Soft bondage and BDSM kit can often be a disappointment even to beginners because of the potential for it to disappoint even the most undemanding of users. So a feather crop? Sounds a bit foofy to me.

Pipedream products produce some really great sex toys and within their Fetish Fantasy range have some great adult products for bedroom bondage and kinky play. They also produce the occasionally turkey and this seemed more likely to be a bit of fun than a toy suited to naughty fun and an enduring place in our toy box.

This feather crop is about 20 inches (50cm) long, the harsh end is a mini PVC paddle 4 inches long and 2.5 inches wide and the tickly end a cluster of fine feathers with a little silver tinsel thrown in to contrast with the black of the rest of the crop. The shaft is a flexible plastic bound with a satin-matt fabric.

Initially sceptical about the product’s ability to deliver anything but novelty value to our fun in the bedroom I was quickly proved wrong. Teasing with the feather end of the crop proved to be controllable and fun. Not tickly at all but stimulating and gentle leading to a sensual start to our enjoyment of this sex toy.

When Suze switched to using the crop end the smoothly finished edges and shiny PVC finish were able to glide over my skin and especially when cold provided a delicious sensation. Her gentle taps on my exposed buttocks began and eventually increased to full-on strokes with the crop. She was able to keep full control because the shaft is quite short and not too flexible.

This is a really enjoyable toy to use and versatile because of the two ends and their different characters. If I have a criticism it’s that when I used the crop on Suze I found the lack of an actual handle (because it’s a double-ended crop) made me wonder if the feathered end in particular might suffer from being grasped in the hand for long periods. Other than that a surprisingly enjoyable and useful sex toy. Not what you would call hard core corporal punishment equipment for full-on BDSM connoisseurs but a nice addition to your bedroom toolkit for beginners and intermediate users alike.