I’d been eying the Wartenberg Pinwheel for quite a while, mostly out of curiosity as to how it felt on skin. I finally decided to add it to my cart and give it a try.

The Wartenberg Pinwheel comes packaged in a plastic sleeve. I’ve seen some tools packaged in the same kind of sleeve. The back is solid black and the front is clear. There are no instructions or information included with the pinwheel. It’s a little difficult to get the pinwheel out, since the sleeve is just barely big enough to fit the pinwheel in.

The toy itself is pretty good quality, especially for the price. It measures 7 inches total in length, with the pinwheel head measuring about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Each spoke is about a quarter of an inch in length. The Wartenberg Pinwheel is made out of metal, but neither EdenFantasys nor the manufacturer state what kind of metal. My guess is just plain old stainless steel.

The handle of this is grooved, similar to surgical instruments. The grooves allow for this to be more easily gripped, even with slippery hands. The handle of mine has a few nicks in it that were there when I received this. The neck, just past the handle, is curved so that the pinwheel head sits lower than the handle. This allows for the head to glide more easily over skin without hands getting in the way of movement. Most of the weight is in the handle and neck. This weighs 1.6 ounces.

Attached to the neck of the handle by a screw is the pinwheel. The pinwheel has about 20 spokes on it, each of which is like the pointy end of a nail. One of the spokes on my pinwheel has a bent end. That particular spoke doesn’t feel nearly as painful on skin. It just feels like something is pressing on skin. The rest of the spokes, however, have a good, lightly painful sting to them. There is space between the pinwheel head and the screw it is situated on, so the head can wobble around a little. I feel it’s better to be a little wobbly though, as having it tightly mounted in there may cause it to squeak when the wheel turns. As it is, when this is run over skin, it doesn’t make any sound.

While the Wartenberg Pinwheel has sharp-looking spokes, it doesn’t actually draw blood, at least on me. I tried pressing it into my skin as hard as possible, which did cause a good amount of pain. It left the spoke-marks on my skin, as well as a stinging feeling, but did not draw blood. I do recommend keeping this away from sensitive, irritated skin or open wounds. This may open the skin up and cause an infection if used on those areas.

Different areas of the body will have a different feeling as this is rolled over them. For example, it’s a pretty comforting, stress relieving sting when this is rolled over my shoulders. My fiancé, who is super ticklish, finds this unbearably tickly feeling on his feet. On more sensitive areas like breasts, thighs, or the stomach, this can have a light sting to it. He says he does not like the feel of this on his penis, both because of the sharp spokes and just the thought of something sharp being on his penis. The Wartenberg Pinwheel can be used both to torture and tease a partner. We personally use it during foreplay to tease each other. Make sure you do use this over bare skin, as the spokes can catch on and tear holes in clothing very easily.

To care for the pinwheel, simply wipe it off with a damp or dry cloth. The chrome finish allows this to wipe clean very easily. I recommend keeping it stored either in a padded bag or in its original plastic sleeve, as the spokes can damage other toys. This, too, can keep it from getting nicks in the metal or the spokes bent.

** Continued in Experience **

Obviously, this isn’t really discreet. I don’t think anyone would recognize it right off the bat as a sex toy or something, but they WOULD want to know what is wrong with you for having this. It’s pretty creepy and torturous looking. It does have the issue of children finding and playing with it, too, and hurting themselves. For these reasons, I recommend keeping this stored away.

I recommend this for anyone looking to experiment with different aspects of S & M. It can be easily paired with other kinds of play, such as sensory deprivation or temperature play. You could tie up a partner and use this on them. This is probably not the right toy for those who are squeamish with needles or are extremely sensitive to pain.

We still use the pinwheel occasionally. When I asked my fiance what his favorite thing was out of all of the sex toys and such we have, he picked this. He really likes the feeling of the pins rolling down his chest.

It's held up well so far. I do make sure to wipe it down with a damp or dry cloth and I keep it in its original sleeve. I haven't noticed any damage from the pins to any of the other toys I store it with.