LOCKED-SHUT: 10 Questions for Steel Bondage Scenes

Rather than try to tell you what is safe or unsafe, this document sets out most of the risks you need to think about when using metal restraints in a BDSM scene. Some of these questions also apply to styles of bondage using rope, leather or other flexible restraints. However, this document doesn't cover non-bondage issues of a scene, such as how to negotiate and establish informed consent with your captive, medical issues such as diabetes which introduce additional risks for many kinds of BDSM, or the special dangers for people wanting to do unattended self-bondage. As such, it is only a starting point for your own risk assessment of the scene you're trying to do.

To make these questions easier to remember, the key words form the phrase "LOCKED-SHUT", and they're not in any order of importance. (The one that goes wrong is the most important!)

Load-bearing?

Are any parts of the restraints going to bear a load? Are they strong enough for that? Steel cuffs and chains are normally unsuitable for suspension by themselves because they spread the load across too small an area of the captive's flesh. But even if you're using leather suspension cuffs plus chains, is the rated strength of the chains greater than the weight of your captive plus their other restraints? Many people recommend a safety factor of "several times more" the stated strength of a chain to allow for violent struggling and jerking against the chain. Furthermore, even if you're not suspending your captive, if something goes wrong (for example, they faint) could your restraints end up having to take the weight? Are they strong enough for that? In particular, you should avoid putting weight on padlock mechanisms, especially sudden weight, since it may make them harder to unlock or even cause a jam. Try to have the solid metal of the lock hasp taking any force on a padlock: you may need to thread chain back on itself to do this.

Overtight?

Are the restraints overtight? Will they put too much pressure on nerves, flesh and joints if the captive moves about? Wrists and especially ankles change shape as the limbs move: ankles are bigger on a standing captive, and this can put a lot of pressure on the exposed tendons if restraints were put on tight when laid down. Or is the bondage so tight that the captive can't change position and always has pressure on a few small areas of flesh? You can get a pressure sore in as little as two hours. A good rule of thumb is that you can always get a finger in between each restraint and that piece of your captive, without you helping your captive to shift their weight or otherwise moving them about.

Crossed-threads? Jammed locks?

Are you thinking about the risk of crossing threads or jamming a lock when you're putting restraints on or taking them off? You shouldn't need to force any steel equipment you use. Taking your time, avoiding cheap locks, being careful about rust and keeping things oiled all help with this.

Keys not one key? Locks not one lock?

Are you relying on one key or one lock to release your captive? Have you thought about an alternative release route if that key or lock can't be used? You can't rely on cutting chain, steel plate or padlock hasps in an emergency, so you need a back up release option. For example, with handcuffs, having two keys, one for each wrist lock, is a good idea. In general, the more complicated and fragile a lock is, the greater the risk in relying on it: so the screw-locks on some pre-20th century cuffs are less of a risk than a complicated padlock. Most emergencies can be dealt with even if one wrist cuff is still locked on, but you don't want to have a captive choking on their own vomit on their back when your only key is broken off in your hand.

Extremities?

Wrist, ankles, knees and elbows are good for bondage because they are narrower points on the body that make bonds difficult to slip. But this also leads to the risk of circulation being cut off too, which will produce numbness and in extreme cases damage to tissue deprived of oxygen and even blood clots which may travel to the heart, brain or lungs. You can reduce this risk by avoiding putting pressure anywhere you can feel a pulse: those are the points where arteries are vulnerable because they cross bone just under the skin. Also, you can monitor extremities by checking for numbness, by feeling the temperature of the limb and seeing if the captive can still feel sensations there.

Double-locked?

Most 20th century handcuffs incorporate a ratchet mechanism, which lets them tighten without the use of the key, but only slacken when unlocked. If the captive struggles, this can lead to the cuffs overtightening, and for this reason all good ratchet handcuffs include a double locking mechanism which prevents further tightening. For cuffs using standard handcuff keys, this is done with the short, blunt spike opposite the key shaft. Have you double-locked your cuffs? If you bought cheap and nasty ratchet cuffs that don't double lock, how have you prevented them from overtightening? (You can sometimes wrap tape around part of each bow to stop them going too far through the lock. The anti-tightening lever on "cheap and nasty cuffs" can't be relied on.)

Swing-on?

Most 20th century handcuffs can be put on without using the key, since the bows can swing through the lock and the ratchet mechanism. This feature is used by police officers and can have a great psychological effect since it's very fast. But if you do this, are you thinking about the physical shock to the captive's joints and bones? Police officers press the bows against the wrists rather than swing them on from a distance. This reduces the risk of cracking bones and damaging joints as several pounds of steel and policeman's arm comes to a sudden halt against the delicate bones of the captive's wrist. (There is a similar risk associated with some metal gags: avoid jerking them open rather than pushing against the teeth smoothly. Otherwise you risk damaging the tooth enamel or even chipping teeth themselves.)

Hygiene?

Have you thought through the hygiene implications of previous use of the restraints? Might traces of other people's bodily fluids still be there? Steel offers lots of options for disinfection that aren't practical with rope or leather restraints.

Unattended?

Because steel bondage can be inescapable without being constricting, it's tempting to use it for extended periods of time, including periods of unattended bondage. If you've agreed to leave a captive unattended in bondage, have you thought through the implications if something goes wrong? Positions which are relatively risk-free when you're present can be very dangerous if there is no one in the room to release the captive. What if they vomit and can't move to cough it out and stop choking? In some positions, a captive has to work hard to breath, possibly using muscles to lift their head or chest up. If left unattended in this position, they can tire and die from "positional asphyxia." Unattended bondage is very controversial and condemned by some people: have you thought through the risks for the captive in question, versus the benefit of the scene you're trying to create?

Top-down? Bottom-up?

When you put a standing captive in bondage, are you working from top downwards? When you're releasing them, are you working to undo the bottom restraints first, and then working up? This reduces the risk of the captive overbalancing when their feet or legs are still bound and then falling over. Given the weight and inflexibility of some steel ankle shackles or stocks, this is even more important a risk than it is with rope bondage.