Recently Ken picked up a VersaCane at the Portland Leather Alliance marketplace. It’s fast becoming one of my favorite toys for impact play. I’d already had a little taste with someone else’s, and I had a good memory of it, so seeing the Toys That Please had a booth at the marketplace was serendipitous.
The VersaCane is just that-- versatile. Although the diameter is consistent, the cane is weighted on one side, the idea being that the heavier end will create a thuddy impact while the lighter end will have more sting, and the smaller diameter one will have a little more targeted sting. The different sizes and diameters have a considerable effect on the feeling of the impact.
What surprised me was just how much difference in feel there was between the lengths and diameters. They look like these innocuous plastic rods, but I could feel the significant differences between the sizes and diameters. The size was what caused the most difference. The longer one was more stingy overall, while with the shorter one, it was harder to feel the difference in impact from the weight, and generally felt a little clunkier on impact. The 24” one was just right! The diameter made a difference as well, the thicker diameter adding a little less sting from the smaller diameter.
Lately I’ve been finding myself enjoying a more thuddy impact at times, so the VersaCane provides the best of both worlds. On the sensory side, I love its ability to surprise. One moment I’ll be enjoying the thuddy impact and then all of a sudden the impact becomes stingy. The knowledge that it can switch without warning provides me with enjoyable apprehension.
The VersaCane comes in a wide range of sizes and diameters as well as colors. Lengthwise, three sizes are currently available: 30”, 24”, or 18”, costing $60, $50, and $40, respectively. For the diameter, there are two options: ⅝ inches and ⅞ inches. A rainbow of colors are on offer: black (which we have), red, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange, brown, gray, and white, meaning you can find a color that will coordinate with your other toys, if that is important to you.
It’s not the fanciest or most sophisticated toy in the toybox visually, but I consider it one of the most enjoyable. I’m having a hard time thinking of any other implement that is actually versatile. I also appreciate the efficiency of it, since there is no reason to pause to put down one implement to pick up another-- simply twirl it around to the other side. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to add to their collection of implements or just looking for new sensory experiences; it’s guaranteed to become a staple quickly!
From the wielding side I like the overall clean and simple look of the VersaCane. Both sides look identical; however it hasn’t been an issue since feeling which side is grabbed is quite apparent. If one wanted to label the sides, some colored electrical tape would likely be an easy and clean option. That said, I personally did not find it necessary and the stealth side factor can be fun where the holder knows the side while the potential receiver does not.
If one were to make fancy grip zones it actually would take away from the current minimalist versatility. Being overall slick it allows holding at any end or in between to hone in the desired impact. The symmetrical design also allows one to do fancy twirls and flips if one were to want to add a bit of performance to their play.
Although I’m known to pack a pretty big toy bag, the multi-use and size class of the VersaCane was definitely a selling point for me. I at first wanted to go big straight to 30” (like a boss) knowing I could just change grip for different length effects, but 24” fit in my bag and was a good default hit zone length for me anyway.
So toy footprint wise the VersaCane is pretty great bang for the size as it doesn’t take up much space, yet can keep sluts in line in both thuddy and stingy fashion. Since I have plenty of other stingy things I went with the ⅞” size to try and emphasize the thuddy side mode, but certainly no one has claimed the stingy side to be boring yet :)
For logistical notes the VersaCane could be called unbreakable when it comes to intended use on bodies. Durability is certainly a desired trait in my book and breaking is apparently a real concern as I have seen people somehow break other canes and paddles. On the nit picky side the exterior can scratch up some coming into contact with hard surfaces. This issue isn't drastic however, being as expected from a plastic surface. For another perk, the smooth plastic-like body makes for easy cleaning. There are no wacky ridges or crannies so toy maintenance is very convenient with the VersaCane series.
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