Quilling

Recently, I was able to experience a Quilling scene. 

I’ve only experienced it once before at a Tapas at Kinky Kollege. Tapas is where they set up little stations and you get to try different types of play – rope, electric, whips, etc. A couple years ago they had a Quilling station. It was an ok experience. I was a bit worried about the barbed part of the quill getting stuck in my skin, so haven’t tried it again. 

Then, while we were at a munch in TN, I found a top that does Quilling while we were talking about the odd things we’ve done. I mentioned Quilling and found that she was a Quilling top. I told her that I was worried about the barb part of the quill. She said I should be. 

She had done a lot of research and found that if you use the barbed side of the quill and it gets caught in your flesh, it could take surgery to get it out, or at least a slice and stitches. So, she uses the other side of the quill. 

So…..when I talk about Quilling, I am indeed talking about quills that come from porcupines. 

And since these are from an animal, there are a couple things to keep in mind before using them for play:

• The dark end of them has barbs, you may not want to play with that end as it can cause infections and has other dangers if they get stuck in the flesh and don’t pull back out when the quill is pulled out

• Quills naturally have an oily irritant on them that is present before they are properly cleaned, so use caution. Do not rub your face, eyes, or other sensitive area while handling the unprepared quills.

• Although it is rare, some people can be allergic to the oil on the quills. Even after a proper cleaning some oil may still be present, so make sure you do a test set of two or three quills on someone’s arm before doing a full spread of quills.

• Quills are very sharp so handle them with the same care you would handle needles. 

• Always assume that the quills have not been cleaned when you get them, and do not use them until they have been properly cleaned.

• Quills do pierce the skin, therefore be sure to take all precautions and play safe, some blood may be present.

• Do not use the same quill twice, even if you are using it on the same person. Quills are hollow; blood, sweat, and other contaminants may remain within the quill even if you have cleaned it.

• Once the quill is in place do not tap the end, even tapping it by mistake may cause extreme pain when not intended.

• Make sure to sterilize the skin surface prior to using quills, also clean the skin once again after you have removed the quills, personally I use alcohol to clean the area.

You can usually buy quills from anywhere from a bdsm vendor to ebay. Just be careful when buying them online. They’ll need to be sorted and cleaned. Be careful when handling them, they are very sharp. Some will be too fragile to use and will need to be thrown away. 

Once you have chosen the ones you want to use, you’ll need to clean them. I’ve heard of people using pie pans for this. Pour alcohol in one and soak the  quills for 5 minutes or so. Then, place them in a second pan lined with paper towels so they can dry. 

Just as you cleaned the quills, make sure the clean the area of the body with alcohol where you will be placing the quills. 

If you are using the barbed end, do not twist when pulling out. It will leave barbs behind. That’s why I recommend using the other end, which is what I had done. Be careful and throw the quills out, best in a sharps container. There may be a little blood. Make sure to wipe down with alcohol again, to clean the area and remove any residual oils left behind from the quills. 

If interested, I’d recommend doing some more research or taking a class at a bdsm event. 

Have fun!