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MMMMM... Sharp and pointy. My favorite.
One of the things I've found is that there is very little good information about knife play online. So I decided to put down some of what I've learned about the basics.
First important things to know:
- Sharp and pointy objects can and often will draw blood
- Open wounds and exchanges of bodily fliid can be risky and/or dangerous
- Any knife can cut (a cut from a dull knife can be worse than a cut from a shap one)
- Knife play can include cutting and blood, but it doesn't need to
Knife play can be a lot of different things: sensation play, fear play, or blood play. It doesn't always require cutting, in fact most knife play never involves actually breaking the skin.
Sensation Play
In sensation play knive are used to give the bottom a range of sensations. The blade can be hot or cold, it could be used to scratch the botom. For straight sensation play a very dull knife is best (no edge at all). When put in a freezer and chilled, the blade can feel very sharp, but do nothing to the skin. Two blades (one warm the other cold) can be used together. Scratching can tickle or send a chill up the spine (would she really cut me? How sharp is that knife?)
Fear Play
A good mindfuck is to have two identical knives. One very sharp, the other nearly impossible to cut anything with. Let the bottom see you use the sharp one on something. Then while they are distracted, switch knives. Use the dull knife on the bottom.
I did something similar with my sub blindflolded. He knows several of my blades are very sharp. I scratched him with the point of a dull dagger. I dripped water on the blade at the same time. When the blindfold came off, he was looking for the blood he thought was running down his chest. I know of another top the used fake blood, the sub was sure she had been cut over and over again.
Cutting and Blood Play
This is not to be taken lightly and not for casual play. If you are going to cut, first learn some first aid and anatomy. There are many places you DO NOT EVER want to cut. Never cut where you can see a blood vessel, never cut where major veins and arterys are located (like the neck).
Be very aware of the medical conditions your bottom may have (including HIV/AIDS). Personally, if I wouldn't consider unprotected sex with the bottom, I won't cut at all. The only exception is a female switch I know very well (and she gets tested regularly). Even then I excercise a lot of caution that I don't get cut myself.
There is always a risk the cuts could get infected. I feel that it is the responsibility of the top to clean up the wounds and check them until they heal. My sub doesn't get cut until any cuts are healed up.
Cutting will leave marks. Depending on the bottom, they may fade in a few days or take months to go away. My sub still has the marks from a session three months ago (the cuts healed, but the scars are still there). For him the marks are something to show off to other subs ("You have a bruise from a flogger? Look at this.") Know if the bottom is concerned about marks. Light scratches fade in a day or two. Light cuts take a little longer. Real cuts (I use a scalpel) my take a week just for the skin to close compleatly (if the sub can resist picking at the scab).
If the bottom doesn't want marks of any kind, no cutting at all. If they want lasting scars (like a brand). The area may need to be cut several time before it becomes permanent.
My Tools
I have many knive, daggers, and other items for knife play. One unusual thing I have is an African quill (from a large bird). The tip is very pointy, it feels like a very pointy knife. I have scaples for cutting (sterile and disposible). My knives and daggers vary in sharpness. Some won't cut, other may with a little pressure. There are a couple that, while not as shap as a razor or scapel, will cut the bottom.
A lot of internet information talks about keeping some shap and some dull. I find its best to know exactly what eacj blade feels like. I will generally run the blade over my own habd or arm before I use it on a bottom. Then if the edge isn't quite as sharp or dull as expected, its my cut not an injured bottom.
I also have knife play done to me with my blades. I know what each one feels like. I even ran a scapel over my hand and left a small cut to see how much pressure was enough. (If I used to much then its my trip for stiches and my medical bill).
Take your time working up to cutting and blood. Pay close atention to your bottom. You might want to go all the way to blood play, but they may not be ready. This is very important with bottoms that have little experience or are driven to please their top. My sub never wants to safe-word and may push himself further than he should. It is your job as the top to read their body language. If the bottom is getting to scared and tense, wrap it up and save the cutting for another time.
Things to remember
- Buy quality- you get what you pay for
- Test thing on yourself first- tops that injure their partners tend to have trouble finding new ones
- Keep your blades (and any other sharp pointy objects you use) very clean and in good repair- the quills I use are hard to clean, other than one reserved for me and my partner, I give the quill away to the bottom after play
- If the knife has a problem (loose blade, rust, chips out of the blade) its time to retire it from BDSM play
- Keep a first aid kit handy
- Blood can transmit a lot of nasty things- know your partner well, you could be trusting them with your life
- Go slow.
Wrapping this up
I've been playing with knives in one way or another for over 20 years. I didn't start out with a lot of subs willing to play with sharp pointy objects. After playing at parties and dungeons with my sub, I had request from other subs to play with them. This was after seeing me play and seeing the reactions I get from the bottoms. My sub checks out into subspace quickly after we start (and makes the cutet moans of pleasure). The switch I play with actually has an orgasm just from the play.
So happy content and relaxed bottoms will definately get the top attention. Well so will scream of pain and trips to the ER, but that isn't a good kind of attention.
Feel free to ask questions or leave comments.
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