[BDSM] Where to get knives for play?
December 2, 2016 11:07 PM Subscribe
Looking for recommendations for where to find knives for knife play.
Best answer: More in the vein of show a scary knife & then use something else, which is not exactly answering your question -
Shrimp deveiners are not actually sharp, but feel sharp.
Banjo picks (the fingernail ones) also feel very sharp.
I have purchased knifes before from people crafting them that were not actually sharp - I think they weren't quite finished with the knife, but perhaps that is an option?
Also, a coworker told me the other day that "nothing dulls a knife faster than cutting paper", so maybe if you find a knife you really like, you can look for ways to dull the blade?
posted by needlegrrl at 5:24 AM on December 3, 2016
Shrimp deveiners are not actually sharp, but feel sharp.
Banjo picks (the fingernail ones) also feel very sharp.
I have purchased knifes before from people crafting them that were not actually sharp - I think they weren't quite finished with the knife, but perhaps that is an option?
Also, a coworker told me the other day that "nothing dulls a knife faster than cutting paper", so maybe if you find a knife you really like, you can look for ways to dull the blade?
posted by needlegrrl at 5:24 AM on December 3, 2016
Best answer: ...reliable training, your safest (but still not safe) option is pre-sterilized single use scalpels.
posted by Candleman at 2:47 AM on December 3 [1 favorite +] [!]
Reliable as in somebody with a MD, DO or RN. Cellulitis sucks bad.
posted by ridgerunner at 3:33 PM on December 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 2:47 AM on December 3 [1 favorite +] [!]
Reliable as in somebody with a MD, DO or RN. Cellulitis sucks bad.
posted by ridgerunner at 3:33 PM on December 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Don't know your level so I'll start with 101s.
Your knives need to be ultra sharp or incredibly dull. Nothing between. A sharp knife makes a clean cut and a dull knife will only press, but a medium blade will rend flesh in messy disfiguring ways that resist repair and increase risk of bleeding out. Choose a good quality steel knife with a high carbon content, clean (not serrated) edge. You need to sharpen it regularly and keep the blade oiled and free of rust, sheathed while not in use. Properly sterilize with alcohol before and after scene. Switch to another blade if one is dropped on the ground, picks up other bodily fluids or is otherwise contaminated during play.
Yes scalpels. Tactical shops are great for pocket knives.
Prepare a safety plan — is your phone charged for a 911 call? Who drives in case of emergency? Where's the nearest ER? Do you have insurance info? Make sure you have a med kit at hand: alcohol wipes and gel, swabs and cotton wool, bandaids, bandages, steri strips, skin glue, antibiotic cream. Dress and bind wounds immediately after play. Even 20 minutes can mean the difference between an invisible trace and a permanent scar. You'll need to discuss the possibility of marks — it's always a risk, and some skin is more likely to scar, even with a shallow cut.
Avoid arteries. If you don't know where risk points are on the body, you're not ready. Never play while drunk or mentally / physically compromised. Do you know the medical history of your partner? Do they take drugs or have preexisting conditions that increase bleeding risk? Are you certain your partner can stay still and calm, won't jeopardize the scene by wriggling? Make sure you discuss which parts of the body are fair game. I once had a partner who loved fear and knife play. After much negotiation, we engineering a knife scene that culminated in me holding the back of a butter knife near his throat. (He okayed his neck and knew the knife would be a fake.) Despite his informed consent, the move triggered a fight-or-flight reaction. In the span of five seconds he fell into a PTSD attack and just about clocked me. Started shaking and went non-verbal. Took me an hour to talk him down. This was after multiple successful scenes with real blood and cuts to his back. So here's my warning: regular check-ins during this kind of play are essential, but do not guarantee a good outcome. Be prepared for sudden moves, fear is a great breaker.
Don't ever re-negotiate during scene. A bottom in shock / subspace literally can't feel the extent of their injuries and may ask for more than they really want.
IRL training is the best. Talk to your local kink scene!
posted by fritillary at 5:58 PM on December 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Your knives need to be ultra sharp or incredibly dull. Nothing between. A sharp knife makes a clean cut and a dull knife will only press, but a medium blade will rend flesh in messy disfiguring ways that resist repair and increase risk of bleeding out. Choose a good quality steel knife with a high carbon content, clean (not serrated) edge. You need to sharpen it regularly and keep the blade oiled and free of rust, sheathed while not in use. Properly sterilize with alcohol before and after scene. Switch to another blade if one is dropped on the ground, picks up other bodily fluids or is otherwise contaminated during play.
Yes scalpels. Tactical shops are great for pocket knives.
Prepare a safety plan — is your phone charged for a 911 call? Who drives in case of emergency? Where's the nearest ER? Do you have insurance info? Make sure you have a med kit at hand: alcohol wipes and gel, swabs and cotton wool, bandaids, bandages, steri strips, skin glue, antibiotic cream. Dress and bind wounds immediately after play. Even 20 minutes can mean the difference between an invisible trace and a permanent scar. You'll need to discuss the possibility of marks — it's always a risk, and some skin is more likely to scar, even with a shallow cut.
Avoid arteries. If you don't know where risk points are on the body, you're not ready. Never play while drunk or mentally / physically compromised. Do you know the medical history of your partner? Do they take drugs or have preexisting conditions that increase bleeding risk? Are you certain your partner can stay still and calm, won't jeopardize the scene by wriggling? Make sure you discuss which parts of the body are fair game. I once had a partner who loved fear and knife play. After much negotiation, we engineering a knife scene that culminated in me holding the back of a butter knife near his throat. (He okayed his neck and knew the knife would be a fake.) Despite his informed consent, the move triggered a fight-or-flight reaction. In the span of five seconds he fell into a PTSD attack and just about clocked me. Started shaking and went non-verbal. Took me an hour to talk him down. This was after multiple successful scenes with real blood and cuts to his back. So here's my warning: regular check-ins during this kind of play are essential, but do not guarantee a good outcome. Be prepared for sudden moves, fear is a great breaker.
Don't ever re-negotiate during scene. A bottom in shock / subspace literally can't feel the extent of their injuries and may ask for more than they really want.
IRL training is the best. Talk to your local kink scene!
posted by fritillary at 5:58 PM on December 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Also, if it's not bleedingly obvious, if you're going to be doing knife play, you and your partner should have up to date tetanus boosters if there's going breaking of the skin.
posted by Candleman at 4:38 PM on December 8, 2016
posted by Candleman at 4:38 PM on December 8, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you're just waving it around, you can find fake knives of various levels of realism by searching for martial art training knives and prop knives. A lot of them don't look that realistic, but anything with a point that's metal can be dangerous if someone slips and falls.
If you mean actual cutting, which I recommend against unless you have reliable training, your safest (but still not safe) option is pre-sterilized single use scalpels.
posted by Candleman at 2:47 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]