Back in the Jail Bird and I find myself constantly reminded of this…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu31VyXlTzo]
This Jail Bird is tight like a tiger, too. Or is that toight like a tiger? Whichever.
The things I like about the JB remain the same. It seems really clear to me now that sizing a device to fit one’s flaccid state is the way to go. It sounds very counterintuitive, but it’s also really comfortable. It’s not that my SH tube is uncomfortable, but I think I prefer the smaller cage and how that feels. Also, cleaning is a snap due to the open design. I don’t find it to be a ton more hygienic (I am peeing through it, after all), but getting it clean is a simpler task.
The parts I don’t like, though, also remain and are becoming a deal-breaker for me. I’ve already talked about the offset cage. At the time, I said the jury was still out with regard to how the Jail Bird performed long-term, but now I believe this design makes the Jail Bird much less comfortable than it should be.
The primary issue I have with it is the very narrow space that’s left between the cage and the cuff ring. As you can see in the image above, the Steelheart has perhaps a 50% larger gap which allows the scrotum and the spermatic cords a bit more freedom of movement. The JB’s is significantly narrower. I’ve experienced some internal twinges of pain in the JB that I’ve never had in the SH. Also, in the morning after the customary intense and prolonged nocturnal erections, I’ve actually experienced a bit of numbness on the surface of the scrotum. I can still feel it, but there’s definitely a decrease in sensation. The bit and pieces are maybe getting a little too squished in there.
I’ve spent some time thinking about how this could be corrected. Currently, the JB is configured such that the post is on the cuff ring, attached to the front surface, and it slides into a collar attached to the top of the cage’s penis ring. I’d be curious to know if that could be switched so that the post was on the cage, mounted to the front, not the top, of the penis ring, and the collar was on the cuff, also mounted to the front of the ring. That would align the tops of both pieces and create a better gap down below where it’s needed. Also, I think it would probably keep the entire device from rotating while being worn. The rotation doesn’t necessarily effect how the device works, but it’s annoying.
I don’t know what I’m going to do with the JB at this point. Belle’s currently travelling so I’ll keep wearing it until she gets back tomorrow, but then I’ll ask to be put back into the SH, even though I like the cage on the JB better. I’m not sure I like it so much better, though, that I’ll try to get the device altered by Mature Metal. There is a limit to the amount of resources I’m willing to expend on chastity devices, after all. I’d rather get a new and shorter tube for the Steelheart (and maybe even a cage they offer that’s somewhat similar to the Jail Bird).
Obviously, there are a number of people who wear the Jail Bird and like it. Everyone’s made differently, of course, as are (to a certain extent) the hand-crafted Jail Birds. My experiences might be unique or awareness of the issues I’ve mentioned might be higher for me due to my time in the Steelheart. I don’t think I’d go so far as to advise people against trying the Jail Bird. If you’re in the market for a steel device and are on a budget, it’s not a bad choice. Since it’s a custom device, you could try to address some the issues I’ve had with the manufacturer when you order. Then again, if you’ve got a little more money to spend, I can recommend the Steelheart without reservation.
Would you be comfortable wearing the Jailbird during luge lessons?
Seriously, if we can combine the Steelheart with the Jailbird…..
Could the issues with the JB also be solved by simply mounting the post on top of the cuff ring as opposed to the face (adjusting the post for length/gap of course)? Aligning/leveling the inside of the cuff ring with the inside of the penis ring at TDC (top dead center – automotive term) would seem to resolve a number of issues with a simple change.
Putting the post on the penis ring still leaves open the question of how to add the lock.
Yes, the post could be on top of the cuff, but then the back of the post might dig into into the skin. But yeah, I thought of that, too. WIth regard to where to put the lock, yeah, that’d be an issue in my design, but I’m using the screw, not a lock. The screw would work if attached from the top.
You can adjust the gap at the bottom of the MM device by bending the steel. It is easier to do than it sounds.
Take a steel, drop-forged wrench or other large metal object that has a long handle and can act as a lever. Screw / lock the device together (obviously not with you in it). Anchor the device with a vice. Insert the wrench at the base of the penis cage and use the lever arm to pull up the cage from the base ring.
I used this method to adjust my Pet Trap and it was 10x more comfortable, before that it was unwearable for me.
Just don’t overdo it, or you will snap the post off the base ring (although, it is more likely you will break the lock first).
An adjustment of 1/4 – 1/2″ should easily be possible. I adjusted mine so the bottom gap is over 1/2″.
I’m a little late to the party on this particular post, but wanted to point out a few things I notice about your experience with the Jailbird versus the Steelhart. First, you mentioned the misalignment of the cage with the base ring. I noticed that on my JB too, but *only* if I put the security screw in the left side. If I put the security screw in the right side, the alignment is perfect. Go figure. I’m not sure how that works, since the threads in the center post go all the way through, but there it is.
Second, I think some of your discomfort is from the offset of the cage ring from the base ring, given your particular anatomy (it doesn’t bother me at all or fold/bend the skin at the base of my shaft like it does yours). But moreso, I think you’re suffering from a too-small base ring. His oval shape results in a different “feel” and a different gap configuraition than a round ring would. Really the ultimate way to find the right base ring size for any device is to sleep in the ring for a night or two. Sleeping in the same sized round versus oval ring will feel different. In my case, the oval ring reduces the two “hot spots” I typically feel at the 10 and 2 o’clock position when I’m fully aroused during a persistent noctural erection.
Another issue is the shape of your axial and radial gaps are *very* different between the JB and your SH. See how the base ring is much lower than your cage tube at the 6 o’clock position on your SH, but it’s nearly level with the cage tube on the JB? Also, the axial gap at the bottom of your SH is much much wider than the axial gap at the bottom of your JB. So you’ve got three factors that are all combining to produce the discomfort your feeling. Any one or any combination of the three might be the culprit: The oval shape, the 0 radial gap at the 6 o’clock position, and the smaller axial gap at the 6 o’clock position.
It can take some futzing with the gap to get a comfortable fit for full-time wear and zero night pain. I recommend you try a larger base ring first, which will increase the radial gap on the botttom and provide more breathing room down there. If that alone doesn’t fix the problem, then try having Bill adjust the axial gap larger or smaller as needed.
I have a 2-3/8 inch base ring and a 1-1/2 inch cage diameter (and 1-3/4 inch cage length). I can easily fit all four fingers and a thumb under the top of my base ring. Yet the device stays firmly put where it’s supposed to with a 1/2 inch slipdown range at most, because the axial and radial gap ended up being perfect for my anatomy on the first try. I sleep like a baby with zero night pain. Sure, the roomy base ring makes it possible to snake out my shaft farily easily, but the perfect gap makes it completely impossible to pull my testicles out, so the whole device is stuck there and obscures half of my shaft anyway so I wouldn’t be able to do much with it.
And besides, unless you are locked at the tip with a piercing, you can escape from the top of any ball-trap CB device no matter how tight the base ring or tube. All you need is lube or soapy water and to be fully relaxed. To me, being able to wear a CB device comfortably with no pain, no irritation, no soreness, etc. is far more valuable than trying to make it “inescapable” by making parts of the device too tight for comfort. If you want inescapable you have to go with a piercing or else to fashion a locked, non-stretch “belt” to the center post that prevents pulling the top of the base ring away from the pubis.
I think you’re suffering from a too-small base ring.
Yes, I think that’s right. As I’ve said elsewhere, the JB has the same size cuff ring as my SH, but it’s far tighter on the JB. The various differences in the gap spacing and especially the differences between the tube and cage are all factors.
Regarding which side the screw goes in, on my device, it will only go in the left side (right side looking down).
Regarding security, I’m *well* aware of the trade-offs there. I didn’t fit the JB extra tight for security purposes. It was based off my SH which is acceptably comfortable, even at night.
My issue with this device is I’m just not sure I want to invest any more money in it. I like the shorter open cage and the lightness, but I am disappointed in the inconsistent build quality. I know that all stainless devices are hand-crafted, but the MM devices seem especially so. I am currently waiting on a new tube for the SH and, depending on how that goes, I may send the JB back for a new ring or I may not.
Seems to me if they could fill the top of the ring on the jailbird to make it more flat like a CB6000 it would help on more than two issues. First being cage alignment second being weight distribution. It would be an added manufacturing process making everything smooth. Worth a option charge imho.