Tuesday 8 January 2013

Review: Kinklab Leather Vampire Gloves





We purchased the Kinklab Leather Vampire Gloves in April 2012, and with it being January 2013 now, I've taken a while to get to reviewing them! This long-overdue post is in part because of some minor issues developing with them, but more because we spend a lot of time at parties showing them to people and finding new converts wherever we take them! 

The gloves are made from a soft, thin leather which flexes well with movement, the fingers adorned with prickly metal spikes. At first glance, they could seem like a scary prospect, however they really have a multitude of uses. More on that in a moment. 

They're manufactured in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL, however the only UK stockist I know of (and the retailler we purchased the gloves from) SexToys.co.uk offers them in XS, M and XL. We have the XL size, and both Master and I have large hands and find that while they are snug, they do fit. With that in mind, I would caution that if you have significantly larger-than-average hands you may struggle to fit into these.



Used gently, they make for excellent sensation play. Love the feeling of being scratched lightly (or not so lightly) with nails? You'll likely adore these. Nothing creates shivers down the spine like these gloves. If you want a more intense experience, they can provide a rougher scratch or if the user grips their subject while wearing the gloves, they offer a truly stinging sensation. If you're really itching for some more extreme sadomasochistic action, spanking with the Vampire Gloves is a one-of-a-kind experience. Having received such spankings on several occasions, I can say they're high impact and hurt. They will also make you bleed. The subsequent dotty markings you're left with can take up to several weeks to fully disappear (but if you're a hard to mark sub who loves being marked - like me - that can be fantastic!)

Blood is an issue that needs raising with this particular bit of kit. In scratchy play, you run a risk of drawing blood with these, and spanking with them you're almost guaranteed to do so. With that in mind, if you're bothered by blood I'd advise against these gloves (or suggest exercising restraint with pressure in use), and it's worth remembering that blood borne disease is a risk if you opt to use them with multiple partners. 

If you play at home you're free to make your own choices about blood and your comfort with it, but do be aware that fetish clubs usually have rules in place, and many of them have a "no blood drawn" policy. If in doubt, I'd advocate checking with the club owners or the Dungeon Master present.

Now, as we've owned them for 9 months at this stage, we've noticed some wear/issues cropping up. Firstly, some of the spikes have bent over in play. This may be attributable to them having been used to administer spankings. Secondly, some of the spikes have retracted into the glove and Master has to push them back through when he puts them on. The picture below should hopefully illustrate my points.




If you look carefully at the bottom of the pictured finger, the set of four spikes has retracted into the glove. Further up, a spike is bent flat. 

Currently (and as far back as when we purchased them), the Kinklab Leather Vampire Gloves retail for £29.95 at SexToys.co.uk. Even with the faults we're starting to notice, we still feel this is decent value, as they're one of our favourite items in Master's kit. He really enjoys using them, and they're both adored and feared by me! 

If you want your very own set of Vampire Gloves, they're available here for £29.95 (price correct at time of writing) 

NK x