I had the Jail Bird off for a bit last night so I could take pictures of it (alone and compared to the Steelheart) when I noticed something I hadn’t before. The cage is not aligned with the ring.
Most of the irritation I’ve been feeling has been on the right side, but that wasn’t unusual for me. Because my right testicle hangs higher than my left, that’s usually the side where I’ll feel that kind of thing (it was especially evident in the CB6K). But now I see that my normal tendency has been exacerbated by there being less room on the right side. The alignment of the holes both on the A-ring post and the device give it a bias to the right side when the screw’s in place. I will definitely be sending it back to Mature Metal to try to have that addressed.
The problem is, other issues aside, I really like the smaller cage. A lot. So much so, that I will definitely be ordering a new tube for the Steelheart. Honestly, I don’t want to go back to wearing the larger device. I’m stuck between a tube that’s bigger than it needs to be (but that I’ve been wearing conformably for a year) and a device that feels much better sized but that’s way more uncomfortable in other ways.
In general, I’ve found the Jail Bird to be much more obviously a hand-crafted object. That’s not a bad thing, but you can really see its maker reflected in the device. The Steelheart, while also obviously being hand-made, seems more precise somehow. It’d be easy to say this is due to it being German, but it’s more than that. The look of the Jail Bird is more “crafty” while the Steelheart comes off as more machined. Neither condition is necessarily better than the other, but it seems that issues like the unfinished nature of the A-ring and the misalignment of the tube are what you might expect in a device like the Jail Bird. Were these issues not present, I’d say the Jail Bird has a certain warmth and charm that many might appreciate.
All that being as it may, I’m left deciding between putting the big tube back on and sending the JB back or leaving the JB on and sending the SH back (and spending about $300 on a new tube and PA fixing).
A conundrum…
Mightn’t it be best to check with Belle and let HER decide “between putting the big tube back on and sending the JB back or leaving the JB on and sending the SH back”?
Well, since she’s not in this to see me suffer (in a bad way, that is) and since the break-in period for any new device is a tricky time, no, it’s not necessary to check with Belle. All she cares about is that I’m locked up. She intuitively understands that being miserable is very unsexy and tends to leave the mechanics of chastity in my hands.
I just looked carefully at both the Jailbird and Watchful Mistress that we have here and neither one has the alignment problem that yours has. For whatever reason, it seems like Bill’s quality control wasn’t up to par when he made yours. I hope you give him the chance to make it right. I am sure the last thing he wants is an unhappy customer with an ill fitting device.
D
Oh, sure, I’m going to ask him to fix it. I’m back in the Steelheart today, so the JB is free to fly home for adjustments.
I wonder if the recent onslaught of orders has made him rush some along…
I wonder if the recent onslaught of orders has made him rush some along…
I was wondering that myself. He also has a waiting list for the sizing rings!
This is making me very nervous about my JB. At least I got my order in when I did.
I’m sure we’d all prefer he slow down a bit than make a few mistakes here and there. Dev’s are both good, so maybe I’m an anomaly. In either event, I’d like to hear how yours turns out.
I’m sure everyone will. 😉
I’m going to refrain from reiterating my opinions on hand-crafted devices, but I do want to add that because human bodies are not all symmetrical, it’s difficult to find a design that can be mass-produced, and that will be as comfortable, convenient, and secure for every wearer.
I’m interested in your views due to your unique combination of experience in both the material and the product. One of the reasons I made the comment about the SH is that, even though it too is handmade, it seems much more like a precision thing (even though it too has the issue non-interchangeable parts). It just feels good and, to my eye, looks better.
Regarding the non-symmetry of our bodies, I totally get that. As I said, it’s why I always chafed high on the right side when in the CB6K. Maybe if the cage skewed in the other direction, I’d be happy about it, but this wasn’t a design choice, it was an accident. Without some kind of tailored device with precise individual measurement, I’d be happy with basic symmetry.
Now that I mention that, it would be one way for MM to perhaps improve their product. By asking which testicle hangs higher, he could perhaps make a bit more room on that side and get a better, more comfortable fit. Hmmm…