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If you’ve found this article, you’re probably interested in trying to make your own cane for BDSM play; after all, there are no moving parts so how bad could it be? We’re here to explain why impact toys should be produced by professionals.
If you’re worried that safe toys are too expensive, be assured that you can get a reliable and well-made product for under $20, like this classy velvety-handled cane from one of our BDSM mainstays, The Stockroom. Most of the DIY projects that we’ve seen will end up costing more than that, especially if you need to purchase tools or other equipment.
However, we are here to provide information as well as recommendations. There are a lot of “recipes” for homemade BDSM gear out there, and we’ve sorted through them to bring you a few that we think are workable.
Table Of Contents
Why You Should Trust Us
The folks here at My Sex Toy Guide are sex educators, health writers, and researchers. Collectively, we have many decades of experience with (very) personal electronics, sex furniture and gear, and BDSM toys. This means that we have a very good perspective on both the best and the worst products, and we are able to assess where your projects are likely to land.
What Is a Homemade BDSM Cane?
A BDSM cane is used for impact play and is typically made from bamboo, rattan, or synthetic materials. Rattan is the most common material used for these canes, but synthetics are also popular because manufacturers can tweak the composition for the desired effects. Thick canes make a satisfying “thud” on impact, and thinner canes swish and sting.
This classic rattan cane is one of the best that we’ve tested. If you still want to DIY your own BDSM cane, you should look to this as an example.
Are Homemade BDSM Canes Safe?
You may think that a cane doesn’t look that complicated, but the truth is that it’s not really safe to use impact toys that have not been purpose-built by people who know what they are doing. Reputable sex toy/gear manufacturers have the skills and experience to create safe toys, and they also have access to specialty materials that we just can’t get at retail hardware and craft stores.
It’s important that canes be strong enough not to break on impact — yes, pain is part of the game, but lacerations and splinters are not necessarily what folks have in mind when they’re engaging in impact play. BDSM canes should also ideally have some flexibility; an experienced Dom/me knows how to wield a (slightly) flexible cane to produce a variety of sensations.
The Best of What’s Out There
As we often do, we turned to the r/BdsmDIY subreddit. Many of the projects there have been up for years and have plenty of crowdsourced wisdom in the comments, so we can not only evaluate them on their own merits but also through the lens of many testers (and the untested nature is what makes us leery of many other suggested products).
Please note that any action that you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, as specified in our Terms of Service.
1. Bamboo Cane With Paracord Handle
Bamboo is lightweight, relatively easy to source, and less expensive than some other materials. You’ll want to be sure to choose a thick, sturdy piece for this project because thinner bamboo can snap too easily. Raw bamboo can be rough and leave small cuts and splinters behind, so we will want to cure it.
Materials:
- Fresh green bamboo
- Saw
- Propane blow torch
- Soft cloth rag
- Paracord
- Jojoba oil or mineral oil (optional)
- Beeswax (optional)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Cut your bamboo into the ideal length for you (a 6’ tall person would probably want a cane around 35”, for instance). Inspect the piece to ensure that there are no defects or damage.
- Use the blowtorch (carefully) to cure the bamboo by toasting it in 4” to 5” sections. Be sure to move the flame back and forth for even coverage. It will turn brown when it is cured.
- As soon as you see the brown appear, use your rag to buff the cured area. Heat causes a natural resin to rise to the surface, and buffing distributes this resin evenly so the cane is less likely to split.
- If desired, finish the cane for additional strength and moisture resistance by applying jojoba oil or mineral oil to the surface and buffing it again. You can also apply beeswax for a glossy finish.
- Allow the cane to dry overnight.
- Wrap one end of the handle with paracord to create a grip (about 6”-8” long, depending on your hand size).
If this feels like a lot of work (and it is) you can purchase a handsome rattan cane from The Stockroom for under $20. Your time is worth that! Plus, this cane looks like it could be used in an Asian prison, and that’s kind of fun.
2. Dowel Cane
It’s easy to buy dowels at any hardware store and you can usually choose from wood, nylon, plastic, and other synthetics. Many hardware stores sell Delrin, which is an excellent choice for impact play since it is a durable polymer with a high molecular density. Delrin maintains its shape well and stings very nicely.
Be sure to buy hardware or craft dowels and not garden stakes — even though the stakes look promising, they break easily and are not suited for impact play. Most hardware stores will cut the dowels to the desired length for you.
Materials
- Dowel of your choice
- Leather or leatherette
- Sandpaper (both rough and fine grit)
- Epoxy
- Knife
- Saw (if the dowel is not already cut to size)
- Mineral oil (for wood dowel)
Step-by-Step Guide
- Sand the dowel smooth, making sure to sand out any knots.
- If you have chosen a wood dowel, finish it with mineral oil.
- Cut the leather into the desired size for a handle (usually about 6”-8” long) and attach it to the dowel with epoxy.
3. Rattan Cane
Rattan is lightweight and nicely sting-y. It’s also a very popular material for canes of the vanilla sort, so it’s pretty easy to find a rattan cane of the right length for this project (it’s also pretty easy to buy a longer one and cut it to size if necessary).
Soaking your rattan cane in salt water makes it both weightier and more flexible. We recommend it, but your cane will likely work just fine even if you don’t.
Materials:
- Rattan cane
- Saw (if cutting the cane)
- Sandpaper (rough, medium, and fine grit)
- Several pounds of salt (optional)
- Marine varnish and/or wood stain (optional)
- Leather, rubber, or paracord, and adhesive (optional)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- If your purchased cane has a rubber grip on the end, remove it.
- Cut the cane to the desired length if necessary, and sand the end smooth.
- Sand the end of the cane into a rounded tip, if desired.
- Fill your bathtub with warm water, dissolve the salt, and soak the cane for a few hours, if desired. Let it dry thoroughly, at least overnight, before proceeding.
- Sand the entire cane so that it feels smooth and silky.
- Stain and/or varnish the cane, if desired.
- Wrap the handle with leather, rubber, or paracord if you want a better grip and seal it with adhesive.
What to Avoid
As we wrote above, we’ve spent a lot of time sorting through what’s out there in the world, and we’ve seen some things that don’t look like fun! More importantly, they don’t look safe. Make sure that you stay away from:
- Rigid and/or Inflexible Materials: Canes or other impact toys made from materials such as steel or aluminum rods can cause far more pain than intended, and even injuries like broken bones. If you’re going to DIY a BDSM cane, stick with tried-and-true materials like bamboo, wood, rattan, or Delrin.
- Dirty or Contaminated Canes: Hopefully, you wouldn’t purposefully choose this, especially for use on naked skin. But if you see a cool-looking vintage cane at a rummage sale or antique store, remember that most cane materials are at least somewhat porous and cannot be thoroughly sanitized. You don’t know where that’s been!
Why Is It Better to Buy a Commercial Product?
The most important reason to buy a BDSM cane from a reputable manufacturer or retailer is that it has been designed and tested to be safe when used as expected (and impact play *is* what’s expected, unlike a cane sold as a mobility aid).
If that’s not reason enough, commercially produced products have better designs. Product design is a skilled profession. Designers who create BDSM canes know the right angles, shapes, and dimensions to evoke the desired sensations; impact toys should hurt just the right amount! Most homemade or modified toys are not likely to be as effective.
Note: The Stockroom’s Heavy Red above is well known for its ability to deliver a sharp, stinging sensation. You can’t tell just by looking at it how awesomely it connects, and that’s our point here — professional designers do know how to tell what’s going to work well and why.
Maggie
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