The toy came loose in the box, with a tag attached to the handle. The tag has a picture of a woman who kind of resembles the Octomom in a really weird pose with the flogger held over her head and the falls kind of caressing her shoulders. Probably the least sexy thing I've seen in terms of sex toy packaging. The tag doesn't contain any instructions or other useful information. When I took the flogger out of the box I noticed a strong leather smell. The smell is still pretty strong three weeks later, and the flogger has been stored in open air the whole time. My guess is that it will retain the scent for a long time.

This flogger has the most comfortable handle of any flogger I've used. The handle is wrapped in black and red leather that is woven into a checkerboard pattern. The weave has enough texture that you have an excellent grip with either one or two hands, but it isn't heavy enough to be distracting or rough. The end of the handle has a braided leather loop so you can hang the flogger if you desire. The falls themselves are about two feet long. There are 36 red suede falls and 12 of the "barbed wire" falls. The barbed wire is made from a glossy leather that is braided the entire length and has leather wrapped into a barb shape with points sticking out about every four inches.

The weight of this flogger is great. I'm not at all a dom by nature, but for some reason I really wanted to swing this thing so I hit the bed a few times to see how it felt. The weight is really well balanced, and it felt great to swing the flogger both at full force and also lightly. The one problem that I could anticipate would be that it could be kind of difficult to control as the falls kind of tangled and wrapped around to where I hadn't thought they would go. A beginner may want to practice before using this flogger on a person, to get used to the feel and avoid any potential unintended consequences. My husband said he didn't have any problems with aiming, but he's pretty experienced with all kinds of impact toys.

From the receiving end, this is the best flogger of any I have experienced (I've used a dozen or more). The impact is solid, and even a very light stroke has a "thuddy" feel. The heaviest strokes felt great-- the falls were really well distributed, and the toy is heavy enough that there was a lot of force behind the strokes. The juxtaposition between the heavy weight of the toy and the soft texture of the suede falls is a really exquisite sensation that I have craved ever since I first felt it. The barbed wire portion breaks up the sensation of the suede enough to get my attention as I'm being stuck, and the toy keeps me out of the lull of "sub-space," making me focus on every single blow.

My after-effects have been a lot less dramatic than those of the other reviewers. I typically bruise easily but this toy left me with little if any bruising. The barbs never broke my skin, and that wasn't for lack of trying. Our longest session with the Gated Barbed Wire Flogger was about 15 minutes full-force, and there were no visible traces within 2 days after we were done. (In comparison, I'm still very bruised after about five minutes with a wooden paddle from two weeks ago.)

In terms of care, this toy is leather so it cannot be sterilized. I would recommend that you do not share this flogger, since there is a potential for broken skin. It can be wiped down with soap and water, saddle cleaner, or other such agents. I don't recommend bleach or toy cleaner due to not wanting to ruin the beautiful coloring and texture.

This is a very high quality toy that produces an intense, pleasurable amount of pain, and would be a great addition to any experienced BDSM player's toy box. Don't think that I mean that this toy isn't pretty extreme, because it is. But I do think that this flogger would make a great "gateway toy" for those who are trying to bridge the gap between medium and heavy play. The sensation you will receive from this toy is the epitome of the whole "pleasure from pain" idea, and if you are at all interested, please do yourself a favor and try it out.

I love this flogger even more now than when I first got it. The falls have softened with use and the sensation is now like being hit with several heavy, worn-in leather belts at once. None of my other floggers are as heavy as this one, and I love the weight of the initial blow and then the feeling of the falls as they break away from the mass at impact.

This toy has held up very well after lots of heavy use. The leather smell has mostly dissipated, but the color has held up well and the handle and falls are still in great shape.