This is my first piece of actual "bondage gear" and my first experience with any type of gag so to any truly accomplished master or mistress that might read this, please excuse my naivete. (I mean actual in the sense that it was made for BDSM & never had a past life as a household item.)

Reading the other review for this, I thought it was going to totally reek. Mine does not. There is of course a rubbery smell as all PVC has but to me it's barely noticeable. The rubbery taste is a teeny bit stronger than the smell, although true submissives/masochists won't mind the taste or at least wouldn't complain about it.

My head is larger than most that belong to females of my age group and I have a hard time finding hats that fit so I just assumed I'd have the same trouble with ball gags. Well, not with this one. From the strap end to the nickel-free D-ring end is roughly 29.5 inches. If the circumference of across-your-mouth-and-around-the-back-of-your-head is between 18" & 28" then I think you're good to go. I wouldn't suggest this to anyone with a relatively tiny skull.

I really like that it has cinch closure. Velcro would get stuck in my hair or be too loose. A buckle would be too complicated to fasten behind my own head. There's no type of "quick release" (haha) on this like others have. That might be a con for some people but I really don't mind it. Uncinching is, of course, slower than unsnapping but a helluva lot quicker than unbuckling.

Apparently, I have a rather large mouth to match my head. The circumference of the ball is 5" which is probably fine, or maybe even too big, for most people. It's small enough that I could easily close my mouth with the ball in it but big enough that I wouldn't worry about swallowing it. Plus, when it's in there I can't feel "CHINA" or the seams at all.

It says on the box to wash before and after each use but since none of the components detach from each other, the cleaning process is a bit complicated. The strap is made out of fairly unabsorbant polyester. If you happen to accidentally "splash" anything on it, it can be hand washed with warm water and a gentle detergent. The ball is made of phthalates-free PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride, 2/10) that is allegedly water-resistant and requires little maintenance. Since it goes in your mouth: a) I don't know how to efficiently clean it and b) would not share it with anyone. So far what I've been doing is holding on tightly to the patent leather and running the ball under very warm/hot water for a few seconds. Feel free to make suggestions here.

I only have one major problem with this: the part that goes through the ball. There's about 5 inches of patent leather between each iron ring. What bothers me about it is that it's folded, with the "sharp" edges towards my face and digging into the sides of my mouth. This can easily be remedied by turning it over and using the other side but then you can't see the "diamonds."

One worry that people have about these things is that they restrict your breathing. This did not restrict my breathing a single bit. Although since I tend to make a lot of noises "in the heat of the moment" I was hoping it might turn the volume down on that a little but my moans and whimpers were just as loud as they always are. What it does do very well is turn your words into noises. It definitely restricts you from speaking, or at least restricts you from making any sense while speaking.

This benefits me not only with my autosadism but with taking ball gags for a metaphorical test drive before I have a boyfriend who wants me to wear one or a girlfriend who wants me to put one on her. Other purposes of getting this include trying something new, adding to my collection and most importantly making me feel like a dirty little slut. Not to quote George Bush, but "mission accomplished!"