Strap versus ferrula

[raggedmale]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the strap and the ferrula?

Which easiest to use? Which more painful/ etc

[Bluebell73]

Hi Raggedmale

It depends what you mean by strap. A tawse is a strap that has a number of tails from two upwards, you also get the single tailed strap. There is also an evil thing that a friend of mine enjoyed using on my unprotected rear called a Devil's tail strap. I have felt the ferrula and I find it to be a bit thuddy rather than stingy so I do prefer the strap. I suppose the one advantage of the ferrula is that because it is quite stiff it can be used easily in the horizontal plain. Most straps are best used in the vertical plain although there will probably be some arguement to that. From my personal experience a good strap like a lochgelly is a bit more painful than the ferrula but it also depends on the person in charge of the handle end.

BB73

[Tim Green]

Traditionally, I think the ferula was mostly used on the hands, although I've never tried one. I have a heavy, thick and almost rigid leather strap called a Persuader, which is quite similar to a ferula. It is too heavy to be used on the hands but on the bottom (and especially across the tops of bare thighs) it is very effective, with lots of "instant sting", a bit like like the worst slippering you can imagine, without the bruising you get from a wooden paddle. Flexible straps and tawses wrap around the target more and seem to create more long-lasting pain.

Tim