Where does the swift come from?

The swift is historically linked to the punishment of children, who were corrected by their parents or teachers at school. It is also associated in the North of France with the Père Fouettard, in charge of punishing unruly children. Often hung on the wall of the family home in the 1950s, the leather-strapped tool imposed on children to behave well.
This punitive tradition has traumatized entire generations, and remains a source of fantasy for some. Although it was originally a rather violent tool, used as a means of torture and mutilation on convicts in Roman times, in the Navy or on plantations, the accessory has been completely rethought.
Nowadays, physical punishments on children are, in fact, far from being encouraged, and swifts are intended for a public of consenting adults, wishing to lose control and externalize their impulses in a healthy and secure environment.
In the BDSM world, the swift is considered a soft instrument since its purpose is not to really hurt the recipient, but to provide exciting sensations both physically and psychically.
If you want to start SM or BDSM practices, a quality swift is a very good choice to begin. We explain here what are the criteria to take into account during your selection.

What BDSM can do for you

Start by defining together what your desires and preferences are. Do you want to use your accessory to caress, stimulate or punish your partner?
There are many prejudices about the world of BDSM, due to a lack of information and a certain fear of the unknown. However, the bases of any sentimental and sexual relationship are all the more important in a context of submissive play. Listening, trust and consent are the essential foundations of a healthy dominant/dominated relationship.
Listening includes, for example, knowing how to distinguish a real "no" from a fake one, including choosing a safe word to use. Choose one that is easy to remember and pronounce, but not common. Also, accepting boundaries and knowing how to end any situation that makes him or her feel uncomfortable or unsafe is essential to having a good time.
Trust and respect ensure a healthy relationship. They allow you to really let go and let yourself be manipulated without fearing any possible slippage.
Consent implies that neither party is under any form of blackmail or pressure. Only desire should motivate you, and this throughout your erotic play session.
Some BDSM and S&M practices require prior information on the areas of the body to be avoided or the use of tools such as the whip, whip, whip, paddles, rattan or bondage ropes. Others are more accessible, and are suitable for the less experienced. The handcuffs or the ropes make it possible to abandon oneself to the pleasure and the actions of one's partner, by increasing the sensations tenfold since any response to the caresses is impossible.
There is a wide range of accessories more or less known to the general public: the goal is to explore new practices by reinforcing your complicity, in no case to punish the other unfairly or to let off steam on him or her without consent. Respect and trust are the pillars of a balanced relationship, they allow you to be at ease, to experiment and explore your limits, to lose control without any worry.
This involves getting to know your partner well, talking a lot beforehand about what you want, agreeing to try and not want in any case. By being at ease you will have more ease to express your desires and refuse certain proposals, without feeling guilty or forced.

In these discussions and in setting up your contract (verbal or written), many doors are opened without everything being acceptable or accepted: illegal practices remain illegal, and consent remains the primary requirement. Your desires, your limits and your fantasies will be listened to without judgment, and you will have to find a balance between your respective desires. Dare to talk about your past experiences, about what you liked or disliked, without neglecting the details, which can be very important.
Practices that attract you may not be approved of by those close to you. However, discovering a community that is completely comfortable with its fantasies and more open about issues such as the body and sexuality can help you free yourself from the way you view yourself and what you like.
It is perfectly healthy to want to satisfy your urges and desires, and to seek new physical and psychological sensations that allow you to better discover yourself and have fun in a safe environment, without guilt or taboos. You will learn how to create anticipation and desire, reinvent the classic scheme centered around penetration and create great intimacy by showing yourself vulnerable, or by taking care of the other person during after care.
What is the after care? This is when the domination session is over and both people come out of character and quietly become aware of their surroundings and physical condition. Check to see if the other is okay: he or she may need to eat, drink, shower, cuddle, and tenderness: provide hot drinks, a blanket or a movie to recover from your emotions.
BDSM is both safe and healthy. Safe, because both parties know what they can risk and know their own physical conditions. Healthy, because the goal is always well-being, and humiliation or contrition is desired by the person receiving it.

How to choose the right swift?

Each type of swift causes different sensations, hence the need to have an idea of the desired effect. Take into account the number of straps and their diameter, the material (leather, suede, PVC, metal...) as well as the experience of the person who will handle it. Some models take a long time to get used to, while others are perfect for beginners, who can use them without any risk.
Make sure you get the right information before you make your first purchase, and prefer to invest in a quality object even if you are a beginner: it's the guarantee of a safe and durable use.
If you just want to stroke without hurting your partner, the best option is a swift with about 30 soft leather or textile straps. Quality leather will be durable and reliable, while faux leather may hurt a little more, but will easily fall apart.
Hard leather will be more painful, as will PVC, which is best reserved for the experienced SM crowd. Single strap instruments (whip, belt, cane) are designed to really hurt: the force of the impact is much more localized, and will cause a dull, deep pain, leave marks, bruises, even gashes. A whip is more bearable since it divides the impact into as many points as it has straps. The pain is more superficial, more diffuse and quickly fades away once the blows stop.

The number of straps

Below 9 straps, you risk leaving bruises. If the desired effect is close to SM, prefer a single-tail whip, a belt or a riding crop. If you want to hurt, reasonably and without leaving marks, count 9 to 15 straps. If you want to hit more sensitive areas or hurt less, aim for 15 to 30 straps. This way you can hit the shoulders or the torso, but never really hit the stomach or the kidneys. Beyond 30 straps, your swift will be used mainly for caresses and fetishes.

The length of the straps

The shorter the strap, the less it will hurt. A long one will be both more painful and more difficult to handle, not recommended for beginners. A strap longer than 50 cm will be used for the back, while a strap of 25 to 30 cm on average will be the basic instrument for any other part of the body. You will be able to keep a certain physical proximity with your partner and put a hand on his kidneys while you strike.

The material

For punishment, leather will be your best ally. On the other hand, avoid hollow plastic straps, which are far too painful, and horsehair or hemp, which are too abrasive. Other materials such as fabric are intended for purely sensual or fetish practices.

Finishing touches

Choose straps with a rounded or bevelled end that will not cut, this is often the trademark of artisanal products. Industrial machines cut straight, such a finish should prompt you to check the attachment to the handle and the overall quality.

The shape of the straps

Flat straps are ideal for preparing your partner for a more muscular punishment, since they wake up the skin without really hurting. Relatively thin straps (not less than 1 cm) or braided straps will be more painful.

The handle

A sufficiently wide handle will allow a good grip, and its length will play on the effects of the punishment itself. With a short handle, you will have a better control of the straps, while with a long one your movement will have more amplitude and will hurt more.

How to use your swift?

Now have fun testing your partner's physical and mental limits!
Leather whips and implements cause deep, dull pain and marks on the skin, and are usually used to punish more or less violently. On the contrary, swifts will cause superficial heat that is easier to take. Repeated strokes without stopping will result in a myriad of burning stars on your partner's buttocks, once sensitized. A uniform reddening will then appear, but without causing serious injury, which helps relieve the guilt. Build up your strength gradually, to help the other person take it and prepare for the next blow, and eventually stop before you can't take the pain anymore. The more straps you have on your swift, the more you can afford to hit different areas.
Traditionally, the swift is used on the buttocks, which resist the blows well; however, you are free to explore the rest of your partner's body. Long straps are best for the upper back, and avoid the spine, kidneys and stomach. You can use a thick towel to protect these areas from being hit.
For a more sensual use, try regular strokes along the back, for example. If you want to punish, play on moral exhaustion by varying the strokes so that you can't predict where the next ones will fall. Alternate between at least two swifts with fewer and fewer straps and tie them at the end to intensify the pain.