Von Bondage

BDSM shops

Choosing the Perfect Leather for your BDSM Collars & Restraints

Alysha Lockyer

Which Material to Choose for Your Bondage Gear?

 

von bondage leather stock

So you've finally decided to purchase your 1st BDSM collar or restraints set only to become bombarded with a huge variety of different leathers and materials to choose from. Now what do I do?? Do I want traditional black or a splash of colour? Do I need soft or firm? Furry or vegan?? Choosing the correct leather or material doesn't need to be over-whelming. There are first some basic questions you will want to ask yourself first before diving into the depths of leather or non-leather choice. The first and easiest question is "Do you want leather??"  Many BDSM shops, including here at Von Bondage, cater to both leather junkies and vegans alike. I have 3 choices of material for vegan Doms and Their submissives which spans from shiny PVC to realistic polyurethane called Venus which has a genuine leather feel. I will also be supplying Biothane© soon! Feel free to explore the Vegan Collars & Vegan Restraints

The new Venus Vegan Leather range

 

If you decide you would like leather, then the next question you want to ask yourself is if you would like something soft or firm?? Just because a leather is soft and form-fitting does not mean that it is inferior in any way to its stiffer counterpart. It's just giving a different feel to the play experience. Bridle Leathers and Latigo Leathers are firm and stiff like belt leather. They are both used in the horse industry for riding tack and have a wonderful durability to them that can last for many, many years when given proper care with the appropriate cleaners.  If you like to play in water sports, these leathers also can withstand getting wet, but do keep in mind that the metal used on your bondage collars and restraints can corrode if not wiped dry afterward. Latigo and Bridle leathers are also known to be very sleek and smooth with very little nap on the inside. Personally here at Von Bondage, I hand bevel and burnish all of the edges on my Bridle and Latigo leathers to ensure a rounded edge that wont cause chafing, so if you decide you would like the smooth stricter feel of the Bridle or Latigo Leathers, and are shopping about, make sure to find out if the BDSM store you are purchasing from bevels the edges of their stiffer leathers. This could be a huge deciding factor for purchasing, because unbevelled edges can be quite sharp on the skin.  All of the main listing photos featured in “Bondage Collars Full Leather Options” menu are showing the Black Latigo Leather line. The same is true for the “Restraints (full options)” menu and the majority of the BDSM gear in the “Leather Bondage Accessories” main menu. It is through these menus that you have the options to choose all 24 leather options. The Leather Information page can help navigate you through your choices.

bridle and latigo leathers

bridle and latigo leathers

The soft leather choice can be equally rewarding as the stricter firmer leather. Von Bondage offers many soft leathers and all of them are quite thick because they are comprised of 2 leathers bonded together with leather cement to add thickness and 2-toned colour. These types of soft leathers are known as chrome-tanned leathers.  Soft leathers also do not need to be bevelled or burnished and they are very easy to care for since they do not need waxing or oiling to keep them supple. Just a simple glycerin spray is suffice when you want to clean your bondage gear.  The soft leathers have more stretch to them as well so there is room to tighten over time.  If you want to check out these options you can visit the “Colorful Leather Bondage Collars” menu or the category “Soft leather BDSM Collars

Also available for the more decadent type, or who want something a little bit more special, is the Exotics Line. This line is also very soft and very thick. There are 3 types of exotic leathers used here which are Bullhides, Bison Leathers and Lambskins. The lambskin is used as an interior leather against the bullhide so create a satin feel against the skin for those subs who have very sensitive skin or need to wear their collars and/or cuffs for sleep-time. The Leopard print hide is NOT real leopard, its only printed and this is the only hide that is from a traditional cow side in this line. The Leather Information Page goes into more details for each individual leather. Below are some links to the “Collars in Bullhide & Bison Leather” & the “Restraints in Bullhide & Bison Leather

exotic-swatch.jpg

If you are new to the Game, then there is also the option for fleece lined sheepskin collars and cuffs. These are super soft (and warm!!! so usually a winter choice) and a lot of fun for beginners or for people who love the soft feel of the cuffs in contrast to the firmness of the whip or paddle! Here at Von Bondage I offer 9 types/colors of fleece which are bonded to different colored bison and bullhides. The sheepskin comes in straight and curly options, as well as various colors. Each shearling is unique so they can differ a little bit time to time. I always add extra room when making gear lined in sheepskin to accommodate the need to tighten up with use. The sheepskin will start to lay flat, so there is always extra holes on the tighter end. You can check out some of my sheepskin gear in the Sheepskin Collars and Sheepskin Restraints menus.

the sheepskin fleece ranges

Question 3 is usually colour choice. There is an abundance of colour choices for all of the leather restraints collars and bondage accessories out on the market, so deciding can be tough.  Do you want to go full on with a bright vibrant colour, or would you like just an accent of colour for subtlety? There are tonnes of sites out there that can offer you a whirlwind of colour choices, but here at Von Bondage I offer 5 colours and a few different combos of black mixed with a colour accent for a peek-a-boo trim affect on the edges of the collars and restraints.  Choosing the right colour for your play sessions is purely down to mood and aesthetics and it can be fun to have several play-sets in different leathers and colours to fit the mood or event.