Wooden clothespins are a bit kinder, and have less tendency to abrade,
so I'd suggest starting with them. Plastic clothespins tend to have
much smaller ribbed gripping surfaces, and a 'feel' much stronger than
the equivalent wooden ones. Extremely small plastic clothespins are
very nasty indeed, and many may be used in the same area for greater
intensity.
But here's the kind of clothespin we're going to be talking about
in this article...
Wooden clothespins are available in several qualities, with the older, thicker ones being a bit better in my opinion (the thin ones seem to be more likely to splinter or have sharp edges). Since you can purchase fifty of these for a few dollars, these rank among the least expensive of toys, and among the most versatile. Almost anything you can do with fingertip squeezing can be done with clothespins, and several things that can't be accomplished with your fingers can easily be done with these tiny household beauties. Plus, of course, they leave your hands free for other activities.
Unmodified, most wooden clothespins grip with between four and
six pounds of pressure over an area of about one-quarter by
one-half inch. This is too much for some, and not enough for
others. The grip can be increased by wrapping the clamping end
with elastic bands, and decreased in several ways. The simplest
is by weakening the springs by clamping something that requires
the clothespin to be open to its limit for several days. This
will reduce the clamping pressure by several pounds, dependent on
the initial strength of the spring, the width of the opening, and
the length of time one allows for stretching. Carefully pulling
the jaws wider than they would normally travel will stretch the
spring quickly, but this is harder to control. Wrapping elastic
bands around the legs of the clothespin will resist the tension
of the spring and weaken the clamping force without permanently
weakening the spring.
If you're willing to spend a bit more time, drill straight
through both legs of each clothespin, about one-third of the way
from the end, and thread a bolt through the holes. Tightening a
wing nut on the bolt will allow for wonderfully precise changes
in clamping pressure, since the bolt-nut combination adjustably
limits the travel of the legs. You can drill a larger hole or
even a slot in one leg for ease of adjustment. This requires
perhaps 2 minutes per clothespin and is well worth the time, as
the pressure may be slowly increased as your partner's ability to
enjoy the sensation improves. Weights may be hung off of the
clothespin by hooks or cords attached to the holes and hardware.
One classical place to begin with clothespins is the nipple, but
there are many possible variations to this alone. The first grip
recommended most often is with the clothespin pointing straight
onto the nipple, not from the side, gripping the base of the
nipple, not the tip, and perhaps a bit of areola as well. This
does not have the same sort of 'bite' as grasping the nipple
alone may, and often does wonderful things for sensitivity
without causing severe pain. It's often good to start with a
rather weak clamping pressure and work upwards. And if you're
just beginning, try not to leave the pins on for too long. Start
with what your partner can endure, and eventually work up to
perhaps twenty minutes (I prefer not to leave them on longer than
this, YMMV). The longer the clamping time, the more fierce the
sensation caused by removing the pressure. The increased
sensitivity afterwards may last from minutes to many hours,
depending on the person, the clamping force and time. Several
things might be done in this period to use that sensitivity to
advantage (beating with the proverbial 'wet noodle' or even a
featherduster is quite effective). Ice applied immediately after
removing the clothespin may reduce the length and severity of the
sensation if that's what's desired.
You can also the clothespin on sideways, with the nipple centered
in the the hole in the clamping area. If you do this far enough
back on the nipple base or areola, the tip of a large nipple will
remain exposed for other things, such as ice, nibbling, or
smaller clips and clamps.
You can clamp the nipple only, or work gradually out from the
areola as your partner's ability to enjoy more increases. Tapping
or lightly brushing the tips of attached clothespins is
effective, and a light vibrator may also be used if held against
or even taped to the legs of the clothespin.
One simple device works nicely for both nipples at once on all
but the smallest female breasts. Take two clothespins and glue
the outsides of the legs together with a slight overlap like so...
...then use the clamping ends to grasp both nipples from the
sides at once. The pull will vary depending on breast size, but
some will be present. Causing your partner to jiggle their
breasts gently can be fun, and of course, this is often just the
thing to add to tickling. Size differences may require an
additional short piece of wood to link the pair together (length
best found by experiment).
Pulling off a clothespin is more painful than squeezing the legs
to remove it gently, and this is the basis for some devices we'll
mention below. Again, the longer one leaves them attached, the
stronger the result. It's also possible to flick off clothespins
with a flogger or some other striking device, and combining the
two is an interesting way to add some bright 'explosions' to the
sensations of a 'standard' flogging without switching instruments
or striking harder. When doing this near the front of the body,
some form of eye protection is needed, a heavy blindfold will
serve nicely.
Many areas of the body might do well with a bit of clamping
either for sensation or visual appeal. Other parts of the breast,
and any portion of the torso and limbs where you can gather a bit
of skin come immediately to mind. In view of the tiny expense,
you cound use many dozens at one time on someone.
Specific classic variations include but are not limited to:
Drill a hole through one leg of at least one dozen clothespins,
thread them on a thong or cord, knotting them at small intervals,
and you have created a zipper. One derivation for the name will
become obvious the first time one tugs swiftly on one end of the
cord and hears the sound made by the pins pulling off sensitive
skin (there may be other sounds as well). The spacing may vary,
longer ones may be made, and double rows of 20 or so clothespins
are common. The inside of the upper arm or thigh are rather
traditional for these, but most areas of the body are available,
one of my own favorites being the side of the body normally
covered by the arms, after binding the arms over the head.
Ticklish and sensitive.
A 'tri-zipper' is my own name for three of these single zippers
with one end of each fastened to a central ring (a keyring will
do, but try to find something a bit larger). The ring is centered
high on the belly, with the farthest pins attaching to the
nipples and labia, perhaps with a bit of spiral towards the
center of each region, and the nearest ones fastening to the skin
near the center. The look of horrified anticipation as you grasp
the ring and begin to pull slowly outwards, each pin popping off
in turn as the three zipper lines move towards the most sensitive
areas is not to be missed, while pulling faster often causes
volumes of high-pitched shrieking.
Another design I haven't seen elsewhere I've dubbed the "Reverse
Garter" (reverse in the sense of pulling down rather than up).
Two bands of non-stretch material (webbing, fabric or leather
will do) with buckles or other adjustable fasteners are put high
up around each thigh, perhaps five inches from the pubis,
although this dimension will vary. Sewn or riveted onto the band
is a close (almost touching) row of four clothespins on the
inside of the leg, with the clamping ends pointing upwards. These
are first attached to the outer labia, then the band is adjusted
to a position to gently stretch the lips and tightened so as not
to be pulled further up the thigh. Intriguing in itself, and
provides both more pull and an interesting display when she
spreads her legs. Delectable. (N.B. There are major sensation
differences between the outer lips and the inner lips and
tissues, grasping these areas with the same force is likely to
cause considerably more pain than anticipated.)
The simplest method is increasing the clamping force with one or
more elastic bands round the clamping end, but there are several
others.
Purchase some short one-eighth inch diameter brads or finish
nails, and a drill of the same diameter. Drill three holes
through the clamping end of two clothespins. Sand, grind, or file
the ends of the brads to a smooth *ROUND* tip then push them
through so they protrude into the clamping area while the
clothespin is held open one-eighth inch. Use a drop of strong
glue to hold the brads in place, and saw off the excess length
from the outside of the pins after the glue dries.
These are exceedingly nasty, as the clamping force now
concentrates primarily on three small areas rather than the
entire clamping area. Use this carefully, preferably with a fully
adjustable clothespin as described above, and make quite sure by
testing on yourself first that the ends of the brads are NOT
SHARP at all to avoid damage. Useful for those seeking more than
a 'regular' clothespin may provide.
Several less extreme variations on the idea above are possible,
all based on disassembling the clothespin, filing several grooves
in the wooden clamping area, then reassembling the clothespin.
Grooves and blunt 'teeth' aid in preventing slippage, and feel a
bit more harsh than flat wood.
Removing about one-half of the side of the clamping area with a
saw or rasp provides two benefits, the same clamping pressure
will be applied over a smaller area, and double the number of
clothespin tips may fitted to the same bit of anatomy. Remember
to round the edges slightly with sandpaper to avoid splinters or
other inadvertent injury.
Tradition demands testing on the web of your hand. This is well and good for impromptu buying and to get a subjective feel for the actual sensation of a new design, but lacks precision and repeatability, qualities dear to the heart of any engineer. Some thinking and a bit of experimentation resulted in the following frame to directly and accurately measure clamping force in clothespins. (I recognize the source of error from measuring the force at the hole rather than the clamping area, but it is a difference both trivial and consistent, and thus may be ignored for comparative testing.)
Select two boards longer than eight inches, wider than one inch, and perhaps one-quarter inch thick, and place them together, lying flat on top of one another. Drill a hole through both boards, five inches or so from one end. Put a bolt through this hole, and thread a wingnut on the bolt. Clamp the other end of the boards firmly to a table or bench, slide one leg of the clothespin into the space between the two boards, then tighten the wingnut. This frame will hold the clothespin for testing. Once the pin is held firmly in place, use a thin cord attached to a spring tension scale, and pull downwards against the clamping area until the clothespin opens. (I use an 'anglers scale' accurate from 1 to 28 pounds, but any 'pulling' scale with a hook will do.) This measurement will vary from the pull necessary to just open the jaws to a higher reading before the jaws reach their limit of travel. As mentioned, the 'standard' clothespins I've tested fall somewhere in the region of four to six pounds. Stretching for several days may yield less than 3 pounds, and manual stretching of the clothespin spring will swiftly reduce the pressure to 1 pounds or less. If you have the time and interest, coding the various strength ranges of tested clothespins for different tastes and applications is possible, either by filing groove patterns in the legs to select by touch or by using color to indicate severity levels...
"Twenty of the red ones for a start, I'm in an evil mood tonight."
For more information on making your own equipment
use this link -
"Kinky Crafts" - to go there now.