Scene Etiquette and Leather Protocol: General Principles (1/6)

by Ambrosio This is the first part of a 6 part series originally published as Play Nice: Some Notes on Scene Etiquette and Leather Protocol on Ambrosio’s BDSM Site. See the end of this article for more details. Part 2: More Specific Guidelines Part 3: Cruising with Class Part 4: Play Parties Part 5: Flagging,…

Shine Your Boots, Sir?

by Vincent What better way to start a BDSM scene than with a good, old-fashioned spit shine?  Ensconced in his chair, high above his boi, the top is afforded an opportunity to sit back, relax and be serviced.  For the bottom, his pleasure is double, knowing that he is serving both the practical matter of…

Spiritual Love (and Kink, and Other Mind Expanding Stuff)

It’s like two hearts, two minds, two bodies, two souls Making one whole, now it’s gotta be told That what we have is more than just physical Don’t be so cynical, we gotta spiritual love Feels so natural. More than physical. Spiritual love. Urban Species – Spiritual Love The Leather Lifestyle Group in Fetlife has…

The Mysterious Old Guard

I self-identify as a kinkster and, like many others, I have spent a long time reflecting on and questioning my own characteristics and personality, and the desire and longing for a life that (for me) is geographically nearly impossible to achieve. I live in Malaysia, where you don’t see anyone wearing collars or use any…

Where Did Old School BDSM Go?

I watched a video this morning of how a book was produced. The lead type being set, then pressed. The trimming and folding and binding, and how the leather cover was attached. The comment by the person who posted the video was “Your Kindle can’t do this”. And, of course, it can’t. But that doesn’t…

Is it OK for Me to Call Myself “Master”?

So, you’ve got this title, “Master”. What are the origins? How did it come to be part of the BDSM language? “Master” might refer to: someone with a high level of skill in something (a Master Swordsman or Master Electrician, for example). To be recognised as this type of Master by your community you may…

A Top’s Guide to Being in the Bootblacking Chair

Top or bottom, we don’t always instinctively get it right first time, and we’ve all got incidents in our past that were “learning moments”. I’d like to tell you one of mine. I was at a fetish bar in Philadelphia some years ago when I had my first encounter with a bootblack. yangpup was with…

Rubber Play – The Sight, Smell and Sensuality of Latex

By B.A. Several years ago, I wrote an article on hoods, and how wearing one can alter your persona, can move a man from person to slave. While it wasn’t terribly exhaustive by any means, I had hoped that you would get a feel of hoods in general. Today, I’ve been asked to expand my…

Old School BDSM versus New School BDSM

Laura Antoniou (author of The Marketplace series of books), wrote in an article called  “Leather traditions”, “houses” and other myths people try to sell you on: There are no “old leather traditions.” There are behaviors that individuals and small, isolated groups developed as customs (Bob has a new bike! Let’s all pee on it!) and…