Choosing this paddle was probably the most selfish act of gift-giving I have ever engaged in. "Sir, I got You a present . . . which You can use on me! Right now! Please!"

As much as I love being paddled, the idea of something extra in the form of hard metal studs piqued my interest. I was not disappointed in the least!

This paddle is made of leather with 30 raised metal studs on one side. The studs are flat and smooth, and the other side is plain leather. The entire thing measures 16.5", with the striking surface measuring 10" by 3.5", a slight taper down to the handle, and the overall handle being 6" with 4" of that length being the straight gripping surface. The handle is 1.25" wide where you hold it, with a rounded end that has a leather thong looped through if you want to hang it up. The paddle is about 1/4" thick, and although it is reinforced for most of its length it still has a lot of give.

There's no fancy packaging with this; it came in a plain plastic bag.

Being on the receiving end of this is fairly intense for me, but not enough so to cut sessions short. The leather side feels just like any other leather paddle to me. It's "slappy" and leaves a nice warm feeling where it hits. One advantage of the size is that it can cover quite a bit of territory. It gives a good even strike across the "sweet spot" - right where the thighs meet the ass, along the bottom of the cheeks.
The studded side, on the other hand, has a bite to it! It can sting a bit, but since there are so many studs the sensation is distributed over a larger area so no one spot gets tender on me.

Since this paddle has quite a bit of "give" to it, Sir has mentioned that it's harder for Him to use for as long as He would a more rigid paddle. The reverberations tend to tire His arm a bit sooner.
The flexibility also means that there's a bit more wear at the top of the inner core by now, but to be fair we have been using this often and heavily.

I've started using a leather cleaner and conditioner on all our leather items to help them stay in good shape and last longer. A regular wipe down with it has kept this paddle looking beautiful.

I don't think this would be a good "first paddle" for anyone who's never used one, or had one used on them, since on the receiving end it can be a bit more harsh, and on the delivery end I'm told it takes more skill. Still, I wouldn't say this is only for advanced users or pain sluts, since if the studded side isn't to your liking you still have a perfectly useful leather paddle. Anyone who already likes impact play could give this a try, starting more lightly. If they find they want more, it can be swung harder, or switched to the studded side.

Another thing to keep in mind, especially if you are new to impact, is to be careful of where you hit. Beginners can benefit from the information found in books and online about parts of the anatomy that can take more impact, and which should be avoided.
Particularly with this paddle, watch out for bones! At full force, using the studded side, someone could get hurt in a non-fun way. Don't let that scare you off, though! Just be safe.

Every time I've been paddled with this, I've ended up very red, and have developed bruises. I enjoy having marks left, personally. Used more lightly, or only on the leather side, this may not mark at all, but everyone's different in that area.