Monthly Archives: April 2009

Chastity Captions

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Okay, I knew about lolcats and I’ve seen other examples of pictures that have had captions added in order to create a humorous mini-scene. But I was unprepared for the sheer number of websites and online groups that exist in order to trade and show off captioned pics of a more sexual nature.

I got the idea to hunt around for them after I saw some of the work by ptathuk, who recently set up a blog to showcase his art: Chastity Fantasies of an Obsessive Compulsive. ptathuk, being a fan of EoV, even dedicated a picture to me, having been inspired by something I’d written a couple of years ago. Since then, I found myself looking forward to the several pics a week he would put up, as he seems to have a good sense of balance with his subjects. Focusing on captions about chastity and orgasm denial themes, he features women who range from fetish models to ordinary, from stick thin to Reubenesque.

Anyway, I went hunting for more, and ran across a dozen websites and even more web groups. Amazingly, some people actually pay money, as if they were subscribing to a porn site. I’m not sure why, but I have a theory that well-done caps have the appeal of a short story, the ability to spark the imagination, and give just a little bit of tantalizing visual appeal.

Unfortunately, most of what I have found is not particularly well done.

While a lot of the cap enthusiasts manage to find pics of attractive women in various stages of dress, a large number of caps are ruined by horrible spelling, grammar, and punctuation ( They are also ruined by poor choices of scenarios, but I’ll concede that this is only a personal preference on my part). Yes, go ahead and sneer at me, but running across a typo in a 2, 500 word or even a 500 word article is forgivable. But a 25 or 50 caption in 18 point bold type should be perfect: no misspelled words, clear grammar, proper capitalization, and – please excuse a pet peeve of mine – the correct form of “your” or “you’re”, “there” or “they’re”, and “its” or “it’s.” And don’t even get me started on using text-speak. “U,” and “ur” for “you” and “you’re” are fine when you’re texting or IMing, but they look ridiculous in grown-up written conversation.

I mean, for cryin’ out loud, guys, ignoring that adults should know how to use the correct spelling of a word, how hard is it to compose in a text window and use spell check?

In giving some thought as to why the bad cops bothered me so much, I think it’s because when you look at these pictures, you are transported – for a short time – into a miniature fantasy world, where the perfect woman is playing out your ideal fantasy, your chastity device is truly inescapable (and comfortable), and the other sexual situations present no obstacles. To me, running across glaring errors jars me out of that fantasy back into the real world, in much the way that an annoyingly buzzing alarm clock jars you out of that nice dream and reminds you that you have to put in yet another day in the quarry.

I have to take a moment to mention that from what I have seen, the majority men creating these pictures seem to subscribe to the “cruel, cuckolding dominatrix” school, as most of the pics I’ve seen tend to be the sneering mistress with captions such as “Ive got u in the best belt. Ur never gonna cum again, chasty!” or “ur little dickie is to small too satisfy me anyway so we might as well lock it up PERMENTLY!” or “oh stop whining or ill soder the lock shut. (giggle) now get over hear and fluff my luver so he can give me the orgasims that u cant with ur little dickie.” I’m not complaining, mind you, since it’s not like I’ve commissioned anybody to do some for me, but seeing this over and over does get tiresome, and as I’ve mentioned before, a vanilla-ish partner who might happen upon such pictures is going to get a very skewed perspective and likely be scared off.

One of the things that I like about ptathuk’s caps is that he tends to keep them simple and gentle. They tend to be mainly about people who are just starting to get involved in chastity and orgasm denial, and many of them seem to take place at around the time when one partner (generally him) has proposed the idea; the caption is her reaction to his suggestion, and (because this is fantasy, remember?) generally shows her to be excited at the prospect. Interestingly, several of them feature women (ptathuk only seems to do straight caps) who have already been involved in chastity play, and who suggest ways to push the boundaries, and then ask if he will be more excited by the prospect.  I found that to be a nice touch, as it puts a more real-life aspect on the situation, making the mini-fantasy more believable.

I couldn’t resist trying my hand at a few of these. I’ve discovered that there are several online programs that will import a picture and allow you to insert text into it – even a picture that is elsewhere on the web. I’ve also discovered that captioning pictures is a huge, time-wasting pain in the ass, so I’m happy to let others do the work.

Modifying your security settings: The CB3000 & 6000

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As you can tell from the title, this is going to be one of the more technically oriented posts, so if you aren’t interested in the geekier aspects of chastity devices, then I suggest that you toddle off to look at my HNTs.

The CB-2ooo has been around since the mid to late 1990s; the 2k was not the first inexpensive male chastity device, but it soon became one of the first widely marketed, mass-produced models. The original versions were built from machined and glued acrylic pieces, but as the demand grew, AL Enterprises invested the money to have the sections molded of polycarbonate plastic. Easy to clean, and not too finicky to modify, the 2k went from a novelty to a full time business.

The success of the 2k allowed AL Enterprises to invest money in a more complex design: The Curve. While it did not gain the wide following of the previous version, it paved the way for an even more complex design in the CB3000. The 3k, perhaps because of the outside shape, took the “trapped ball” style devices out of the “adult novelty” section and into a variety of other categories. Over the last few years, I’ve seen references to the 3k pop up on a wide range of websites. Yes, most of them are of the “WTF is this for?” genre, but just the fact that other people comment on those items shows that they are becoming, if not more popular, at least not so unusual.

Last year’s introduction of the CB6000 was more evolutionary than revolutionary, but the trimmed, sleeker shape seems to be at least as popular than the previous model. Personally, I’m disappointed that the new model isn’t made to be interchangeable on the cuff rings with the previous versions, but anyone with some tools and a bit of creativity can figure out how to work something out. After having worn both devices for some length of time, I find that I prefer the 3k, but it’s a close call.

The success of the CBx000 line can be shown by the various group discussions, the large number of hints and tips about wearing the devices available around the web, and in number of after-market add-ons that have sprung up over the last few years. It speaks volumes, however, that the most popular discussions (and most common add-ons) have to do with enhancing either the comfort or the security of the devices.

Some users of the original 2k noted that with some lube and a few minutes, they could wriggle their penis out the back of the cuff ring. The device would still be attached to their bodies, held on by the thin space between the cuff ring and the cage (hence the moniker “trapped ball” device), it became clear that the device, while preventing intercourse, could still allow one to masturbate. While this isn’t a concern with some people – chastity being, of course, about fidelity within a relationship – those interested in exploring orgasm control, either with regard to a personal sacrifice, or in a BDSM context, have been disappointed. The 3k and 6k, unfortunately, haven’t seen many improvements in that regard, at least, not if the reports of the various web boards and email lists are any indication. While the devices have improved in comfort and wearability, a lot still depends upon the personal anatomy of the wearer.

CB6000 Mods

This problem is not limited to the CBx000 line, by any means; I’ve seen users of various other devices with similar complaints. Some men who are able to pull out of one device report it to be impossible in others. Some other men report that they can pull out of all of them. The problem stems from the fact that some men can compress their squashy bits more than others. The 3k, though, seems to have more options for security than the other devices by AL Enterprise, and the various other devices manufactured – especially the ones made from stainless steel – don’t really have any. If you can pull out of device, unless you have a genital piercing, preferably a PA (Prince Albert), then for the most part your device is more symbolic than actual.

Security Mods

I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I have needed to modify both the CB3000 and the CB6000, both with some degree of success. A while back, I had the idea that I could anchor myself in the 6k with an O-ring attached to an elastic (which would provide some slack to accommodate the natural movement during the course of the day). It worked really well – for about three days, when, while cleaning the inside with a cotton swab, I discovered that I could ease the O-ring off, and later, ease back into it. So much for my simple idea.

Fortunately, there are more practical security add-ons for the CBxxxx line of devices. The most well known are probably those sold at www.keptforher.com, and are known as the KSD, or “Keepsake Device” line. The G2 is essentially a molded plastic reducing bushing; it slips into the inside of the CB2000 or CB3000, and provides a smaller opening – the idea being that once squished into it, it would be very difficult to wriggle out of the back. This seems to work for a lot of men, although there are some issues reported. The snug fit can sometimes be too snug for those men who are “growers,” causing the blood to be trapped in the penis, making it swollen or difficult to remove. But the biggest issue is that some men are simply too flexible and squishy to be anchored by such devices.

The next design by the Keptforher folks is actually a complete change on the “make it snugger” school of design that we tend to see for chastity device add-ons. Thinking “outside the tube”, they have a plastic insert that looks like the top half of a bushing , with a tongue extending an inch or so into the tube. While designed with the 6k in mind, on a 3k it would cover the top vent holes (which pretty much serve no other purpose than to allow you to swell up through them like little skin balloons).

The tongue tapers a little bit, with the end terminating in a small flange that nestles in the ridge behind the head of your penis. The flange does two things: it helps to keep your penis in pretty much the same position inside the tube during the course of the day, and while there are no sharp edges, it does create a blockage for the loose skin, should you be tempted to try to pull your penis backwards. It’s quite simple, and when you see it working it makes you wonder why nobody had thought of it sooner.

Over the last – wow, has it been ten years? – that we’ve been experimenting with chastity and OD at the Edge of Vanilla Labs, there has always been a tug of war between the comfort and convenience, and the security of the several devices that we’ve tried. The ability for a lot of men to pull out the back is, I think, one of the reasons that the AL/CBxxxx devices are often considered to be “toys” or not worthy of serious consideration. I think that the latest G3 might work well enough for the majority of users to satisfy both the comfort and security concerns. I wore a G3 in my slightly modified 3k for about six weeks straight, and did not have any problems with fit or function.

Why such a long post on this? First, to provide a little background, because – believe it or not – chastity devices are still a pretty new fetish, and based on the conversations that I see in the various groups, people seem to be discovering them every week. However, I also wanted to lay out some technical groundwork before I started my review of a similar device, because that will take an entire post in itself.