We love to answer your flogger questions
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Flogger basics
Q: What is a flogger?
Q: What makes a good flogger?
Short version: quality construction, quality leather, weighted and balanced handles.
Now the full explanation: when you pick up a quality flogger, the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s a bit heavier than you might have thought. A good flogger’s handle has real weight in it (ours are shot-loaded). You’ll see people balancing a flogger across one finger, hunting for the perfect balance point. That kind of exact balance is sort of a myth as not everyone holds their flogger in the same spot on the handle. What you do want to do is make sure the flogger “HAS” weight and that it balances in the general vicinity of the bottom knot. Why weight at all? Because when the weight of the tails is counterbalanced by the handle, you’re not muscling the tails through the air with your wrist alone. That’s why a good flogger is easier to throw, and why your wrist stays relaxed and doesn’t get tired.
Then the tails. They should be cut from a quality hide. You may not be an expert, but you can tell. When you hold the tails, do they seem like cheap garment leather, or something you’d actually want to be hit with? All the tails should be the same width and length so they land together properly. Also, if the site selling it doesn’t tell you which animal the hide came from and its properties, it’s probably not a quality flogger.
Last, how is it held together? Does it look sturdy, or does it feel like something you’d buy for a Halloween costume? Other than the eye and feel test it’s hard for you to know how a flogger is actually constructed, and here is where reputation really matters. Make sure you are dealing with a lifestyle flogger maker: floggers made BY people in the lifestyle FOR people in the lifestyle. Ask your friends and the people you admire where they buy their floggers. You should expect a well-built flogger to last a lifetime of normal use. We routinely hear from customers still using floggers we made in the late 1990s, and every flogger we make is guaranteed for life on craftsmanship.
Q: What is a flogger used for?
Q: What is impact play?
Q: Is a flogger a whip? Flogger vs whip explained.
Both are impact toys but they behave very differently. First let us say that some of this is semantics. Some people call floggers whips as an overall term (you’ll even see ‘flogger whip’ as a product name). But USUALLY a whip is an impact toy with a flexible body that amplifies the power of your throw down the whip into the tail or tails. Often a whip has just one tail aka “a single tail” but they can also have multiple tails and slappers and just about anything else. Most people think of a whip and they think of a signal/snake or bull whip which all have one tail at the end. Whips, like our FlipCat and Galley whip are often still thought of as whips because of their flexible body that concentrates its energy into the end of the whip. Just to confuse you more, our FlipCat is also often called a Cat “o” Nine because it has nine tails. Usually you combine the two and call it a “flexible cat”.
Q: What's the difference between a cat o' nine tails and a flogger?
A cat o’ nine tails is a specific style of whip/flogger with a small number of tails, traditionally nine or more. A “Cat of 9” can be knotted or braided for a sharper, stingier bite. The cat started as a naval punishment; in lifestyle play it is prized for that concentrated sting.
Our “Cats” live in our Stock Braid and Cat O’ Nines category. Want sting/thud and coverage, go flogger; want focused sting with a little theater, the cat o’ nine is your tool.
Choosing a flogger
Q: What are the different types of floggers?
We sort floggers two ways: by hide and by the number of tails. Hide decides the feel: deer (deerskin) and soft suede are the soft floggers, sensual and gentle; elk, moose, and regular suede sit in the middle (medium intensity) with a thud-and-sting balance; and the high intensity hides split two ways: the thuddy floggers with sting (bull, buffalo) and the very stingy ones (latigo, stock braid cats, bootlace, rubber, chain). The number of tails decides the thuddiness, since the more mass a flogger has, the more thud you’ll get.
Our floggers run from a Single/Standard (18 to 22 tails), to a Double (35 to 45, more thud), a Cat (9 to 12, focused), a Mop (65 to 100, a wall of thud), or a Mini (short tails, quick and controllable, and great for breast and genital play). Especially in the high intensity section, pay close attention to the descriptions we provide, as they can vary greatly, from a heavy thud (buffalo, bull) to an extremely high intensity sting (rubber, bootlace).
Q: What is the best flogger for beginners?
The best flogger for beginners, after 20,000 floggers and 25-plus years of watching people buy their first one, is a Double Elk for most people, or a Single Bull or Buffalo if you have experience and already know you enjoy a heavier flogger.
Elk is considered a medium-intensity hide and it’s very forgiving since it’s a very soft (but not too soft) hide. A single elk can have a bit of sting and is great for a beginner, but if you get a double Elk, you will be purchasing our best selling flogger of all time and there is a reason for that. By doubling the tails you get a lot more thud and so it’s a soft yummy thud that doesn’t really bring much sting. Everyone needs a double elk in their bag, regardless of how experienced you are. Also if we have some thinner moose it will be almost the same as elk but give you more color choices.
If you are nervous and want to start with something really light, Deer is your hide. It’s very light, so light it’s often called a “bedroom toy” since there is almost no sting or thud. If you double the tails and buy a double Deer, there will be a little bit of thuddy pop but not a lot. Avoid jumping straight to bull, buffalo, or anything in our High Intensity category unless you already know what you are getting into.
Q: What would be two floggers that would give me the best coverage of light to heavy and sting to thud?
Everyone has different preferences, but on the lighter side it would be a Double Elk, and on the heavier side a Single Bull or Buffalo. The Elk gives a soft, thuddy sensation without much sting but still packs some soft punch. It’s perfect for warmup and sensual play too. Elk is our single most popular hide overall and the double elk our most popular flogger. The Bull or Buffalo is higher intensity with a great mix of thud and sting. Together they cover a huge range.
Q: What sensations does a flogger create? Sting vs thud
All floggers have some of each. Sting is decided mostly by the type of hide, how thin the tails are and the moisture that is in the hide. Thin finished leathers sting more. Thud is decided by total mass, thicker hides and more tails give more thud. Sting examples: stock braid, bootlace, rubber. Thud examples (what people call a thuddy flogger): anything doubled, any mop, thick spongy hides like bull or buffalo.
Q: What's the difference between a single and a double flogger?
A double has roughly twice as many tails as a single. Doubling adds thud, because thud comes from total mass. A double elk has a beautiful thud-to-sting ratio, you can hit hard without intense pain. A double bull or double buffalo gives massive thud and sting and is not for beginners. Even lighter hides like deer become more useful doubled. Rule of thumb: whatever a single does, a double of that hide will be thuddIER.
Q: What type of leather is best for a flogger?
Q: What is the recommended length for a flogger?
Q: Can I get a flogger in a specific color?
Deer and suede offer the most color variety, followed by bull and latigo. Every current flogger is listed with pictures of its hide color and handle color. Because we cut from real hides, exact colors vary with each batch of leather. If you are looking for something specific and can’t find it, please do let us know here!
Q: Where can I find size information and specs on your floggers?
Our standard sizing and specs are on the Floggers page, with tail counts, tail lengths, handle lengths, and handle circumferences for our Mini, Standard, Double, Cats, and Mop configurations. Each individual category/intensity or product page will have additional info and explain any way it might deviate from the info on the main flogger page.
Q: Which flogger should I use for Florentine (two-handed) flogging?
Most people prefer lighter hides for Florentine because you are working with weight in both hands and your wrists take a beating. Elk, deer, and suede are our most popular Florentine choices. Some players use matched pairs of everything, even mops (which is quite a sight to see). Look for (Qty 2) in front of a flogger listing to purchase a matched set.
Using a flogger safely
Q: How do you use a flogger properly and safely?
Short version: talk first, start light, and learn to put the last 2 or 3 inches of the tails exactly where you want them… and this ain’t rocket science, so RELAX.
Now the full explanation: Remember, especially if you are new, you don’t have to play with a power dynamic every time you flog someone (or use any other toy, for that matter). There will be plenty of time to treat that partner like the dirty dog they are, lol. In the beginning, TALK! Before, after, and DURING the flogging. Start light. Hit your partner and ask, “How did that feel? Too intense? Too light? Don’t like being flogged there? What about here?”
Once you start putting the power dynamic back into the play, use a safeword, and since the person might not be facing you, work out a signal that means you need to check in. If their hands are tied, use a “drop” as a safeword: give them anything to hold in their hand, and if they drop it, they need you to check in. Also remember, safewords don’t have to end the scene. You might just need to let your partner know something like your wrists are going numb.
So how do I actually flog? We will be posting a much more in-depth class on flogging shortly. Till then, don’t get stressed out. Stress is the enemy of flogging. Unlike a crop or a paddle, a flogger is not rigid, so it isn’t as easy to place where you want it. It’s not very aerodynamic, so you need a confident, full throw, and if you try to change its flight mid-throw, your flogger will look more like a squid than the sleek leather phalanx you’re dreaming of.
You really only need to be able to do one thing: take the last 2 or 3 inches of leather and reliably put them where you want.
Don’t aim the middle of the flogger; if you do, you’ll wrap around the body and hit something you didn’t mean to. Also, what throw you do DOES NOT MATTER. Your partner couldn’t care less! Whatever feels comfortable for you and creates a repeatable stroke is what you should do. If you’ve played sports, you have a bit of a leg up. Especially if you’ve played tennis: use a forehand, a backhand, or an overhead smash… ok, maybe not that one. Save the figure eight till you can reliably do the same throw or two many times in a row. If you are interested in two-handed (Florentine) flogging, here is a secret: if you can’t do a figure eight with your right hand and your left hand separately, there is no point trying to do them at the same time.
ACTUALLY HITTING SOMEONE: You look over your shoulder and 87 people are watching you walk up to your partner. You are NERVOUS. What if you hit your partner in the head on the first try? What if your first throw looks like a flying spaghetti monster? So, MISS! Yes, miss on purpose! Use your first few throws the way a baseball player takes practice swings in the on-deck circle. See the area you want to hit, aim the flogger about a foot behind it, and throw a full, confident throw. Each missed stroke builds your confidence that you’re going to be fine. Keep up your repeatable stroke and just move closer to your partner until you make contact, and you are flogging. Even the most experienced players may need a few strokes to get the muscle memory working again.
Now practice. “On what?” you say. ANYTHING! A pillow, the wall, a dress or garment bag on a hanger hooked over a door or hung on a hat rack. Just learn to put the tails where you want them and you’ll be fine.
Q: Where should you never strike with a flogger?
Again, we hate to tell you to NEVER do anything. If you take a deer flogger and run it over your partner’s face, is that dangerous? No. But hit them in the face fully with a bull flogger and that would not be good. Let’s go back to the football/martial arts metaphor: if you hit someone in a bad place once, they are probably going to be fine. If you see your partner wince, stop and ask if they are alright, rub the area, and give them a second to see that you just made a bad throw and are not trying to harm them.
- Bad: bones, nerves, organs.
- Good: fat and muscle.
Care and durability
Q: How long does a leather flogger last?
Q: How should I clean and care for my flogger?
Most of our floggers have been used for years with little maintenance; leather is durable.
Light cleaning: rub a small amount of saddle soap between your fingers until it foams, wipe it lightly onto the tails, then wipe off. Heavy conditioners can permanently change the feel, so use them sparingly.
Storage: It’s a good idea to hang your floggers up where the air can circulate around them. Some people like to use a cotton bag or a sock over the tails to protect them and reduce shedding; we sell Flogger Bags for $10. But floggers are pretty resilient and they will come back even if you leave them in a bag for 6 months.
Blood or body fluids: a 10% bleach solution sprayed on and air-dried is the least harmful effective cleaner, or dedicate the flogger to one partner.
Q: Do your floggers use cowhide?
There is nothing wrong with cowhide but we almost never use it as the part you hit people with. All whips were made of cowhide in the United States up till about 30 years ago. HOWEVER, the cowhide that sex shops use in their cheap imported floggers is usually thin garment leather that doesn’t feel very nice when you’re hit with it. Many hides we do use come from cows in a technical sense: Bull is male cow, much thicker and denser than garment leather; Suede is often cow, unfinished on both sides; Latigo is bull hide tanned very stiff. We use a lot of embossed cowhide in our handles too. So, do not fear cowhide, it’s a perfectly good hide, BUT DO Fear cheap thin cowhide cut into tails vs. Deer, elk, moose, bull, buffalo, suede, latigo etc. We and countless other artisans use these hides for a reason.
Q: Do your floggers shed?
A few do, because they are made from wild animal hides and every hide is different. Shedding is normal for some leathers and is not a defect. To reduce it, vacuum each tail with a narrow nozzle or run a lint roller over the tails, and store the flogger in a cotton bag or sock sleeve.
Ordering
Q: Where can you buy a flogger?
Short version: RIGHT HERE, at the vendor area of any big BDSM event, or carefully on Amazon and Etsy. Skip the sex shop.
Now the full explanation: DeTails Toys has handmade and sold approximately 20,000 leather floggers since 1997, every one handcrafted in New Jersey. We sell direct here on this website and in person at various events on the East Coast. But we are not flogger snobs. Flogger snobs will tell you that only the finest floggers are worthy of you. We do not agree. Yes, we think our DeTails Toys floggers are by far the best value out there, but if you can’t afford our floggers, that doesn’t mean you should never do any flogging. So let’s talk about a few of your choices.
A large BDSM event: If you are lucky enough to attend one of the “big events” in the BDSM world like TES Fest, Dark Odyssey, FetishCon, Folsom Street Fair, etc., there is usually a vending area where you can actually pick up the toys, try them out, and have the crafters talk to you about their product. This is really awesome. You won’t have as good a selection as the internet, but even if you don’t buy anything you’ll have a better understanding of what is available, and tons of people there you can learn from!
Your local sex shop: This is usually your worst choice unless it’s a high-end shop. Most of the floggers sold in these shops are very low quality, thin garment leather imported from overseas, with astronomical prices. It makes us crazy that you’ll pay the same for one of our floggers as for one of these pieces of junk! In higher-end stores you might be lucky enough to find a flogger made by one of the few quality wholesalers still around, but most of us don’t wholesale anymore when we can sell direct to you. Ask them questions, who makes the flogger? Is it imported? What kind of leather is this? etc. Does it have a weighted feel to it? Do the tails feel like quality leather or flimsy?
Amazon: This is a seriously mixed bag. You will find a LOT of the same floggers you’d find in sex shops, but at least the prices aren’t ridiculous. Sometimes you’ll find a decent flogger or two, and if you have very little money to spend we suggest buying here, since returns are usually easy, which is a BIG plus (you can return or exchange anything you buy from us as well, unused, within 14 days).
Also, in general, if you are on a budget it’s easier to find intense floggers, because even a cheap flogger on any type of handle with a rubber, bootlace, or other intense type of tail can do the job. The issue is that most overseas makers just can’t get the hides we use here in the USA to make floggers that feel amazing: deer, elk, moose, buffalo, good bull, etc.
Etsy: Etsy tends to be a little better, since you have small crafters making their own goods, but many are still not very good. You really need to look carefully and ask the same questions about weighted handles and what type of hide it is. If they just say it’s “cow,” then it’s probably just cheap garment leather.
Other quality online stores: Yes, there are others, of course. Very few with our pedigree and price, but still very good. Many are much more expensive and/or crazy unique. For example, we recommend you look at Firebird Leather if you are looking for something really special. We are big fans of their work. With other quality stores the difference is usually just how small and intricate the knots are, whether they varnish their handles, etc. The good flogger makers all use the same hides and most weight their handles. If you can afford it and you like the look, by all means pick something up. Quality people tend to support one another. You should know this is a labor of love; nobody is getting rich off this. Prices for leather and consumables have gone SKY HIGH in the last 5 years. That’s why you’ll see other good stores charge hundreds more for their floggers than we do, and we can’t say they don’t deserve it. If you are confused, we are glad to give you our honest opinion. Contact us.
If you want one made by hand by the people answering these questions, start with our Floggers page, or if you have no idea what you want, see the “What is the best flogger for beginners?” question above.
Q: Are your floggers made in the USA?
Yes. Every flogger is handmade in New Jersey! All 20,000 and more since 1997 have been handcrafted by us in the United States. We have never outsourced our flogger production. To be 100% transparent, our whips and some of our other non-flogger toys are made for us by handpicked vendors overseas who make products specifically for us and to our custom standards.
Q: Do you ship discreetly?
Yes. All packages ship in plain boxes with no DeTails Toys branding on the outside, and the return address is the neutral business name of “Details”. Nobody at your doorstep or mailroom knows what is inside.
Q: What's your return policy?
If you do not like a flogger when you get it home, send it back unused within 14 days for a full refund. We cannot accept returns on items that have been used, oiled, dressed, or broken in. See our full policy here.
Q: Do your floggers come with a warranty?
Yes. Every flogger we make is guaranteed for life. If something breaks due to a defect in craftsmanship, we will repair or replace it. See our Terms and Conditions for full details.
Q: Do you make custom floggers?
Not currently. After 25-plus years of custom work, we have shifted to stock-based sales, and every flogger listed on the site is ready to ship. If you love a combination that is sold out, email sales@detailstoys.com and we will let you know if something similar is coming.
Q: When are new floggers available?
We make batches of roughly 10 floggers at a time and list everything on the site when a batch is finished. We also announce it on Instagram and Facebook. The fastest way to hear about new batches is to follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our email list which is on the left sidebar of every page.
Q: How long does shipping take?
Most orders ship within 1 to 2 business days via USPS or UPS, with domestic delivery typically 3 to 5 business days after that. International shipping is available on request.
Q: How can I contact you?
Email sales@detailstoys.com or use our “We love to answer your flogger questions” form here! We aim to respond within 24 hours on business days.
