Interview With St Leather

by Cary

St Leather is a lifestyle player and hand crafter of whips, paddles and other toys. She's someone you can learn a lot from!

How did you become interested in fetish/BDSM?

There was always an infatuation with it. I can trace the draw to it back to my childhood.

In my early 20s I took an abnormal psychology class, and read a chapter in my textbook on S/M. There was a photograph in the textbook on basic S/M implements. I remember staring at it, maybe a bullwhip, some handcuffs, a riding crop. I remember just being drawn in. Even before I realized what a masochist I was, I was very interested in the toys and implements. Then having my first actual experience was a complete self-realization of how large a part of myself BDSM was (and is).

After my first scene many years ago, I contacted a professional Dominatrix online for advice. She recommended books for me to read, asked me serious questions about how I thought of myself and what I was drawn to, and she was a vast wealth of knowledge. She was amazing to give me that much time and energy via online. Some of the basic constructs I have in my head come from my first conversations with her. The lessons I learned from her have helped me to maintain a very healthy structure for what I am as a submissive. She also helped me to realize and acknowledge concepts of service I already had in within myself.

You make your own floggers and toys, how did you get started on DIY toys?

Eventually I moved to Idaho from California, it snowed, I quit smoking, and I needed a hobby; I needed something to do with my hands. I wasn’t part of a fetish community in that area, because it was predominantly Mormon, so through trial and error I started teaching myself to make floggers and paddles. While my flogger designs have changed dramatically, the paddles I make are still based off of my original design. I was limited to the supplies that I had access to at that time, going to the local craft stores to get leather and things of that sort. I didn’t have a lot of money to order supplies online. I learned primarily through experimentation. I am more of a self-taught person than book-taught. I am also a leather fetishist, so I find it very relaxing and therapeutic to make toys. I love designing them for my Mistress, my play partners and for people I know. My items are mostly designed for women; they are lighter to throw than most floggers you’ll find. Me being a woman, I design them the way I would like them; I put a lot of thought also into the colors and handle design. Females tend to be more receptive to the design and feel of my toys. I also make spreader bars, and have recently started working with rattan to make canes. I have been burning designs into the rattan to see what I can come up with.

What skills are involved in making them?

You need to have an understanding of leather grades, how the leather will move, the thickness, how the leather will react to being cut. A certain amount of creativity and a lot of problem solving. Some of my designs, which are a little more unique, were definitely born out of my trial and error phases. Basic knowledge of how to work with tools is also important, and was also trial and error. One day while making a paddle I ended up chiseling myself and gouging my thigh. I have glued my fingers to leather and have had to rip off several layers of skin. Blisters from twisting leather…I have had the “pleasure” of actually using a staple gun and stapling my hand. I should point out that was not part of my masochism - it did not satisfy that at all! I design a lot of my toys around my needs. For example, I like a lot of thud in my play, so I have designed many implements that deliver that. As my pain threshold has accelerated in some areas I have also modified some of my floggers’ tails to have metal snaps or rivets in their ends, in order to step up the overall impact of the toy..

Do you enjoy fetishism/BDSM play in your personal life, and if so what are you into?

That’s a loaded one, isn’t it? I would say I am really into the lifestyle. I am in a 24/7 D/s relationship as a masochistic sub. As I mentioned, I have a bit of a leather fetish as well. I also love floggings, which is what led me to make floggers.

Are there any fetishes that you don't find appealing?

Here’s the thing: there are things that I am definitely not into. While I am not into certain things, I certainly understand the psychological mechanisms that go into them. I understand how some fetishes work for some people, but maybe not for me. I am extraordinarily open-minded that way.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the fetish scene?

Oh god. Let’s see. I would say don’t be afraid to go to the different organizations that exist out there. The workshops, the events, etc. I would try those before entering the club scene. If you are curious or want knowledge, these organizations are a great resource. Don’t be afraid to research, reading books and online. I read everything humanly possible when I was trying to understand myself. Fact-based literature on the internet, books in bookstores. I was scared, but I knew it was me, and my reality.

Do you think fetish is becoming part of the mainstream culture?

I honestly have no clue. I surround myself with people who are into the scene and I only go to scene-friendly clubs. I feel out of place when I go to mainstream clubs, and my whole world is in the scene. My free time I spend with my Mistress or making toys. I am happy about that.

See more of St Leather at:

http://www.myspace.com/saintmakerleather

See more of St Leather at:

http://www.myspace.com/saintmakerleather