Buying BDSM: Basics, The Material Importance of Materials

Buying a flogger can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. While there are many factors that can affect the feel of a flogger (they're not always thuddy!), this post will focus on the effects of the material it's made from. My goal with this series is to help you better understand some of the factors that can affect the feel of a flogger, without having to actually feel it yourself.

Two of the most common materials that floggers can be made of is leather and rope. The effects of different types of leather could be a whole doctorate length thesis on its own, but for the sake of simplicity (and my editor’s sanity), I’m going to (try my hardest) to keep this as concise as possible. 

With leather floggers, the general rule of thumb is that a smooth, glossy-top grain leather will usually lend itself to a more stingy sensation. The smoother surface allows for more of the force from the top swinging the implement to be concentrated in a single area. A suede finish, on the other hand, will usually lean towards a thuddy sensation. The tiny hairs of the suede are able to absorb and better distribute the force of the top’s swing. The exception, however, is that a naked top-grain, while smooth, is much softer than aniline leathers. Specifically, in the case of BDSM floggers, this soft finish is able to absorb and cushion more of the force than rigid finishes can. Therefore, it's thuddy. The more of the force absorbed, the thuddier the implement. 

Here's an example of a smooth top grain on a flogger.

(pic credit Bound Bunny Boutique https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoundBunnyBoutique?ref=s... )

Here is an example of a suede flogger.

(pic credit Bound Bunny Boutique https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoundBunnyBoutique?ref=... )

This is an example of a naked topgrain pair of florentine floggers

(pic credit Bound Bunny Boutique https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoundBunnyBoutique?ref=... )

In the case of rope floggers, material and compression of the fibers can both come into play with whether the toy ends up thuddy or stingy.

Natural fiber ropes such as jute, hemp, bamboo silk, cocconut, and cotton, tend to be thuddier. This is due to the "hairy" texture of the fibers absorbing the force, similar to how suede leather floggers do. However, the tighter the compression of the fibers, the more rigid the rope. Therefore, the stingier the toy feels.

This is an example of a natural rope flogger.

Synthetic ropes such as nylon, polypropylene, and MFP will almost always be on the stingier side, regardless of fiber compression levels. This is due to their smooth manufactured surface.

Here is an example of a synthetic rope flogger. 

(picture credit http://www.paracordguild.com )(Picture credit https://www.theduchy.com )

This was a basic introduction to materials and the role that they play in how a flogger feels. We'll delve more into specifics of materials and other factors next.