle.
Some leathery type products tend to smell and some people don't like that, me included. This crop does not smell like anything and for that I'm grateful.

I really enjoyed how the crop worked. I actually was prepared for a lot more sting and that wasn't the case. Again that could be bad for more advanced users, but most likely more advanced users could make this sting better than my wife and I. It was terrific for foreplay and establishing how the night was going to go.
The only thing that was unexpected was how loud the snap actually was. If you're in a house with other people odds are you need to put some music on! This isn't much of a problem for us, but it was something we didn't think about.
Also the middle shaft of this works okay for a short cane. This is a neat surprise if blindfolded. Just establish ground rules first and have fun!
I received very few marks that lasted more than an hour and those were minimal at best. A good idea would be to test it out on your own leg or other body part so you know how much pain you are causing, if any, but my wife was comforted with the knowledge she couldn't really hit harder than I could handle.

This is a low to no maintenance toy. Besides possibly wiping of some lube from the tip or the handle I cant think of anything that would need to be maintained. Nothing has been spilled on it so I don't know for sure. It may be possible that the braided rope shaft could absorb some liquids. This could possibly be beneficial if you were going to associate smells with your experience, possibly rub some specific perfume you have on the braided rope and then wear that perfume just before playing. In time that could be the sexiest perfume you ever bought ;)

As far as storing we just throw it in our sex chest. It is light weight and thin so you could slip it on the inside corner of a suitcase if you want to travel with it.