Mark is a versatile dildo. He can be used orally, vaginally, or anally; and for solo, partner, or harness play.

Mark is a safety first kind of guy. His silicone material can be fully sterilized between uses - though always be careful to maintain safe practices during use. His soft outer layer, particularly the head, allows for thrusting to be done with little risk of bruising or tearing.

Mark is safe for oral, with no worries about chipping any teeth. There is no taste to the silicone at all, and the texture feels just like sucking off a real cock. Sadly, hair tugging and dirty talk are a little beyond Mark's capabilities.

Mark's flared base and ability to be fully sterilized make him ideal for anal play. He is slim and flexible enough to be great for beginners or for those who need a little bit of warm up before taking something (or someone!) bigger. Mark would be perfect for pegging, for double penetration, or as a warm up to prepare for a larger toy or for anal intercourse with a live cock. Mark does not come with a suction cup, so if you want hands free play, you might need to invest in something like a chair harness or practice some ingenuity.

Of course Mark is always up for a threesome, and all of the above uses will be enhanced when enjoying them with a partner. You can simply hold Mark and use him to fuck your partner however you both want, or take advantage of some of the many types of harnesses available. In addition to the standard harness style, there are hand harnesses, thigh harnesses, chin harnesses, and plenty of variations.

Mark does not have a motor or any vibrations, but if you place a vibrator against the underside of the base, where the hard inner core is exposed, the vibrations travel up the shaft. The effectiveness of this depends on the strength of the vibrator used, and of course this will be much easier to do with the help of a partner.

Safety

With any anal use, make certain that afterwards, you do not return to the vagina or to another partner without sterilizing the toy. The bacteria that live in the rectum can cause urinary tract infections or bacterial vaginosis if transferred by sexual contact. Alternatively, you can use a condom for any anal contact, and then discard the condom or replace it with a new one when moving to a different body part or different partner. Even fluid bonded partners should be careful about the transfer of bacteria - This has nothing to do with STDs! The bacteria in the rectum are not an infection, but a healthy part of our digestive tract. They only become an infection when they get transferred somewhere they shouldn't be.

Mark is made of dual textured silicone, with a soft "skin" and a firm inner core to better simulate a real cock. The soft part is a little thicker on the underside, and the inner core stops just short of the end to allow the head to be made solely of the softer silicone. If you let Mark sit in a sink full of hot tap water for ten minutes, the silicone will absorb the heat and feel warm to the touch.

I was not able to find any seams or defects in Mark's texture. Any blemishes you see in the photographs are either bits of lint or poor photography on my part. In the flesh, when rinsed clean of all dust, Mark is flawless, except for the small indented Tantus logo on the flare. The underside of his base is the only place where you can directly feel the hard silicone that is used on the inner core. It is smooth and shiny, with no markings.


(The first photo shows the underside of the shaft, including the urethral opening. The second is a side view.)

The surface is matte along the shaft and shiny at the head. I would not consider inserting Mark (or any silicone toy) without lube, because of silicone's tendency to be clingy. The Tantus silicone is not as bad as some, but there is definitely more friction than I would prefer. The shiny surface seems to have a tiny bit more drag than the matte, but that could be my imagination.

Mark is odorless and tasteless, and since his 100% silicone construction rates him a ten on Eden's safety scale, he should remain that way as long as he is properly cared for. He is not porous, and can be sterilized with boiling water, a 10% bleach solution, an antiseptic toy cleaner, or the top rack of a dishwasher.

The raised veins seem prominent in appearance, and when touched with fingers or tongue, but I did not notice them very much during insertion. This did not detract at all from my enjoyment, as the dual density texture was the star of the show.

Mark is flexible, though the inner core prefers to flex upwards rather than downwards. It does take some force to produce the amount of curvature shown in the photos below, and Mark quickly springs back to position once he's released. (I'm sorry Mark! It was only for the review - I promise I won't do that to you again!)


(The first image shows Mark being flexed upwards, the second being flexed downwards)

The thing I love about Mark is that he's an average guy. He's not modeled on a porn star. He's not someone that makes you cross your legs in fear. Mark's insertable length is 5 1/2" length and 4 3/4" circumference. He's not going to satisfy size queens. If you want your pussy or ass to be stretched out, Mark is not your guy. But not all of us want that. If you're new to insertion, particularly anal insertion, Mark might be the right choice for you. But he isn't just for beginners. I have been playing with toys for years, and I happen to prefer slimline dildos.


(Measurements on the main product page are accurate)

His design is what I'd call 'stylized realism'. You simply won't get the realistic look from a silicone toy that you would with hand painted cyberskin. However, Mark is shaped like a penis and is skin-tone...ish. Okay, let's face it - nobody's skin is actually this color. But he's more realistic than a pink or purple dildo. His head has a shiny finish while the shaft is matte, with stylized veins. The head is distinct, but not much larger than the shaft.

The color is actually my only complaint about Mark. If this is meant to simulate a Caucasian skin tone it's a complete failure. I have very pale skin, and I dithered over whether to get the cream or the caramel color. I wanted a dick that looked like it could belong on my body. I ended up going with cream simply because caramel was out of stock. As you can see from the pictures, Mark is way too pale to match. If he's too light for me then he isn't going to match anyone's skin tone. Tantus really should make a tone somewhere between cream and caramel to be their lightest skin tone. But Mark is so perfect in every other way, that I can forgive the color.


(Major skin tone fail!)

As for discretion or travel: He's a silicone dick. If for some reason I had to take him through an airport, I'd put him in my carry-on bag and risk the embarrassment rather than take the chance that Mark would get lost or stolen. Your shame tolerance may vary. It's generally best if you're going to travel by air to take toys you can consider disposable rather than your nearest and dearest.

I spent a long time trying to pick out my first quality realistic dildo. I wanted a dildo that felt like a real cock, that looked realistic, that was harness compatible, and - this was important to me - was not hung like a porn star. I finally settled on Tantus O2 Mark, and I'm thrilled with my purchase.

My primary purpose in buying Mark was for gender play, and he is perfect for this. Mark and my harness are not the greatest match - more on that below - but it still feels amazing wandering around the house with my own cock, and reaching down to play with myself. This is the first dildo I've used in my harness that felt like it could be me. He's also the first dildo that I actually started to refer to by name. Mark and I have gotten very close over the last few weeks, and I've discovered that while gender games are fun, Mark can do so much more for me.

As much as I love my Pure Wand and my G-Ki, they never, for a minute, give me the feeling that I have a real cock inside me. This is something that Mark can do, and he does it beautifully. All that's needed is to warm him up to body temperature - placing him in warm water, or in the bed next to a warm body for a few minutes.

Vaginally, I love the way Mark feels, though the average size may be disappointing to anyone wanting the feeling of being filled-up or stretched. He has only a very slight curve, so he does not give much G-spot stimulation, and I do not feel a 'pop' from the head. However, I am able to thrust as hard as I want, and enjoy an experience that is as close to the real thing as I've ever had.

I find his flared base easy to hold on to, though some positions are more difficult than others. I am able to use him vaginally while on my back or side. Anally, I find him easiest to use on my side. I also enjoy sitting in an armchair with my legs over the arms of the chair, and can use either entry that way. If I then lower my legs and sit up, I can no longer thrust, but I can squirm for further sensation.

What else can I say about Mark that I haven't said already? He's an average size guy, with a performance that's way, way above average. He's safe, versatile, and feels great, no matter where he's inserted. I never imagined that I could get something that felt so much like the real thing.

When I was looking on the package for care instructions, I did not see the usual warning against using silicone lubricants with silicone toys. I went to the Tantus website where I found a very informative article by Metis Black. I'll just quote an excerpt:

"As the panel expert on silicones, I explained the phenomena of silicone lube to silicone sex toy bonding-the only thing silicone can stick to is silicone. Nothing melts, but with lesser grades of silicone (either in the toy or the lube) the lube will bond to the toy, creating a gummy mess.

Eros Pjur and Tantus Silicone have each conducted of experiments on this problem. We've never had any incompatibility with the other's products, but that hasn't always been the case with other silicone toys or of other silicone lubes. It's easier to explain a hard fast warning than to start trying to figure out the exceptions. (You can do a patch test on the bottom flange base of most dildos or plugs to see if a reaction occurs between your toys and your lube. The reaction is immediate. The only way you will be able to clean the silicone lube off the toy if it begins to bond, is by scraping it. If there's no reaction and the lube stays slick, you can feel free to use that brand of silicone lubricant on that toy.)"

Obviously, this is a risk analysis you have to do for yourself. Unless Tantus and Pjur feel like offering a compatibility guarantee, I'll just stick with water-based lubes. However, I did a patch test using Gun Oil lubricant, which is the only silicone lubricant I own.


(Silicone lube patch test photos)

The first photo is before. The second blurry photo shows me applying the silicone lubricant onto the Tantus logo on the base. The third shows where the lube simply dripped off onto the paper. I left it for about half an hour, and there had been no reaction at all.

ALWAYS do your own patch test for each silicone toy / silicone lubricant combination you are considering! Even if you are using Gun Oil lubricant, do not accept my results as conclusive!

For cleaning, you can use toy cleaner or soap and water. If you want to sterilize your dildo for sharing between orifices or between partners, you can use boiling water, a 10% bleach solution, or the top rack of the dishwasher.

I like to do a quick soap and water cleaning, and then sterilize with use boiling water, which I pour from the kettle into a casserole dish which seems designed to be a dildo bath.


(Splish splash, Mark is taking a bath! And since he didn't want to be lonely, one of my glass plugs decided to join in. More about that plug later.)

Mark is a bit of a lint magnet (though not as bad as some silicone products I've tried) so I find it best to give him a cornstarch dusting. Remember to always use cornstarch (known as corn flour in the UK) and not talcum powder, as talc has microscopic edges which can be harmful to toys and people. I like to keep Mark inside his box for storage, in case the softer layer of silicone is prone to tearing. A storage bag can also be used, but I would avoid any made of fleece or velvet or any other fuzzy fabrics. Plain cotton or satin would work best.


(Cornstarch dusting)

The O2 Mark comes in a clear plastic box with a shaped insert that fits around the dildo. It is easy to open without requiring scissors or box cutters and works well for storage, since it helps to alleviate the lint-magnet effect of silicone. However, it is a clear box, which means that anyone who sees it will know it contains a silicone cock. Best to stick it in the naughty drawer! There is a lot of information on the box about cleaning, and claims that with proper care, Tantus products will last a lifetime. However, the packaging does not warn against using silicone lubricants, which is why I did additional research for the Care and Maintenance section above. Proceed at your own risk!


(Outer box - two views, inner portion closed, inner portion opened. The DVD is shown only for size comparison purposes and is not included.)

Mark in a Harness

Right now, my only Harness is the Sedeux Divine Diva, an O-ring harness with three snaps. I used the 1 1/2" O-ring, and it fit Mark perfectly.


(Ready to wear!)

The only problem I had was that Mark is a little front heavy and droops downwards a bit. My partner has been away, so I haven't been able to practice actually thrusting, but I don't foresee this being a problem. In comparing the Sedeux to other harnesses, it looks like some harnesses grab the O-ring more from above than the Sedeux does, especially the ones with four snaps instead of three. One of these would probably work better for Mark. I hope to have another harness to play with soon, but in the meantime, here is a photo of me playing with my dick.


(I'm a real boy now!)

I promised to tell you the story about the glass plug. But shhh! Don't tell Mark I told you!

Mark and I were having such a lovely time together that when he whispered "I want to fuck your ass," I simply swooned and grabbed the Maximus lube. I didn't expect him to actually be able to get it in. This was simply an impulsive action, and we hadn't prepared at all. But I knew Mark wouldn't hurt me even if my sphincter stayed closed. He provided gentle pressure in a rhythmic motion, massaging me with his head, until gradually I started to open up for him. I was surprised at how quickly it all happened, and before long, Mark was fucking my ass. It felt great! I actually orgasmed from anal play alone.

As I was coming down from that, I remembered the glass plug I'd bought from a UK shop. It's a little bit bigger than the Moon Shine, at a 5 1/4" circumference, and I had never been able to get it inside me. I gave Mark a quick wipe down, and he was happy to watch while I got out the glass plug and drizzled on a bit of lube. There was definitely a stretching sensation as I pushed it inside, but nothing painful. Mark had warmed me up perfectly.