pg.1 Armbinder | pg.2 Opera Gloves & Bolero Straitjacket™ |
An Armbinder is commonly used in BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Submission, Sadism, Masochism) to restrict the wearer's movements. Often made of leather, the Armbinder forces the arms together behind the back and a strap across the chest prevents the wearer from slipping out of the restraint.
Attached to the bottom of the Armbinder is a D-ring, which allows for securing the wearer to other objects, though caution must be used not to lift the arms or keep them restrained for long periods of time. As always, it is recommended that a safe word be used to prevent physical or psychological damage.
John Alexander Scott Coutts, otherwise known as John Willie, is often credited with inventing the Armbinder. Willie founded the fetish magazine Bizarre in the 1940s and his illustrations often featured women with gloved arms bound behind them.
Because the Armbinder forces the wearer into a stance of good posture, thereby pushing the breasts out, it is often featured in Erotic photography.
Unlike the monoglove style of armbinder that holds both arms in a single sleeve covering the wearer from fingertips to above the elbows, Arm Splints leave the arms separate and the hands free. Yet an arm splint remains an incredibly effective piece of bondage gear, immobilizing the submissive partner by preventing them from bending their arms at the elbow. Attachment points in the form of D-rings that run the length of these unique bondage restraints allow a dominant to further control their partner’s movements by binding the arms to each other or to furniture with ropes; snaphooks; or chains. Arms may be bound in front or in back of the body. The best-quality, most effective armsplints are those that are made of thicker, boot-weight leather with heavy welded hardware that won’t pinch skin or pull apart as your submissive partner struggles.
As an example you can see below when put side by side Stockrooms Armbinder is clearly better quality hardware and leather when compared to a brand like Strict Leather. Even the design is better with the straps not only being wider but wrapping all the way around the splint instead of being revited in seperate pieces that only offer more places to malfunction under stress. Stockrooms is made in the USA, Strict Leathers is made overseas.