Kitty from Exotic Paddles Interview

The thing I have seen over and over again in the use of wooden implements is skin damage caused by the edges of the implement. My implements are not made to damage. The idea of my implements is that they cause sensation with as little damage as possible. All of my paddles have a slight pillow shape to them and all of their edges are completely rounded off. This means that there are no hard edges to meet and damage skin. I also sand my paddles down to a 4,000 grit as opposed to most that sand down to about 220 grit and very few that sand down to 600 grit. It literally takes hours to make a paddle in the way that I make them. But I believe that I owe it to the person that will be feeling it, to make it as well as I can. I enjoy hearing how much people like my creations. It means a lot to me.

They are very smooth, some say, “smooth as silk”. They are also well made, so they are durable and can be used often and with gusto. Having felt many of them I agree that there are no paddles out there like them. They really have no hard edges at all.  With use you don’t see the edge outlines like you do with most other paddles.

Believe it or not, I really don’t have a favorite. If I don’t like a wood, I don’t work with it. I have to enjoy working with the wood because I take so long on each paddle. Every piece of wood has its own character. Every piece of wood lends itself to certain shapes. I had a piece of gorgeous olive wood that I refused to cut until the purchaser allowed me to cut it my way. We went back and forth for about six months; I offered him his money back and everything. I absolutely refused to cut it until I could cut it the way I wanted to. Finally, he relented and let me have my way. When he got the piece he was very happy with it. He treasures it, and has not argued with me since.

Olive and Vera are very close. They are very dense woods that like to have saw blades for snacks. They are still very beautiful woods and well worth the time it takes to work them.

That’s easy. A custom made paddle ordered by my husband’s boss. It had his name at the top, her name at the bottom and a hand painted yellow rose between them.

My most notable shipping locations were Japan, Scotland, New Zealand, Holland, even the Middle East.

Yes, I do, sometimes. I have had people’s orders end up in my spam for some reason, and I don’t know about them until someone writes me. Often, the paddle that someone wants has already been sold, but I’ve always had a good substitute and have had absolutely no complaints about the paddles people have received. When people order, if they don’t hear from me within a week, they should contact me and make sure I am aware of the order. I like to talk to people before I send the item. Sometimes they order something they believe is really pretty but is much too heavy for what they are looking for. I’d rather them get something that feels right that they can use. 

All of my paddles are oiled before they are sold. The care they need is to be oiled once in a while. Not with furniture spray but with real oil for woods. I use a Danish oil. Paddles should never be left in a hot car because two things can happen. The heat can extract the oil from the wood, and the wood can warp from the heat.  

Amazingly, the answer is no. My customers come from every walk of life. I have very private customers that don’t interact with anyone but their spouse and would be mortified if anyone knew of their kink. I have customers that work within the spanking industry as video producers or professional Doms and Dommes, to everything in between. I have had individuals that wanted to purchase from me that I would not sell to. These are people that told me they specifically wanted a paddle that was made to be mean, made to do damage and one even said he wanted it to draw blood. These individuals are not my customers. Sometimes bottoms get raw from play and sometimes blood does come, but it’s not done with intent and it doesn’t happen that often.

I have indeed noticed a difference. In the beginning, my customers were people that attended Shadow Lane, They were the first to be exposed to my paddles. As time went on, and I had a website built, my client base began to spread out. Now I ship basically all over the world and a large portion of my clients are professional Doms, Dommes and video producers as well as an ever rising number of private parties.  

What should a beginner understand before using a wooden paddle? Before having one used on them?

If this is the very first wooden paddle the person is using, they should talk to their co-participant. Make sure that they have a safe word in place and that it will be acknowledged immediately. When the play starts, they should start over clothes, something like jeans. As the play progresses and the person using the paddle begins to get accustomed to it, then they may progress to less protection over the bottom. Take it slow, if the beginner is  open to it, have an experienced person smack his or her bottom with it so they know the power of the implement. Understand that different weight implements have different power to them. Start off with a lighter implement and don’t progress to the heavier one until you have gained experience with the lighter one. Always pay attention to where the paddle is landing and how the person being paddled is responding.