Armbinder
An armbinder is a device for binding someone's arms behind their back. It differs from simple handcuffs in that the arms are secured at more than one point along their length.
Types of armbinder
In use
Armbinders are most commonly made of leather, but other materials such as rubber, canvas, and metal are also used by manufacturers. Armbinders are often visually striking but can be problematic when used in real life play. Any binding that sits above the wrist will have to be well designed if it is not to slide back down the arm. This is because the arm naturally tapers from the shoulder to the wrist and unlike the wrist the elbow does not have anything to prevent the binding sliding over it. A common method is to attach the upper bindings to a strap which passes over the shoulder and across the wearer's chest, thus providng an anchor point for the harness.
When worn, armbinders can become uncomfortable very quickly and can make the wearer's hands numb. This tends to limit the time that they can be worn for, in some cases just a few minutes. One of the problems with buying arm binders for use in bondage play is that in many cases the more striking the design the less wearable it will be. Having someone's arms tightly bound behind then is a very erotic image which explains why arm binders are so popular; however, the reality of wearing then can be very different from the fantasy. For this reason it is strongly advised that wherever possible you try before you buy. Armbinders can be expensive mistakes.
One of the more successful designs of armbinder is the arm muff. This works by binding the arms behind the wearer with the elbows at 90 degrees, a wide leather muff holds the forearms together, straps then attached above the elbow preventing the arms from being withdrawn. Because the elbow is bent, this prevents the straps from sliding down the arm and makes the device very effective in preventing escape. Because the shoulders and elbows are not stressed, the device can be worn for a considerable time.
Monoglove
A common type of armbinder is the monoglove or single glove. This consists of a conical sleeve which encloses both of the wearer's arms from the fingertips to well above the elbows, holding them together behind the back. The sleeve is typically closed with a zipper or lacing which is often supplemented with straps around the wrists and upper arms.
To stop the wearer from wriggling their arms out of the sleeve, one of several arrangements of straps is used. The most common is a pair of parallel straps that join to the outer top of the sleeve, run over the shoulders, under the armpits and join again at the inner top of the sleeve. To avoid the straps being slipped off the shoulders, they are often crossed behind the neck or across the upper chest; however, the latter position can cause problems if the straps ride up and press on the wearer's throat. Alternative arrangements include an additional strap across the chest connecting the parallel straps, a Y-shaped strap that runs up the back, forks over the shoulders and runs under the armpits or a strap that runs up the back to a collar around the neck. The fingertip end of the monoglove usually has a D-ring, allowing the arms to be anchored into a hogtie or strappado position, or to the front of a belt (forcing the hands into the crotch).
See also
External links
| This article on "Armbinder" incorporates text from from Wipipedia. |
