I review sex toys for sextoy.com. You can find the Axovus Illuminator and other kink toys on their site. Disclaimer: I am not paid for these reviews (unless you purchase something with an affiliate link) but I do receive free toys in return for my honest opinion.
Wow.
I’m a Burner. This is not news to anyone who keeps up with this blog — I’ve been writing about Burning Man a lot. One of the things Burners love most of all is anything that lights up at night.
Like many Burners I know, I’m also a kinkster. I love BDSM and lately have been getting more and more into impact play — especially working on my skills with floggers. I’ve become moderately good with these toys, able to hit what I aim at and not what I’m trying to avoid.
So what happens when you take a Burner’s love of LED lights and combine it with a sadist’s love of flogging? You have the Illuminator by Axovus, a toy that made me positively giddy the moment I discovered it in sextoy.com’s catalog. I knew I had to try it out and share the experience with my readers, many of whom have similar predilections to mine. I could hardly wait to try this toy out, but would these two great tastes go great together? Would the toy live up to my anticipation?
The Illuminator arrived simply in a protective plastic bag with an Axovus tag attached to the toy. The first thing I noticed about this toy was that it ships with batteries included — two D batteries in this case. Given the low power demands of LED lights, these batteries should last a very long time indeed. According to a representative of Axovus:
The D batteries can be replaced, just like a regular flashlight. I’m not sure exactly what the lifespan of the batteries are; I think the longest test we’ve given them is leaving one on for a couple of days straight. That didn’t seem to dim the bulbs at all, so the batteries last a very long time.
Speaking of D batteries, this toy clearly shows its origins as a heavy flashlight, with the flogger’s tails emerging from the front of the black base where a lens and lightbulb would normally be; the sliding on-off switch will be familiar and easy to operate for anyone who has used a flashlight before. There is also a large D-ring for hanging. This might not be the fanciest looking flogger, but I think it has a certain industrial charm that I find genuinely appealing. However, those with smaller hands will find the handle too big to grip.
The Illuminator has two kinds of tails — 10 tails of soft wide leather and 9 made of extension cord type material with the red LED bulbs at the end — so the toy combines both “thuddy” and “stingy” sensations. The bulbs are made of a nearly indestructible plastic so there should be no danger of them shattering during normal use. Between the tails and the batteries this toy is definitely on the heavy side, but it is surprisingly well-balanced and easy to use provided you have the stamina.
I tried this out several times during my pet’s last visit. She is definitely a masochist as well as a submissive so I knew that she’d be able to stand up to it and enjoy it too. I warmed her up using some other floggers, but you could tell the Illuminator was still a painful experience for her (in a good way). It quickly left her skin red as I got into the rhythm of striking her back and ass. She squealed and called out my name (Daddy!) when I hit her with this flogger.
This is not a beginner’s toy. Look elsewhere if you’re looking to pick up your first flogger. This is a toy for the experienced flogger. If you’ve practiced alone and on people, and you feel confident in your skills then you can add in heavier toys like this one. You also need a lover who has experience being flogged and who you know will enjoy the intense sensations the Illuminator creates.
Of course, the Illuminator isn’t just an effective flogger but an incredibly flashy one. I brought it to recent “salons” held by both the Austin Art Nerds and the Houston Art Nerds, and at both events even the non-kinksters wanted to handle this toy and give it a few playful swings. Lots of people wanted to watch me test it out and it looked great whether I was swinging it by myself or at my Pet. The flogger looks amazing in photographs; I love how it leaves bright flares at the points of impact where the LEDs hit. I can’t wait to bring this flogger to Burning Man events where I think it’ll look great when I am dancing and be fun as a “trip toy.”
The following photo gallery contains shots of the Axovus Illuminator in use. The photos were taken by Fyrehart at Austin Art Nerds Salon #7. Kit O’Connell (your author) is using the flogger on his Pet. Thanks to salon host Snarky for loan of her office! Use the FS button to get a larger view of each photo in fullscreen mode.
[flagallery gid=3 name=”Gallery” skin=”Midnight”]
Along with the KinkLab Vampire Gloves, this is the second toy I fell in love with in the first month of 2011. Unlike the gloves, I can’t recommend this to just anyone who is curious about kink play. However, if you — and your play partners — can handle this toy than you’ll find it heavy, effective, and one of the flashiest floggers money can buy. The Axovus Illuminator is a unique, well-made, and most of all fun impact toy.
