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Who’s got wood? 24/4/09 12:40 pm Page 1
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TOUCHING WOOD
Erotic Trade Only May 2009
Who’s got wood?
This month Paul Smith goes out on a limb, roots around and twigs on to the
appeal of wooden toys. With many adult retailers looking to branch out and offer
something different could it be worth axing some old lines and taking a leaf out
of the retro-toy book?
A
ccording to respected
anthropologists and the spotty
teenagers who wrote the page
on Wikipedia, the first sex toys were
made of bone, wood and horn. While
the former hardly sounds appealing,
and the latter might not be the
ethical-shopper’s choice, in recent
years wooden toys have seen a
resurgence of popularity. Joining
metal and glass as an alternative to
luridly coloured Plastic Pals, wood
has many unique properties that
make it ideal for penetrative use. A
fact not lost on Vatsyayana, who
wrote the Kama Sutra. It references
‘apadravyas’ - dildos - and life-size
‘pratimas’ - wooden figures - used for
sex.
NobEssence(.com) was a name I
saw several times while researching
wooden toys and I contacted
President/CEO Alicia Yoder of the
Texas-based firm. The first surprise
was her accent; she’s an ex-pat who’s
been living in the US for the last ten
years, although in California until
recently.
“NobEssence sculptures give a
premium experience,” she told me.
“We refer to them as heirloom quality
sculptures rather than as a ‘toy’ and
they’re presented in stylish Don Wands’ new Treeze range: “Wood with a difference”
packaging. We use tasteful, sensuous
graphics and have an easy-to-use access when flexibility is touch and soon warms to a available as a resource for
website which is designed to be a compromised.” comfortable body temperature.” generations to come.
rewarding alternative to the typical NobEssence, Inc. was also keen to She expanded on the criteria for “We also use fast growing black
‘adult’ shopping experience. In show how versatile their designs are, the perfect magic wand: “Aesthetics - palm and bamboo. Which isn’t really
designing the brand and specifically as Yoder happily outlined. “We’re very we select our wood for the beautiful wood, it’s a grass, of course. We also
the packaging, we wanted the aware that our products are often and unique grains and colours. We look at what happens after our
customer to feel like they were used by couples. Many sculptures are don’t artificially colour or stain any of products have fulfilled their function.
indulging themselves - giving multi-functional and can be used the wood we use. Textures - some of Our customers expect to keep their
themselves, or a loved one, a vaginally, anally, for solo the wood types we use can be wooden sculpture forever, but if one
wonderful gift.” performances or by both halves of the smoothed to an incredible finish. does find its way to the recycle pile
When asked what she meant by couple at once. They add variety to Others, like black palm, have a it’s fully biodegradable. Our coating
sculpture in this context, Yoder couple play with their numerous uses, slightly bumpy, more interesting process took a couple of years to
explained, “Sculptural shapes - including oral/vaginal and oral/anal. texture. Our customers comment on develop. It’s medical grade - totally
intriguing forms which don’t scream In fact, to inspire more creative use, the weight. Wood can have the same body safe - and waterproof, an
‘sex toy’, nor suggest ‘table leg’. we’ll soon be releasing a series of appealing firmness as glass or steel, essential component. Nothing can get
These are beautiful accessories that short films, made by a sex therapist, but without the heaviness. Lastly is in or out of the coating. It’s also
can be left out on display.” to demonstrate the many how wood conducts vibrations - think bacteria resistant. To maintain them,
She continued: “They’re possibilities.” guitars and violins. Wood can be an all our sculptures can simply be
ergonomically designed, some for Understanding that shape wasn’t excellent conductor of vibration. In washed with soap and water or wiped
specific use, like the Fling, which is a everything, I asked Yoder what the fact most of the wood types we use down with an anti-bacterial solution.
G-spot stimulator. The handle is appeal of wood was for her are also used in fine instrument The coating is also scent resistant so
angled to be comfortable even during customers. With an audible smile she construction.” it won’t absorb body or lubricant
extended sessions and the bulb is replied: “A key benefit of wood is its Worried about the green scents, and lubricious - so smooth
perfectly angled for the G-spot. We’ve inherent uniqueness. Due to the grain credentials of a product that does that only a little lube is needed.”
a design called Romp that’s a pattern, colour and carving process, require trees to die - or at least have Yoder concluded: “Customers are
prostate massager. We took internal each of our pieces is unique. significant bits removed - Yoder was intrigued by our sculptures and the
casts of volunteers to ensure the most Customers love the fact that no-one quick to put my fears to rest. “We possibility of wood as a medium. The
comfortable fit. Many resellers else in the world has a toy quite the only use renewable resource wood,” first thought when wood is suggested,
suggest our sculptures for people with same as theirs. Each is something she said. “Sourcing all our wood from as a sex toy material, is splinters!
disabilities or for use during special, to be cherished. There’s also sustainable farmed sources and But that is never a question when
pregnancy, because the comfortable- the fact that wood has great thermal investing in tree planting programmes someone gets the chance to feel the
to-hold shapes can facilitate easier properties - it’s never very cold to ensures that these woods will be quality of the woods we use and the
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