When one accumulates a lot of sex toys, one can sometimes forget about toys that they have had for a while. Seems like you always have a new one to try out, or you just don't want to bother with the bells and whistles on a given night. Then along comes a toy that reminds you about something that you really enjoyed and hadn't used in a while. That's what the Gear Essentials Omega Engraved 1 3/4 did for me. I reviewed the 2" version more than two years ago and it had sort of fallen by the wayside even though there was nothing in my collection that had replaced it.

As with all rigid cock rings, the Omega Engraved is designed to be put around some portion of the male genitalia to restrict blood flow with the purpose of providing a firmer, longer lasting erection. It works best if you can fit it around the base of your penis, but if that is just not an option, you can use it around just the shaft or just the testicles, although having nine ounces of metal stay in place while hanging from ones testicles is a feat I might be interested in seeing.

Even though I don't have a lot of stainless steel toys, I still consider myself a fan. In my mind, the major drawback is cost. Its benefits include safety and longevity. The stiffness of the material can be considered good or bad depending on the situation. In the case of a cock ring, I think the stiffness is good, because even though it may be more difficult to put on it allows the ring to really do its job well. Although the engraving on the outside of the ring may be considered texture, it really is not in contact with either party during sex, so it really does not contribute to the experience except in terms of aesthetics.

Size may be the most critical attribute of a rigid cock ring. Generally, the smaller the diameter the more difficult the ring is to put on and the more blood flow restriction would result. With a rigid ring, measuring yourself to allow for appropriate sizing is critical. From the Gear essentials website: "To measure yourself for a cockring, take a string and slip it behind your balls and tug it up around the top of your penis (where it meets your body). Mark the string on both sides where it comes together at snugness that's comfortable for you. Remove the string and measure between the marks. This measurement will give you your circumference, now take your circumference measurement and divide by pi (3.14). This measurement will give you your diameter or ring size." Bigger than that would be less effective at restricting blood flow but would be easier to put on. Smaller will restrict blood flow more but will be more difficult to put on. The 1 3/4" size works very well for me. It isn't too difficult to get on but restricts blood flow more than the 2". As with all cock rings, a measure of caution should be applied. Don't wear them for more than 30 minutes and wait at least 20 minutes between sessions. If your penis starts turning purple or blue, it's too tight and should be removed. Removing a rigid cock ring from an erect penis can be uncomfortable, but can be done. With a metal cock ring, extra care should be taken because cutting it off is not easily accomplished.

Stainless steel is easy to care for. Just wash with soap and water and dry it. It can also be boiled for sterilization. A 10% bleach solution can also be used, but stainless steel does not hold up well to chlorine environments, so make sure you rinse it well if you opt for this sterilization method or it could begin to rust. Any type of lube is compatible with this material, so feel free to use your favorite.

Gear Essentials' packaging is top notch as their rings come in a tin with a pad on the bottom of the inside. This tin is perfect for storage and is even recyclable if you don't want to keep it for storage purposes. It is also discreet as it only has the company logo on top with the company name around the base. The product name is on a sticker on the bottom of the tin. It's all very classy with no genitalia on display.

The first time I used this ring I was pretty confident about how it would all work out and maybe that was what led to my demise. I got the ring on pretty easily and my partner set to the task at hand using her hands and mouth to get the blood pumping and brought me to a firm erection pretty quickly. So far so good as we begin some intercourse activities. We go through a couple of positions and surprisingly enough I am already feeling the urge to ejaculate, so I slow down and give myself a quick break. After a few moments of working on her, I jump back in, but the break was not long enough and I found myself coming more quickly than I expected. It wasn't a bad experience, but I hoped for more prolongation. The next time things lasted a little longer, but it still didn't make a Superman out of me. I think the restricted blood flow actually heightens some of the sensations and leads to a quicker finish. I will continue to keep track of my results as I have additional opportunities to use the ring.