omg lesson#40: a little love for gags...

not to wear, silly. to put one on a willing sub. to watch them squirm and their eyes widen and their anticipation of a gag being placed over their mouth. it is, for me, part and parcel of bondage play and well, most play, to be honest. it keeps the screaming down, muffles any potentially bratty comments and let's me play without worrying about the neighbours hearing what i might be up to.

with all that, what's not to love about using gags?

now i can appreciate not everyone likes gags. and they do need to be used safely b/c they do constrict breathing in some ways and you do need to know a little about what you're doing. so here's the quick run down on gags. feel free to add more safety tips and info you have about gags in the comments! i'm no authority and while i've done research and have learned through experience, one can never know everything.

1. what is a gag?

gags are simply things that fit over and into the mouth to muffle a person from speaking clearly. it doesn't usually cut sound altogether but it can do a pretty good job of it. it also can restrict the movement of the jaw and tongue/teeth and look hot as fuck (imho).

you can use one made of rubber, leather, cloth, rope, tape, just about any material that will allow you to wrap it somehow around the mouth to muffle/constrict. i'm told some materials are better than others and they have their pros and cons. i've found that some people might hate one and love another. and some are really uncomfortable - you may like that as a sadistic dominant/top - and some are easier to handle/wear for longer periods of time.

2. gag safety

start with any health concerns such as chipping teeth, hurting a pre-existing jaw condition, and so on, before contemplating the use of a gag with someone. also, since you're constricting breathing, i wouldn't use gags on someone who had a cold, for instance. know your partner's health & medical limitations!

if you've both deemed a gag is worth trying or playing with, there are some things you want to consider:

• work up to it. it's not something most people can just wear for hours and hours. the idea might be hot but no one is capable of wearing one for a long period of time right out of the gate. if you can start with one for 5 minutes, that's great! gradually building your endurance is a good way to go.
• as a top/dominant, keep an eye on someone you've gagged. no leaving them alone and definitely keep an eye on breathing and ability to breath and so on. it doesn't take long for brain damage to occur when someone is deprived of oxygen.
• while gagging, be cognizant of choking hazards. forcing the drinking of liquids, putting things in mouths that could be swallowed or just stuffing the mouth can lead to choking. someone vomiting can choke on their own vomit if they can't release it. know the risks of what you're playing with.
• the longer you keep tape on, the harder and more painful it is to remove (generally speaking).
• keep in mind what materials you're putting in someone's mouth. rubber often contains phthalates which you really don't want in your mouth. look at your toys carefully (this goes for anything you're inserting anywhere, really).

safewords - now the point of gagging is to get them to stfu (at least for me) so generally, they won't be able to use a safe word. have something that they can do in place of a safe word to call a 'yellow' or 'red' and alert you something is wrong, or they need to stop or pause or just have you check in. ways you can do this:

a) put a ball in each hand so they can drop it to alert you
b) establish a hand signal (snapping fingers for instance)
c) tapping or banging a foot or hand as a signal

3. what can i expect with a gag?

lots and lots of drooling. unless you've stuffed a bunch of cloth in there, be prepared to drool a lot.

not all gags work in all mouths. sometimes, it's a game of trial and error. one gag may simply not fit well whereas another can be tolerated well. there are different sizes that you can look for but the best way i have found is simply trial and error - learning what fits best and how it works with your particular anatomy. every sub is different and i find some gags are not adaptable enough - particularly ball gags. so consider purchases carefully.

you can layer different types of gags to maximize the effect ie. using cloth in the mouth, while putting a ball gag in place and using duct tape over the mouth.

to me, gags are a pretty personal item. i would gift a gag to a sub but i would never have one i would re-use over and over again with different subs. just no. eww. i think a gag is as personal as a toothbrush. one user per gag which is why i tend to gift them for my subs to keep for their own personal use. or use disposable materials.

clean the damn thing after each and every use. this goes without saying. doh!

4. common types of gags:

ball gag (the ubiquitous): the ball is usually made of rubber or silicone with a strap that goes around the neck/head to secure it in place around the mouth. there's also the 'waffle' gag which is like a ball gag but has a more 'breathable' ball in place of a solid one.

bit or horse bit (my fave): it looks like a bridle for a horse and again wraps around the neck/head and is basically a bar that goes into the mouth. while some like it for pony play, i like it b/c it makes my subs look like they are smiling at me no matter what evil i do :)

bandit / over-the-nose (otn) gag: pretty self explanatory as cloth or a bandanna covering the mouth as well as the nose and tied around the neck/head. i would use additional cloth (handkerchiefs, scarves, socks, hosiery, panties, day sheers, bandanas or any item rolled into a ball) in the mouth to muffle more as it's not very effective on it's own. it has the added benefit of catching drool if that strikes your fancy.

forniphilic (the 'dildo' gag): this one is basically to objectify the wearer and the gag acts as a mounting point for a tool to perform a task for their dominant. most often seen as a 'dildo', it can also be an ashtray, a feather duster, a brush, etc.

funnel gag: consisting of a funnel with a tube that leads from the spout into the mouth with straps to hold the tube and spout in place. it's often used in water sports and forced drinking. (beware: choking can often happen with forced drinking so do be careful).

hand over the mouth: fairly self explanatory and probably the gag where the dominant has the most control over. you place a hand (or both hands) over the mouth and sometimes over the nose of your sub. i find it particularly useful with rough body play. ymmv...

jennings gag: this one's a medical piece of equipment and actually allows unfettered access to the mouth; they stop coherent speech but they don't do much to muffle sound.

muzzle gag: think of a muzzle used on animals and you have a good idea of what a muzzle gag might look like and how it would work. it covers more of the face and can be great for pet play, too.

ring gag: kinda like a ball gag but instead of a ball, you have a ring that allows you to use the mouth for things like forced drinking, bj's, etc. the wearer can adjust it while it's in their mouth. not a fan but yeah, you might like it.

rope gag: oh those rope people will use rope to do just about anything! basically it can be wrapped around the mouth and lips multiple times or just the once and can be used in a multi tie around the body. lots of opps to be creative here and nylon will be softer whereas hemp can be more sadistic.

spider gag: kinda looks and works like the ring gag. it has hooks on the sides to keep the mouth open and keeping the gag in place and can't be adjusted by the wearer while they are wearing it.

tape as a gag: you can use all kinds of tape as a gag either over top of the mouth as a piece or wound around the head over the mouth. you can use duct tape, pvc tape, electrical tape....just watch for the hair and skin. different widths and thicknesses provide options you may or may not like. i've found a willing victim and practicing with different kinds of tape is fun :)

Aug 22, 2019