Show your stuff

Some people have seen me walking around wearing shirts carrying this logo:



Many assume it's the logo of some computer product, as I work in Tech, but now. This is known as the BDSM Triskelion. A triskelion is triple spiral shape that has rotational symmetry, and there are many variations to it, used all over the world. The specific version used in my banner has been associated with the BDSM community, and is a combination of the spiral and the Yin-Yang symbol. This exemplifies the 3 main parts of BDSM culture – BD, DS and SM (Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, Sadism & Masochism) and how they mesh as part of our lifestyle.

The BDSM Triskelion and designs that are derived from it are featured prominently on many BDSM items, as well as into logos and flags of BDSM related businesses and organizations. However, most of the population isn’t aware of that connotation, which makes it a pretty good way to signal to others that you are part of the lifestyle. That could be in the form of the symbol printed on a shirt or other clothing item, or etched on a piece of jewelry, for example.

Personally, I like to wear the symbol on a ring, which I had custom-made for me by Tim, a merchant on Etsy. I had Tim etch the Triskelion in white on a black ring, and it’s nice because while at work, I can rotate the ring to have the symbol inwards, and rotate it out when going out in public. Another item I had custom made is a T-shirt with the symbol printed, which I got for about $12 (inc. shipping) from an eBay seller by searching for “custom t-shirt”. I provided the Triskelion image in PNG form and got the shirt pretty quick.

Another identification system common both in BDSM as well as in the LGBTQ community and sex-positive community is the Handkerchief code. The hanky code consists of placing a colored handkerchief, or multiple handkerchiefs in one’s back-pockets (although they can also be worn in other places, such as one’s wrists). For example, wearing a black hanky indicates the wearer is into BDSM, while a grey one indicates the wearer is interested in bondage. Other than the color, the placement of the hanky is also key for one’s disposition, where the left side of the body indicates you are a “top”, and the right side is the opposite.

Hanky code has been around for many years, and over time, evolved from a handful of simple colors to a huge list of options and variations. For example, a yellow hanky with white stripes indicates the wearer is attracted to an oriental/Asian partner. The extended list even includes extra items, such as using a Teddy bear to indicate one is into cuddling. Naturally, many don’t know the whole list by-heart, and some colors or combos aren’t universally agreed-upon in the community, so this system isn’t without faults. However, it has served us well for many years. One of the more extensive list can be found here.

See you on the streets!

Leather for floggers and other BDSM gear

Back in February, I talked about making your own floggers. If you want to make floggers and other BDSM gear from leather, you might be wondering how to cut some of the costs, as genuine leather can cost a pretty penny. Even a basic piece of cowhide can easily cost over $100, and even if you are good enough to make two floggers out of it…it’s still a pretty penny. However, there are many ways to cut costs.

1^st, consider using an alternative material. For example, upholstery-class vinyl or pleather can simulate the feeling of real leather very well, and cost only a fraction. In fact, if you don’t care much about color, you can probably find a piece in the scrap pile of your local Jo-Ann store for less than $5 (vs $10-15 for a new piece).

Another alternative is to buy your leather online, or from the scrap-bin of your local leather shop. The former may be difficult, as it’s hard to know from an online photo how the leather feels, but one thing to keep in mind is the leather weight. This is a number range that signifies how much 1 square foot of the leather weighs. Regular floggers are made from leather that weighs 1-2 ounces per square foot (designated as 1-2oz leather), and heavy floggers are from 2-3oz leather. Upholstery vinyl, BTW, also weighs 2-3 Oz per square foot. If you want to cut costs even further, look for pieces of leather that aren’t full. For example, a piece that’s about 10” wide is not very useful to most people, so if you find one for sale, it’s probably going to be very cheap. Since you’re cutting ½” wide tassels, the width of the piece is hardly a problem for you anyway.

Finally, if you want to cut costs even further, your next bet is buying used leather garments at your local thrift store. You can find plenty of leather coats at Goodwill or Value Village for $10-15, and you can cut enough leather strips from such a coat for at least 2 floggers. DO make sure you’re buying a long coat, because you’d want your tassels to be around 16-20” long. The problem with coats is that they use 1-2oz leather, which won’t yield a very heavy flogger. If you want thicker leather, you can try to look for leather suitcases, or even old couches. If you have a branch of Goodwill Outlet nearby, you can probably score a super cheap leather couch, and it should yield a huge amount of leather, for only a few dollars (all that assumes you have a way to actually pickup that couch and get it home).

See you on the rack!