I was a little bit luke warm about the appearance of my Spartacus tie-down pair. It's not really an exciting or stand-alone product - in fact, the two leather ties were merely wrapped in plastic and sealed with a bar code, making me feel like I had just opened a pair of leather ties for camping equipment or something. Once I freed them from their plastic prison, the leather ties held their coiled shape long after I unraveled them, which is to be expected. Despite this, the leather is very nice and thick. Ignoring the fact that I was reminded of my dog's leash (minus the fact that the end of the ties isn't sewn into a loop/handle like a leash would be), I hung the ties up on a cabinet door to straighten out and wait for my boyfriend to get home so he could put them into action.

The ties are relatively long, about 64", which is nice. If you're looking for something that will work well for tying someone up in a variety of positions and places, this is a good choice. Because the ties are leather, you shouldn't be using them in the shower, but a wide array of bedposts, chairs, closet racks, tables, and anything else with a fixture on it can serve as an appropriate place to tie the ends to. The metal clasp on the end can affix to any cuffs with a metal D-ring, but the leather on the strap itself is also thin enough that you can clip it to itself and create a noose-like tie if you're in a rush. Whether you're tying arms to opposite bed posts or spreading ankles wide, the pair works well. Of course, there are only two ties in one set, so you can't restrain all four limbs spread eagle. You can work out some interesting hogtie positions though, since the ties are so long.

My boyfriend is knot challenged, and doesn't have the skills of a sailor when it comes to making a solid knot that holds. Despite his inept rope skills, the ties managed to hold my thrashing legs down while he took control of my body. The leather clings to itself and can hold through various stages of tightening, resistance, and several windings around a bed post. Nothing I could do, while tied or while handling the ties in my own hands, could cause them to give way or to appear weak in any way. Eventually I managed to win over my boyfriend's sad knots, but he has given his full approval of these particular tie-downs and has a commitment to online knot-tying guides now.

Overall, this pair can be summarized very quickly. They are made out of quality materials that are strong, well put together, can work with a variety of products (cuffs, shackles, or themselves), and can attach to anything handy. They are long enough that you don't need to have bedposts - if you have any sort of frame to your mattress, they can reach down to it and be tied there. They are a necessary addition to a pair of cuffs, and can be used as many ways as your imagination can come up with. Still, there's nothing innovative or astounding about these particular ties.