First pics of the screw from Mature Metal

[Dev]

I take it that the post the screw goes into has threads...?

Yes, the hole on the post is threaded on the inside and the screw screws right it.

D

[Tom Allen]

And thus another entrepreneur is born...LOL

Not to denigrate what I'm sure are fine devices, it's just that all the hand-work offends my eye. I like to see nice, sleek, machined components with beveled or radiused edges and smooth surfaces.

Just my own perspective. I know that some people like the "touch" of the handmade look, but I'm not one of them.

[Dev]

I guess I don't have much of an esthetic for handmade vs. machined, but I can certainly see where you are coming from. I will admit, I can see more of the soldering etc., on the Watchful Mistress so I understand what you are saying. But it still looks okay to me.

The handmade device with an esthetic I didn't care for was that monstrosity from the woman in England...the pictures I posted a few weeks ago. LOL. Now that thing was UGLY.

D

[cb6000s]

I think the lock versus screw question is interesting. While it is true that nobody is in a chastity device that doesn't want to be there. It is also true that for some people the fantasy of "I'm locked up and can't get out." is part of the game. For me, I would go with the screw because I don't need to hear the lock clanking on my cage. For someone else, that sound may be heavenly.

[Chastehusband]

Dev, does the screw version of the ring work ok with your original JB?

[likes2blocked]

Yeah, but at least it could be a worthy challenge -
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G2

Now to be fair, anyone who is even 1/2 way decent with a lock pick, or likely a number of improvised devices, could pick one of these luggage locks in a few seconds. There's also the bolt cutters, but she'd notice if the lock were gone. Oddly enough, a larger lock can be quickly defeated with a shim.

I'm not sure how he'd incorporate it into his current design, but if he could add a fairly serious lock that was compact - maybe one of those ones with the circular keys like on a vending machine.

Of course, if you're trying to defeat someone who is actively trying to escape, I don't know of anything short of a Latowski ($$$$) that would even slow them down.

[Dev]

Dev, does the screw version of the ring work ok with your original JB?

I can't say for certain because he is in the Watchful Mistress right now and it's screwed on, so I can't play with the ring. But when I was fooling around with them yesterday, I do think the ring fit in the JB, yes.

Atone sent me a 1 5/8" ring he had (an extra that he said he'd never use). That one fits the new WM but it doesn't quite fit the JB--just a little too big. Ab tells me it could be sanded and then it would slide in. That ring is not threaded, though, so it would require a lock.

D

[Tom Allen]

Atone sent me a 1 5/8" ring he had (an extra that he said he'd never use). That one fits the new WM but it doesn't quite fit the JB--just a little too big. Ab tells me it could be sanded and then it would slide in. That ring is not threaded, though, so it would require a lock.

And here's one of the reasons that I dislike the handwork on these and similar devices. There's no reason that the parts can't be interchangeable, or at least easily modified. All it takes is a little planning. Oh, and a lot of money for planning, modeling, and testing. Which is why I'm not making them, myself. :-/

[Atone]

Not to denigrate what I'm sure are fine devices, it's just that all the hand-work offends my eye. I like to see nice, sleek, machined components with beveled or radiused edges and smooth surfaces.

I won't disagree with you but don't totally agree either. There is something inherently 'organic' about something that is made by hand, with the hands. This can be achieved in something that is made on a machine as well but I think it takes an artistic machinist to do this. Or at least an artistic designer to hand it over to the skilled machinist.

I suspect that you would agree that a product made on a machine that is on the wrong end of 'tolerance stacking' would offend your eye as well. Maybe even more so. Some of the finest 'devices' I own are made by hand using various milling machines to manufacture and fit the parts. They have a feel that can not be explained in words. The have a beauty to the eye that is absolutely stunning. A good design well executed by the artisan craftsman almost becomes an extension of the body.

-A

[Tom Allen]

I won't disagree with you but don't totally agree either. There is something inherently 'organic' about something that is made by hand, with the hands. This can be achieved in something that is made on a machine as well but I think it takes an artistic machinist to do this. Or at least an artistic designer to hand it over to the skilled machinist.

I've seen some very nice handmade firearms. In fact, a lot of older machinery from the late 1800s/early 1900s is hand finished, and extremely well crafted. But the context (for me) is different. I can't explain why. Likewise for many old pieces of furniture; it's fascinating to see little details where a chisel has scraped a feature just a bit too closely, or a hand plane has rounded over a corner a little more than the adjoining corner. Details like that give a piece character.

I enjoy owning and admiring pieces with character. But for some reason, I don't like "character" in the context of wearing a device.

Part of this is that the design of some of the handcrafted devices (and I'm including the Loris in this category) often looks like it's fighting the medium from which they are created. To me, a small amount of hand finishing is normal (fsv of "normal"). But too much (fsv of "too") tells me that there is something lacking in the design itself, or at least, in the process design. Sharp corners are just asking for a bit of skin to scratch. Inside corners that don't have smooth, rounded joints are places for grime to build up. Loose, flexy joints have a habit of pinching skin or hair.

Unfortunately, it's very difficult (read: expensive) to make stainless steel look "organic", and so a lot of hand work is necessary to make parts fit correctly. And when they don't look organic, sometimes the look is so mechanical that it can be off-putting. For example, I love the look of those cool Steelwerks devices, but only as a visual piece; in the context of wearing them as a chastity device, I have no doubt that they would be effective because it would be like wearing a small tank - they're too mechanical for the context.