The Love Honey “Sweet Sting” Riding Crop is a relatively standard riding crop, with some additional design features that fit the “50 Shades of Grey” aesthetic. Personally, I am against EVERYTHING “50 Shades” related, but my previous riding crop broke with some rough play, and this was the alternative available at the store. So, in need of a new crop, I caved in and bought it, expecting it to be poorly constructed. But, I was pleasantly surprised that it was both physically and aesthetically pleasing, and held up to the test of some hard use during play.

Riding crops are great for impact play, ranging from a light to intense level. You can start off by teasing the crop across your partner's skin, running it over their nipples and crotch, and making them squirm with sensation and anticipation. Add in a blindfold, handcuffs, or tethers for a great beginner’s BDSM play space. Try some mind-play, punishment, rewards, role play, or dirty talk to make your scene even hotter. Start with light taps, slowly increasing your intensity as you gauge your partner’s reaction. Be aware of your partner’s limits, and the power of the riding crop. Slightly red, tender, or upraised skin is normal, but be careful of leaving bruises, welts, breaking the skin, and leaving permanent marks. Riding crops and all whip toys are surprisingly powerful, and should be used cautiously. Personally, my partner and I have enjoyed taking various impact play classes at a local kink-friendly sex shop, which has expanded our knowledge tremendously for both fun and safe play. (If you’re in the Philadelphia area, message me, and I can direct you to some great resources!)

I was really pleased to see this crop came with a little “Instruction Manual”, especially since it’s associated with 50 Shades. I imagine many newbie D/s couples would come to the 50 Shades branding, without much experience and research, and needing some guidance. The manual had good advice, some of which I’d like to expand upon here.

It’s IMPORTANT to keep safety as your number one priority. 50 Shades of Abuse is a terrible representation of BDSM. Consent and Communication are KEY in every D/s relationship. Be aware of your limits and/or your partner’s limits, have a safe word, and focus on the sub's physical and emotional response throughout.

Also REMEMBER, when using a riding crop or any other whip toy - learn and know your whip. Practice aim and strength on a pillow before getting rough with your partner. Start with light, easy strokes and build up to harder strokes, gauging your partner’s reaction. Stay away from any soft areas that protect organs (like the tummy and upper pelvic region), the spine, and basically everywhere on the back, unless using just light tracing and tapping motions. For hard whips, stick to the rectangular region of the fleshy butt and upper thighs.

Leather, rating a 2 on the Eden Scale, is not the safest material. The leather is primarily on the whip end, which makes contact with the skin. The rest is nylon and PVC, except for the leather wrist loop. The entire crop is phthalates free, though the crop is NOT latex-free or non-porous. If you are allergic to any of the included materials, do not use this toy. However, if you’re not allergic, but are concerned about safety in general, I would still recommend this toy. Since it does not go inside of you, but makes direct contact with the external skin, my main concern would be any breaking of the skin or open wounds. Never use it on open wounds, and be very careful with rough play to prevent breaking skin. Contact with outer vaginal skin and the clitoris was fine for me, though I took extra precautions to sanitize the toy, and clean myself after use. It will take a bit more effort to store and clean, which I describe later.

The design, shape, and size of this riding crop was ideal for me and my partner. At 23”, it is just the right size for play, and to store easily. It is well made, lightweight enough to use, and yet heavy enough to show it is a quality riding crop. However, I can’t help but feel like I’m paying for the “50 Shades” name, design, and aesthetics, rather than true quality. There are definitely equal quality riding crops out there for a lower price.

That said, this is a truly beautiful crop - certainly one of the most visually pleasing I’ve seen. I love the subtle details along the crop and handle, the silver accents, and the over all look, though I prefer a black leather tip rather than the grey.

As I mentioned before, I am really rough on my toys, and broke my first riding crop with heavy use. So, I was ready to use and abuse this toy, putting it to my ultimate test. It certainly met my standards! With my craving for pain, this riding crop provided the strong sting I desire, but could also be used for gentle play easily. It was not flimsy or cheaply constructed, and didn’t break, snap, or budge, even during our roughest play. As with many impact play toys, the performance is in the hands of the wielder. Educate yourself, read everything, practice, and even take a class! The more you learn, and are open and communicate with your partner, the better your play will become.

Unless you’re playing dirty, this riding crop will generally stay pretty clean, considering it makes contact with your skin rather than inside your body. But, it’s always a good idea to wipe your toys down before using them, especially if the riding crop breaks skin or touches your sensitive areas. I would recommend a gentle leather cleaner, toy wipes, and/or a warm damn wash cloth with gentle soap. Do not submerge your riding crop in water, as it could ruin the leather, and make sure to get in the creases for maximum cleaning.

I was pleasantly surprised with the cute and convenient packaging of this riding crop. I had bought my previous crop without any packaging (which made my germ-sensors go haywire), but this crop comes in a cute and sleek black cardboard box that would be perfect for storage. Personally, I keep this riding crop tucked away in my toy dresser, without the box for easy-access, but have the box tucked away for travel.