First off, the name of the Strap whip is a misnomer as this is not a whip; rather, it is a flogger. For BDSM enthusiasts, there is a difference, as a whip usually doles out a harsher punishment than a flogger. At 20 inches long, this is a fairly short flogger, but the fire engine red color I received is my favorite color, so I was pleased with that. The leather is a bit stiff, not terribly soft, yet not too hard, which works well with submissives at a semi-experienced level. It also has a ring at the end of the handle for convenience in hanging on playroom or dungeon walls.

 Before I could get a chance to play with it, I brought the flogger to my local SWOP meeting to get opinions from all the ladies in attendance, many of which are professional dommes. As we passed it around, the comments I heard were resoundingly negative. "Amatuerish," "handle not long enough," "leather cut unevenly," "good for newbies," "cheap," and lastly, "looks like it would come in a kit from Lover's Lane." Ouch. The one thing everyone could agree on that they liked was the color, which I again have to agree is quite lovely. Unfortunately, the professionals here didn't have many kind words to say about this flogger, which we all agreed is nice for BDSM newcomers, but not for the serious enthusiasts.

 However, I had to find out for myself if this toy really had any redeeming qualities, so on a job with one of my clients, I pulled it out and tested it myself. It was lightweight and didn't leave marks, which were pluses, but it also really didn't cause much pain, which is a big minus. I even had the client try it out on me and found it to be somewhat of an irritating sensation, at best. It might be good for a few slaps, but for a serious flogging, you're going to need a bigger and better flogger.

 That's not to say this flogger is good for nothing. It turned out to be a wonderful cat toy for my friends' cat, who even tried to pull it out of the bag I had it in a few times. It would be a nice toy for someone looking to put together a few light, novice toys for a BDSM kit and don't want to spend too much money. Otherwise, if you're looking for some serious S/M equipment, I'd say pass on this one.