Steel bondage

Steel bondage involves metal restraints, usually made of iron or steel, such as handcuffs or shackles. Due to the unforgiving nature of metal versus flesh, steel bondage has its own set of safety issues.

Steel bondage appeals to people for a number of reasons: there is the contrast between the soft flesh and hard steel, steel bondage has a feeling of inescapability about it, it is also quick to apply and requires little forethought or planning.

A few simple rules:

Always use good quality handcuffs with a double lock mechanism AND USE IT!
Don't make the cuffs too tight. Handcuffs don't need to be tight to be secure.
Never use steel cuffs for suspension or make your captive lie on them. This can cause serious nerve damage.
Be very careful with leg irons. If they are too tight, the captive won't be able to walk, and the pressure could damage the Achilles tendons or bruise the ankles. Leg irons over boots are best if the bound person will have to move around in them.
Always keep a spare key at hand.

Rigid Irons

Rigid irons are a form of restraint for the limbs and/or neck whereby the restrained limbs are held at a fixed distance from each other. The restraints are typically made from steel strips bent and hinged at each end to secure the wrist or ankle, then locked together in the middle by a bolt requiring an allen key to unscrew.

Various configurations are available. Common variants are;

Wrist to wrist.
Ankle to ankle.
Wrist to neck to wrist (same configuration as a pillory).
Ankle to neck (via collar and short chain) to ankle.
Ankle to wrist to wrist to ankle (same configuration as stocks).
Neck to wrist to wrist (also called a Shrew's fiddle).

Because of the immovability of the restraint, rigid cuffs can be uncomfortable if worn for any length of time. This seems to be a particular problem with ankles. As a result, many manufacturers will produce designs which can be worn over boots to alleviate this probem.

Most restraints available are generally based on pre-19th century designs. However, there are a small number of manufacturers providing modern, highly engineered, versions (see Martin's Ridgid cuffs in the BDSM equipment suppliers article.

Related elbow restraint articles

Steel bondage restraints

External links

~~The Ten Commandments of Steel Bondage~~ by Harold Cox and David Stein (1982) ( X Site down 09/20 R/ )

(see Ten Commandments of Steel Bondage for archived copy)

LOCKED-SHUT: 10 Questions for Steel Bondage Scenes by Tanos (2004)

List of Bondage restraints / BDSM / Bondage materials
Ace bandage Armbinder Ball lock Blindfold Body bag Bondage Bed Bondage Cuffs Bondage Mittens or Mitts Bondage materials Bondage Tape Bondage Yoke Breast Binder Butt Hook or Ass Hook Butterfly board Carabiners Chastity Belt Chain Chastity cage Clingfilm Clothes pins Clothing as bondage Cock cage Collar Corsets D-Rings Dental Forceps Door hanger Elbow bondage Arm binder Arm trap Elbow harness Monoglove Single glove Fetters Gags (see below) Gates of Hell Handcuffs Harnesses Body harness Bondage belt Head harness Human pony harness Hobble Skirt Hood Humbler The Impaler List of Bondage restraints Leash Leg binder or Leg sheath Locking clothing Medical Restraints Mermaid play Mermaid suit Mummification Panic snap Pallet wrap Parachute Pillory Posture collar Punishment suit Rigid irons Rope Saran wrap Scaffolding SM equipment Shackles and Fetters Sleepsack Spreader bar / Leg spreader Stocks Straitjacket Suspension cuffs Thumbcuffs Toybags & Toys Vacuum bed Vet wrap Yoke Zipper
Types of gags Ball gag Bandit gag Bit gag Butterfly gag Cleave gag Using chopsticks Detetive gag Duct tape Funnel gag Handkerchief gag Hand over mouth gag Infatuation gag Inflatable gags Knotted gag Medical gag Mouthguard gag Muzzle Gag Over the mouth gag Panel gag Pear gag Penis gag Pony bit Ring gag Spider gag Stuff gag Tape gag Tube gag Trainer gag Wiffle ball gag
Bondage positions / (category} • Bondage restraints / (category}