The Madam's Flogger is Beautiful. Seriously, a drop dead sexy addition to my collection of bondage toys that had me turned on just at first sight and at the scent of the gorgeous black leather.

The 38" toy (handle to bottom) has a red plastic or metal (I think it's plastic but it's covered too well for me to tell for sure) hollow handle with a floral black lace overlay. There's a row of silver-tone studs running up the side of the handle and a loop of braided leather at the top in case you like to keep your toys hanging up - I personally do, I think it keeps them in better shape than if they're folded up or tossed on the ground or in a drawer. At the base of the gorgeous handle begins the best part - the leather tails. There are 12 of them in total, each 25" long, and made of 4 strands of leather woven together. A few inches from the bottom, the weaving is tied off and there are 4 strands of leather hanging from each.

Once I got past the toy's looks however, I was slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's very well crafted and extremely high quality. But I expect a toy with this type of edgy visual appeal to pack a painful punch. Because each of the bottom strands of leather are suede-like on the underside, the result of this toy is much softer than what I was looking for. The tails in general also aren't super firm, they're flexible because of the soft leather. It definitely stings a little and leaves a bit of redness where it's tracked across your skin, but nothing I'd consider real pain. I'm not looking for it to draw blood, just to make me react with more than a mild flinch, and this toy doesn't do that.

I've had this toy used up and down my body, clothed and unclothed. Clothed, obviously, offers far more protection and far less pain. I wouldn't even classify the feeling as 'pain' when clothed personally. And obviously, when unclothed, more sensitive areas will react differently than those with less nerve endings or those simply less sensitive. I've also found, while having it used on me and trying it out for myself, that the lower down you hold on to the handle, the more control you have and you're able to inflict a slight bit more pain. Because the handle is hollow and the leather flogging portion is so heavy and long, the handle doesn't offer consistent control all the way through.

If you're looking for a piece to inflict pain that will make you yelp along with leaving a small welt or bruise, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a well-made, high quality, beautiful piece that can be used all over the body without leaving too many marks or for those with lower pain needs or tolerances, I would highly recommend this toy.

As long as you don't use this toy on freshly lotioned or lubed skin, it stays pretty clean. I've never had much reason to clean the flogger's leather strands, but traces of product could easily be removed with a slightly damp towel if need be. I have ever had the handle held by my boyfriend's slightly lubed hand and the lace actually works wonders, providing a grip on the flogger, so as not to have it flying across the room. Again, I cleaned it with just a damp towel and it was as good as new. I keep mine hung up on a hook but if you don't have room for that, this could be neatly folded and kept in a drawer or toy box. It came simply wrapped in plastic with a small tag on the hanging loop, so there's no packaging to store it in. This might not be best for those seeking discretion or a travel toy, as it is pretty large and there's really nothing else you could write this item off as being.

I'm giving this item 3 out of 5 stars because it is a high quality piece and is well made and beautiful. Unfortunately, the handle could have been filled or constructed out of something heavier, and the toy just didn't fit the bill of a strong flogger so it lost 2 stars.

What is nice about this toy, is the sensory play possible. The bottom of the strands are soft and glide across skin nicely, making it a great piece for teasing, tickling, and running along the body before actually using as a flogger. This can also be done at a further distance than with some toys because it's nearly 3 feet long overall. The sensation of teasing followed by the light flogging this toy offers is probably the best use for this particular piece. Adding a blindfold to the mix would make it even more exciting for most.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as this is, the level of pain it provides, no matter how it's used, just doesn't fit into our personal play-scape. I do keep it hanging in the bedroom though, simply because I love the look of it.