The new Jail Bird from Mature Metal (nicknamed JB2) has been on me now for about a month and I feel as though that’s given me enough of an impression to be able to compare it fully to my usual predicament, the Steelworxx Steelheart (AKA, Steelheart Short – or SH-S for short). For those of you who have been around a while, you’ll probably remember that this isn’t my first time in a Jail Bird. Belle let me wear one back at the end of 2010 that I eventually stopped wearing due to fit issues stemming both from the measurements I sent to Mature Metal and some of the design characteristics of the device. This time around, though, I’m happy to report that I have no qualms whatsoever recommending a Jail Bird configured like the one I have on right now.
How it’s different
There are three primary differences between the first and second Jail Bird:
- The base ring is a pair of fused 1/4″ rings. I found the single ring to be too thin on the original causing it to be less comfortable than the SH-S’ thicker ring. Since the additional ring added 1/4″ to the length of the device, the cage on the new one is 1/4″ shorter than the old.
- The post onto which the cage secures has been moved to the top of the ring instead of on the face of the ring as it usually is. This allows the top of the cage to align to the top of the base ring which, in turn, fixes a few issues I found with the original.
- The base ring is slightly ovoid in shape rather than circular. In addition, its diameter is 2-3 mm larger than than the first Jail Bird and the SH-S.
I get into some more detail around the issues I had with the first Jail Bird here.
Comparison to the Steelheart Short
I’d like to be able to post pictures of the JB2 compared to the old one but I can’t since I’ve somehow lost the original device. Instead, I’ll post images of it compared to the SH-S.
The supremely nerdy might be interested to know that the SH-S weighs in at 200 grams (with PA fixing and ring) while the JB2 is only 182 grams. Obviously, that’s what these devices weigh. They’re custom and each will be different. But, they’re both customized to the same penis, so you could reasonably expect that percentage difference to hold true. It’s doesn’t seem like a lot, but the JB2 is noticeably lighter than the SH-S. For further comparison purposes, a CB6K (including a black Masterlock and KSD-G3 anti-pullout device) is a mere 78 grams. The CB5K is a feathery 30 grams.
Sizing them up
Fit is everything when it comes to a chastity device’s comfort and there’s nothing more important than the size of the base ring.
For the JB2, we ordered the double base ring with a 43mm diameter. The first time around, we got a 40mm single ring which is the same as the SH-S. I’ve found, over time, that 40mm is probably just a titch too small and the JB’s narrower gauge ring exacerbated the fit issue. While a few millimeters doesn’t sound like much, when it comes to chastity devices, little differences can turn into a big deal.
Also, this time around, we opted for the oval ring as opposed to the perfectly round one. This has the effect of adding a millimeter or two on the sides of the ring while making the gap between the bottom of the ring and cage a little smaller. I’d estimate the gap between the SH-S and the JB2 to be about 20% smaller. Part of that difference is due to their designs, but it’s also the oval versus round rings. In any event, the additional space on the sides goes a little easier on the testicular plumbing when the system is at full pressure. I do find that I need more frequent applications of lubricant under the ring and that I find it biting more than the SH-S down there. I attribute that to the smaller gap and the thicker ring. It’s not so bad that I’d want the ring to be any larger or that I find it to be a real problem, but it is a bit of a manageable issue.
At the end of the day, the JB2’s ring is more comfortable than that on the SH-S (I also find that sleeping through the morning wood is a lot easier). Now that Belle has a second go-to device to make me wear long-term, I will likely request that we send the Steelheart back to the Fatherland for a slightly larger ring.
As you can see in the images above, the tube and cage appear to be about the same size. In wearing them, though, the cage has a noticebaly smaller amount of usable space. This is because the SH-S, with its thin walls and smooth interior, allows the penis to hang more freely and have more room. The JB2’s cage is made of relatively thick steel bars (doubled over at the end) and that eats up quite a bit of the interior. In the SH-S, though, the penis shares its space with the PA fixing and ring. So, all things taken into account, I’ll say that the JB2 feels tighter in the cage than the SH-S does in the tube. That’s not a good or a bad thing since I think the SH-S is pretty well fitted in that regard and needs to be somewhat different because of the security hardware, but it does have implications with regard to stealth which I’ll get into later.
As I’ve said in the past, it’s the supreme anti-intuitive element of chastity fitting advice that it’s almost always better to have a shorter tube than a longer one. The closer you can get to your “normal” flaccid size, the better. The JB2 is almost exactly the same size inside as the penis typically is when it’s soft. Almost. It might have been better if it was just a little bit longer (like, maybe that 1/4″ I took out to accommodate the double ring). What happens is the end of the penis pushes through the square at the end of the cage made from its four bars and, as it turns out, that skin is very sensitive. Especially for me since it’s usually in the dark confines of the protective SH-S tube. I’ve found that going commando in anything other than loose fitting pants is off the table. Even when I’m wearing underwear, the little nub of head flesh will occasionally rub itself against the fabric. It’s not necessarily painful, but it’s not comfortable either. Sometimes, though, a tiny bit of that flesh will get caught between the cage and the fabric and pinch like the dickens. It took me a long time to figure out what was causing that since my usual quick adjustment didn’t stop the pinching.
In any event, this is not a huge problem and could be made to go away if it bothered me so much that I’d ask Belle to let me send it back for a small adjustment. It doesn’t so I haven’t. Since the SH-S has its own pinching issues from time to time, I can’t really say that one of these devices it better than the other in that regard.
One of the things I didn’t care for with the last Jail Bird was the fact that the post was attached to the face of the base ring. As you can see from the picture of the old missing-in-action JB, that leaves the cage sitting about a quarter inch lower than the base ring. It arranged everything so that the penis looked like it was resting on a little pink testicle pillow. I don’t know that it was less comfortable that way, but I didn’t like the aesthetic look of it. Also, I found the device would rotate when in my pants in a way the SH-S never does. If it was a clock, the top of the device would either be a quarter before the hour or after. Again, not a huge deal, but I didn’t like it. The JB2 looks more like I think it should, the penis stays in a more natural position relative to my balls, and it rotates less.
PA jewelry is an integral part of the SH-S but just not possible in the JB2. With the first Jail Bird, we had a small crossbar added onto which I thought I’d secure a PA ring. In practice, the ring pinched the penis between it and the cage bars and it ended up being a bust. No difference in the JB2. I tried to secure a ring to it, but had a hard time getting the tools in place and could never get ring closed. Using a higher gauge ring would be possible, but why wear a ring I can take off with only my fingers? There’s really nothing to be done about it. Obviously, this has security implications (which I get into below).
Hygiene
There’s really no contest here. The JB2 is much easier to keep clean and stays cleaner than the SH-S. That’s not to say the JB2 is equivalent to not wearing any device. It’s not. It still picks up urine and the lubricant needs to be washed off after day’s application. But, it is a simpler, more user-friendly design from a cleanliness point of view.
While the JB2 wins in the cleaning urine up department, it loses in the letting urine out of your body department. The SH-S is dead simple to pee in standing up. You just point and let it go. Gravity and the little round hole do the rest. The JB2, not unlike the CB6K, requires a quick check to ensure things are properly aligned before letting it fly. Even then, I’ve been unpleasantly surprised find an errant stream splashing around unexpectedly. Even though there’s no tube to catch the urine, I still pee with a paper towel in case I need to dab up the spillage.
I have additional complications caused by my PA piercing and the fact that I can’t wear any jewelry while in the JB2. I have discovered that if I insert my fingers through the cage on either side of the penis and kind of push in on the bottom of the shaft, I can close the PA sufficiently to eliminate most dripping. Doing that while ensuring the slit stays in the middle of the square at the end of the cage is tricky, but doable. Bottom line, peeing in the SH-S requires no forethought at all while in the JB2 it does.
Stealth
The JB2 appears less obvious beneath clothing. It’s almost the same size as the SH-S on the outside, but its surface is not as monolithically smooth and that breaks up its profile better in the pants. Also, since it’s lighter, it doesn’t hang down as low while I’m sitting. Also also, since there’s only the device and no other movable pieces (like the PA fixing and ring on the SH-S), it’s perfectly silent. There’s not even the barest clink of a sound while doing the jumping jacks. However, because its post sticks out perpendicular to the ring (as opposed to inline as on the SH-S), it will occasionally show a little bump when I’m wearing something light like workout clothes or pajamas.
Of course, it is still there and is as inflexible as the SH-S so there’s still a bulge. Just not as much of one.
Security
The JB2 is fitted with the security screw option since Belle doesn’t like at all how a lock on the stock version of the Jail Bird sits out on the side. Some people don’t like the screw since it’s not an actual lock with a key, but it is a security hex screw meaning it would take some planning to bust into. Also, it appears to be some kind of custom screw with a specially shaped bit and head. The first JB screw had a simpler design (round with a little nipple in the middle). This one’s not round and the bit to unscrew it only fits one way. I assume this is not something you can just pick up at Home Depot. The device came with two screws and two bits to work them.
The other day, I was standing next to Belle in the bathroom putting the JB2 back on after a few days out and I mentioned to her that it was a bit tricky getting the cage to line up with the post so that the screw would go in. I was worried I might someday strip the screw and it would get stuck. She said, “Well, that’s easy enough to fix. We just won’t take it off all that much.” Nice.
Since there’s no way to secure the device with my PA, it has the same ultimate security flaw all trapped-ball devices have. There’s nothing to keep me from pulling out the back when flaccid and slippery, though I have to say, I haven’t tried once. That’s because, as hot as a totally inescapable device is, the first line of security isn’t in your pants, it’s between your ears. You have to want to be locked or, minimally, be willing to submit to your keyholder’s control. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be in a device in the first place.
That said, the JB2 feels more secure than the SH-S when the PA fixing isn’t in place. It has a more snug fit and that helps maintain the illusion of security. I assume, were I not to need the extra space for the PA bits, we could order an SH-S that was just as well fitted and secure feeling.
In the end, security is won by the SH-S since it is, actually, secure. The JB2 puts up a good front, but could be defeated just as easily as any other chastity device.
Conclusion
The JB2 is a far better device for me than the first Jail Bird was. It offers a different flavor of enforced chastity than the SH-S and is comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. The customer service from Mature Metal was very good and I’d have no problem suggesting Belle buy from them again. I cannot say which device we like better since we like different things about both of them. But, in the end, that’s a pretty good endorsement since we do like the Steelheart very much and never thought we’d like another as well. I glad Belle let us get the JB2 and allows me to wear it.
Version History
29 August 2012 – Removed all implications that the JB2 belongs to me. It doesn’t. It’s Belle’s.
Thanks for taking time to do the review. I enjoy your blog as both you and it were instrumental in our decision to purchase a chastity device. So I just purchased a stock jailbirdb and have been wearing for two weeks and absolutely love it. The next one I purchase will have the security screw and not the padlock since it does make a metal against metal sound and some inopportune moments…..
Thanks, Thumper. This is a terrific review. You seemed to have covered the ins and outs of the two (three?) devices very thoroughly.
I’m wearing a JB that’s almost identical size-wise, and really like the idea of the double ring with its top mounted post. Now that I’ve seen it, I’ll write to Mature Metal for a quote on a new ring. When playing with steel cock rings, I’ve taken to wearing two or three at a time. More is better..
Thanks again,
Harry
Don’t forget to ask for the oval option!
Great review. I want a Jail Bird. Alas, my wife says “no” 🙁
Thanks Thumper. I have a CB6kS and have been wanting to go to steel for many months. I am very happy to hear that MM has come up with a design that really works well for someone who has quite a bit of experience. I think I’m going to give them a try. PS> Maybe they should create a “Thumper” option for their product : )
You can secure the jailbird with a PA ring, i have a ball closure ring through my PA and it fits through the front horizontal bars of the JB, as i would need to carry cir clip pliers with me to remove it, it is very secure.
Regarding security of JB2, have you ever looked at the locking PA rings from http://traeume-aus-edelstahl.de/english/toys-piercings/piercingring-lockable/ ?
Oooo, pretty. Great. Now I have a new stainless object of desire.
I those would be good, but I expect there would still be pinching. Regardless, it’s on my list of things to try now!
After months of CB6K and need to take it off (supervised) 2-3 times a week for cleaning, my wife/mistress suggested I order the jailbird. Now on order it may or may not be here for Christmas but will be a good way to start the new year. 6 months in chastity with zero orgasms and none in sight I figure the jailbird will enable me to go months at a time. Of course my wife/mistress is loving this whole thing. Zero for me about 100-150 for her (and that’s jus orgasm episodes. She normally has 3-5 per episode. My relief is a very nice combination of pegging and milking. I’m more than happy to make the trade. Our relationship has never been better (married 20 years) and with the new jailbird, who knows where the next orgasm will come from for me.
“Our relationship has never been better (married 20 years)…”
Bet you never saw this coming!
Here’s a back story of how we got into the chastity lifestyle. Up to about 2-3 years ago our sex life was pretty good. Mostly vanilla but still a bit adventurous while steongly monogamous. Then my wife started having pain during intercourse and after a year, multiple doctors, multiple treatments and little sex other than oral, she found she has vulvodynia – a difficult condition with limited treatment options. This really messed with her sense of self and caused her to be withdrawn (very unlike her) and unassertive. As a senior executive in a large global company she needed her assertiveness and drive so she was as assertive as possible at work leaving nothing at home. Our sex life became infrequent and dull. I resorted to masturbation and starting feeling resentful. While surfing porn I realised I was spending more and more time with chastity, flr, femd and similar subjects. The more I looked at the material including Sarah’s and yours, the more it excited me. I happily shared the material and info with my wife who very quickly said “when will the chastity device arrive. I want to see of this works.” Shortly thereafter she said “you can start calling me mistress now and when in public you can refer to me as Miss Jane” which is an inside joke anyway as we often referred to her as bossy miss Jane. She started wearing the key in mostly inconspicuous places and has a nifty anklet with a place to attach the key almost like a charm. Her sense of humour and sexual aggressiveness quickly came back and within a few weeks she was enjoying pegging me a couple of times a week and doing a good milking session at least weekly. At least 3-4 times a week she awakens about 20 minutes before the alarm goes off and expects that I will bring her to orgasm maybe 3 times. She says that plus my fixing her an expresso and yoghurt while she showers (I stand beside the shows with warm towels) gets her in the perfect frame of mind to arrive dell refreshed and aggressive for her pressure packed day. Since we both work in the central city, I drive her while she does emails and talks to people often across the world. She calls it “driving miss Jane” and when we pull up in front of her building I hop out, grab her bags and open her door, often then handing the bag to an assistant who looks after her the rest of the day. Yes – I didn’t see all this coming but I wouldn’t Ho back for all the tea in China b
My fiancee and i are relativly new to male chastity and we are both very pleased with it off the bat. Its the same ole “i love her having control” thing you hear from everyone else and she loves the state of mind it puts me in to do for her before myself if at all for myself. That being said weve decides to upgrade from our cb-6000 to a custom metal device. I hear so many good reviews about mature metal but they dont have a completely enclosed setup that i like. Part of my intrigue with chastity is not being able to touch or even see my penis. You seem to like your steelworx but from what i can see on their site they dont offer the same level of customization that mature metal does. That seems really important for me if im going to fork over that kind of money because the difference between my flaccid size and my erect size is quite drastic. About four inches a little over seven. So id like to really speak to someone about this issue when customizing my device. Is maturemetal the only site that offers that level of customer service or is there another option? I want my fiancee to be able to keep me constantly now. Only letting me out for her use. But with the cb-6000 i have to leave it off for a week every two weeks to let my penis heal from protruding out of the urine hole and those dumb little vent holes. I know it just sounds like its too small but when i get completely flaccid i could almost slip out. I bought the anti pullout adapters (not the spikes; the aftermarket) and that helped but it worsened my protrusion when erect. If you could offer some advice on my issue i would be very grateful. As i said I’m new to this and love it an your site has been extremely helpful and motivational.
The Steelworxx website doesn’t mention all the customization that’s available. You can order pretty much any measurement you want even if it’s not listed. You just need to contact Dietmar in advance. His English is a bit rough and he’s not exactly a conversationalist, but after some back and forth, you can get what you want.
WRT pull-out, yeah, that’s a bitch, huh? You have two options. You can either convince yourself that you can never ever pull out (and don’t even try or you won’t believe what your saying) or you can look into a Prince Albert piercing. It’s a drastic step (for some) but it’s the ONLY way to be really secure. The penis is like an octopus. Damn thing’s impossible to contain absent some kind of hard physical restraint.
Of course, the good news is it sounds like your fiancée is already on board. That’s the hard part! The rest is just logistics.
Thanks ill give sw another look. Ive also been looking at loris’ as well (expensive i know but it says they offer payment options). I know almost all their pieces require some kind of piercing. Which i don’t have but i have been looking into. I like the idea of the apadravya because I’ve heard both on the internet and from guys i know in the piercing scene that it’s best for pleasing your lady when she desires intercourse. Anyway thanks for the advice.
For a long time I had a frenum piercing. It did a good job of making escape impossible. It was generally easy to lock any cage to a frenum ring. That piercing has the advantage of not “leaking”. However, even without a chastity device, the ring or barbell would twist. Ouch!
Interesting clarification concerning the “new” JB design: As the pics on MM’s website still seemed to show the “old” design I enquired about it and received this answer from Mistress MatureMetal “The post is top mounted ONLY when the size of the ring and the size of the cage are very close… ”
Of course, one can order it to be on top even if the size is not close. But it does not come so automatically.
No, it’s not really a new design from their point of view. It was a custom thing they did for our new device.
Great blog!
Can you talk about the measuring process? Mature Metal calls for subtracting 1/4 of an inch from the cage length to account for the distance created by the off center alignment of the cage and the A-ring. Did you skip that subtraction?
I feel stupid about this, but I’m not sure that I understand how the double A ring made it necessary to shorten the cage. Did it cause the post to terminate 1/4 of an inch further away from your body than the ring on the JB1?
I’m asking because I messed around with a CB series device with less than great results. Considering ordering a JB and am leaning towards the modifications you incorporated into your “JB2”.
Appreciate this review and anything you might add to the discussion!
Mature Metal calls for subtracting 1/4 of an inch from the cage length to account for the distance created by the off center alignment of the cage and the A-ring. Did you skip that subtraction?
I don’t recall that subtraction when I measured, no. Perhaps that new guidance they’re giving now or maybe I just missed it before.
I’m not sure that I understand how the double A ring made it necessary to shorten the cage.
The extra ring added additional length to the device. Had I not subtracted the thickness of the ring, it would have been longer because of it.
I followed the MM directions to the letter. I measured at least 10 times and took the shortest. Then I subtracted 1/4″ for the order. The cage is perfect. For the ring, I was confident because I had been wearing an inexpensive Chinese device for a couple of weeks with a 1 3/4″ ring. I started with 2″ and that allowed a ball to escape. I then did 1 7/8 which felt fine but I could get two fingers in. So, down to 1 3/4. That turned out to be comfortable. The JB arrived about a week ago. It is perfectly comfortable, no cage rotation, no pain at all. The cage length is on the nose. I did diameter by laying my (mostly) soft cock across a ruler.
Thanks Caged Lion!
Just to update my earlier comment. After wearing the cage a few months, I realized it was too long. Mistress MM commented that the cage should be in contact with the penis at all points. My cage had about 1/2″ of “headroom” at the end. So, I had the cage shortened from 1 3/4″ to 1 1/4″. I have been wearing it for several months and it is perfect.
Recently, I realized that the A ring felt a bit loose. I have no interest in pulling out, but the OCD in me demanded that I get a better fit. So I ordered two additonal rings: 1 5/8″ and 1 1/2″. They haven’t arrived yet, but when they do I will update if I think of it.
Weird how they get looser, huh?
Which would you recommend between these two for someone making their first endeavor into getting a custom fitted device. I have the CB3000 but I am worried about the fact it’s plastic and I dont trust the cheap knock off steel versions. In your opinion, what would be the most comfortable and convenient for long term wear for someone who is getting a custom fit device for the first time?
They both have pluses and minuses. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either. I prefer the closed tube design of the Steelheart over the open cage design of the Jailbird for long-term wear as it’s more comfortable (little bits can get rubbed and pinched too easily in an open cage). But, the open cage is easier to keep clean. I think MM beats Steelworxx in the customer service department, though, based on the feedback I’ve received by several people (though I’ve never had a problem with Dietmar).
It surprised the hell out of me! I can get my thumb between the A ring and my penis. No question at all that our bodies adapt and somehow thin out. I can’t understand it. But there it is. I know you wrote about the same thing happening to you. I wonder if it will continue to shrink.
In my experience, it does eventually stop. But yeah, somehow the ring gets too big!
Ah this totally helped me out.
Thank you mucho. I tend to gravitate to your blog in these questions. Knowing you have tried them and my financial state doesn’t allow me to, this makes it easier on me.
Thank Belle for me.
:0)
I know this is late, but the Jailbird does have an anti-pullout pin included. Have you tried that in the last few years?
The anti-pullout pin is an option, yes. No, I haven’t tried it. I think it’s a deterrent to pulling out but it wouldn’t stop a determined fellow. Also, devices like that can cause comfort issues since they’re by design poking down into the penis.
“It arranged everything so that the penis looked like it was resting on a little pink testicle pillow.”
Well played, sir… I was unprepared for the physical anarchy that resulted from the combination of your comment and my desire to contain the coffee I had just sipped.
Very interesting post. I’m thinking of getting a MM device, also with the same 43mm ring size. With your oval ring, could you possibly be kind and post the measurements that your ring has? I’ve got the measuring rings but not too sure if the oval one would be better for me. I tried on the 40mm and just managed to get in but it was difficult and not something I would like to repeat…
I’m going to be a couple thousand miles away from it for a few weeks, but I’ll try and remember when I get back. If you tell MM the size you want, I’m sure they can convert it for you in an oval shape. They’re very responsive and aim to please in my experience.
Thumper, can you comment on the pros and cons of a single versus a double anchor ring? I have been using a steel heart now for a few years and I want to add some variety. The MM JB looks very interesting, but I am not certain how the double anchor ring adds to the experience.