Riding crops are, and have always been, my favorite impact implement. From when I was a young child (yes, I've been into BDSM for that long) to my adult years, I have always loved riding crops. Just the way that they sound, the power that they seem to exude—just absolutely beautiful, in my opinion. This riding crop by Spartacus is a beautiful, well-made riding crop that's easy and fun to wield (and it's low-priced, too).

Entirely black except for the metal caps on the handle, this riding crop is definitely an intimidating little piece of equipment. It's definitely the sort of riding crop that completes a fetish outfit or scene. The design is fairly regular for a riding crop, with a leather crop tip, nylon webbed shaft, and leather-wrapped handle. Where the tip meets the shaft is what seems like aluminum cording wrapped around to reinforce the bond. The handle has two caps, one on the very end and one where it meets the shaft of the riding crop; the cap on the end has Spartacus's insignia embossed on it, which adds a pretty little touch.

Both the shaft and crop tip of the crop are flexible, but still firm and sturdy. I believe that the shaft of the riding crop's interior is delrin, which is what would make it flexible but unbreakable. The crop tip is made of a very firm leather, but it can still be moved and manipulated. In use, however, it stays very firmly in place, only wobbling slightly. I'll mention here that the crop tip is a doubled-over loop, meaning that it is one piece of leather, folded over and sewn and stitched in place. This gives it a bit of a "bouncy" feeling when it hits, if used lightly.

But I don't use it lightly. So, really, that doesn't happen for me. When I use it, it provides an extremely hard smack, capable of turning the skin a dark red, which I personally love. In other words, the riding crop is fairly versatile. It's very easy to wield by people of any range of experience, and it's a product that can stick around and develop as you become more experienced.

So, in terms of sizing, the entire crop is a perfect crop length, not too long and not too short (for me, but remember, I'm 5' 1"). It's 26 1/4" in total length, from tip to end, and its handle is 7 1/2" in length. The crop tip itself is 2 1/2" across and 2" in length. It's a substantial size tip for hitting, either by swiping the person's body or simply making a smack. Riding crops are very versatile pieces of equipment, which is what I love about them. They can be used on the breasts, cheeks (lightly), butt, or thighs. No matter where this particular riding crop is used, it's sure to be very pleasurable.

The riding crop came packaged in a plastic shrink wrap which was easily disposed of. It also had a tag attached that simply had "Spartacus" on it, like a regular manufacturer's tag, nothing with important information. For cleaning, the crop can be cleaned as you would regularly clean leather, with either a damp and soapy cloth or a leather cleaner. It can be stored on a shelf or in any other storage area. I personally put mine in the same vase that I put my other riding crops in.

I've been on the search for the perfect riding crop for a very long time now. I know, by me saying that, you're probably thinking, "This must be the one!" Well, it's not, sadly. With that being said, this is the best riding crop I've come across yet (funny how it's also one of the cheapest). It's what I had envisioned when I thought of the perfect riding crop, but it does have its few flaws. For example, I would have preferred the leather to be a bit softer and the shaft to not have been wrapped with nylon. But then again, that's me being a perfectionist. As it is, and for its price, this riding crop is an excellent, exciting, and fun buy; I really enjoy owning it.