A chastity belt is a locking item of clothing designed to prevent sexual intercourse and possibly masturbation. The purpose may also be to protect the wearer from rape or temptation. Devices have been created for males and females.
The term “chastity belt” is also used metaphorically in modern English to imply over protectiveness. The term carries a derisive connotation and may also imply that the subject is antiquated, or is cumbersome, or provides unnecessary or unwanted protection.
History
Chastity belts are surrounded by myths and folklore. The most common of these myths is that they were first used by crusading knights on their wives. There is, however, no evidence of the existence of chastity belts until the 15th century during the Renaissance, more than one hundred years after the last Crusade. The actual use, if any, of medieval chastity belts would have been very limited, as the metalworking of the times would have made it difficult to fashion a belt safe for long-term wear.
The Bellifortis sketch.
16th century satirical German woodcut
Excerpt from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser. The entire patent document: Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6The first known mention of chastity belts in the West is in Konrad Kyeser von Eichstätt’s Bellifortis, a ca. 1400 book describing the military technology of the era. The book includes a drawing that is accompanied by the Latin text: “Est florentinarum hoc bracile dominarum ferreum et durum ab antea sic reseratum.” (”These are hard iron breeches of Florentine women which are closed at the front.”) The belt in this drawing is described by Dingwall as “both clumsy and heavy”, having “little in common with the later models which served the same use”. The Bellifortis account is not supported by any evidence or corroborating documents.
In 1889, a leather-and-iron belt was found by A. M. Pachinger—a German collector of antiquities—in Linz, Austria in a grave on a skeleton of a young woman. The woman was purportedly buried sometime in the 16th century. Pachinger, however, could not find any record of the woman’s burial in the town archives. The belt itself, along with most of the rest of Pachinger’s collection, has been lost.
Two belts have been exhibited at the Musée de Cluny in Paris. The first, a simple velvet-covered hoop and plate of iron, was supposedly worn by Catherine de’ Medici. The other—said to have been worn by Anna of Austria—is a hinged pair of plates held about the waist by metal straps, featuring intricately etched figures of Adam and Eve. There are other such belts at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg and the British Museum in London. Most have been removed from display because the authenticity of these belts as Renaissance devices has since been called into question.
From the 1700s through the 1930s, masturbation was widely regarded as harmful in Western medicine. Numerous mentions can be found in medical journals of the time of the use of chastity belt-like devices to prevent masturbation in children and adolescents.
Many designs for anti-masturbation devices were filed in the US Patent Office until the debunking of masturbation as a mental health problem in the early 1930s.
Non-Western history
Some Vaishnava sadhus (ascetic practitioners of the Hindu faith) have a tradition of wearing arbandh—or metal balls or cups enclosing the penis—for decades at a time as a way of demonstrating their strict celibacy and dedication to austerity.
In 1998, racial riots against the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia prompted the production and sale of “anti-rape corsets” by Simon Sanjava of West Java. These devices were of Florentine design with a waistband and a single crotch strap with no holes for going to the toilet. They were made of imitation leather and steel and were secured with a combination lock.
In August, 2002, Korean clothing manufacturer Intarsia briefly offered a line of lockable womens’ panties, ostensibly to prevent spur-of-the-moment sexual assaults.
On August 3, 2007, the Asian Human Rights Commission released a statement saying that women were being forced to wear chastity belts in the State of Rajasthan in India,
Modern use
Today, chastity belts are sometimes used in BDSM play and in consensual relationships. They are a means for the wearer to surrender control over their sexual behavior either for sexual play, or as a long-term method of preventing infidelity or masturbation. They range from simple leather or plastic toys commonly sold by adult stores to expensive high-security stainless steel devices made by a handful of specialist firms.
Most modern chastity belt designs are descended from Hal Higginbottom’s designs from 1956.Sometimes modern Florentine-style belts are described as “Tollyboy-style” or “Tollyboy-type” belts as references to his company’s original design.
Human anatomy varies very widely from person to person and steel belts intended for long-term use are bespoke items. The manufacture of such belts is necessarily a cottage industry. Many firms have come and gone over the years. Notable amongst those who have stopped manufacturing chastity belts since the 1980s are:
Access Denied (Paul Tooker of New York; closed after his death)
Herbert Rossmann (Austria)
In Discretione Fortitudo (Nifrik Scylla of the Netherlands)
Kastley (Germany) (reseller; original manufacturer unknown)
Pourquoi Pas (Germany)
Atelier Mode (Cologne, Germany)
Although no reliable statistics are available on the use of chastity belts, anecdotal reports from manufacturers suggest that most belts sold in Europe and the US are for men, and that of the female belts ordered, relatively few are used as rape prevention devices.
Belt types
A modern female William Jones belt with an atypical integrated radial lock.Modern chastity belt designs generally follow the basic “Florentine” pattern (named after the Bellifortis reference), with a band around the waist or hips and a “shield” running between the legs to cover the genitals.
On belts intended for long-term wear, this shield must accommodate the wearer’s hygienic needs:
For females, the shield is commonly a flat band with a slot through which the labia can protrude and through which urine can pass. Some manufacturers fit a perforated cover (sometimes called the “secondary shield”) over this slot to prevent the wearer from being pinched when sitting. The cover may also prevent direct masturbation by blocking the labia from touch.
For males, the shield usually covers a tube in which the penis is held facing downward, with perforations at the bottom of the shield to allow urine to escape. The testicles are usually left exposed on both sides of the tube, although some designs have an additional cup that prevents easy access to the entire genital area.
Belts with a “thong” arrangement have a single strap running up between the buttocks to the waistband. On some, this is a plastic-coated cable or a thin, curved metal rod. This strap may or may not be loose enough to pull aside, depending on whether the fit of the belt is to protect against anal penetration. On other designs, the rear strap is solid with an aperture over the anus to allow passage of feces.
Belts with a “V”-arrangement have a pair of chains attached together the bottom of the shield and apart towards the back of waistband in a “V” to leave the rear open.
On both male and female belts, the shield can be designed to work with genital piercings for greater security.
Most modern belts fasten with padlocks. Some high-security designs nest the lock within a shroud to make it more difficult to attack with bolt cutters. A handful of manufacturers, however, do offer higher-priced models with integral locks for a sleeker profile.
Recent developments
In April, 2002, the Uwe Koetter Jewellers company of Cape Town, South Africa completed and delivered a spectacular diamond and pearl-encrusted chastity belt made of gold to a British customer. The belt reportedly cost R160,000 and was a wedding gift from a husband-to-be for his bride to wear at their wedding.
On February 6, 2004, USA Today reported that at Athens airport in Greece, a woman’s steel chastity belt had triggered a security alarm at the metal detector. The woman explained that her husband had forced her to wear the device to prevent an extramarital affair while she was on vacation in Greece. She was allowed to continue her flight to London on the pilot’s authority. The incident was said to have happened just before Christmas in 2003.The incident was also reported by Weekly World News.
In November 2006, photographs of Lucio Gubbio’s hand-wrought iron chastity belts were published in newspapers including the Seoul Times, and CRI Online.Although Gubbio’s company, MedioEvo, claims that their chastity belts’ designs are from the Middle Ages on their website , a company spokesperson acknowledged that there is no proof that devices such as these were actually used.
A chastity cage is a device which encloses the male genitals to prevent stimulation and erection.
Usage
The modern plastic chastity cage for men is almost exclusively used paradoxically as a sex aid, and shares almost nothing in common with the traditional medieval designs. Most tubes are purchased by men, with some by women for use with their partners. Men who wear chastity cages are attracted to the thought of not being able to masturbate or reach orgasm. Sex is impossible while wearing a chastity cage. Some men are attracted to them as a method of being submissive to their partner / key holder, who subsequently controls the wearer’s sexual life. Generally it is considered that erotic sexual denial is a subset of BDSM, which incorporates forced chastity.
A modern chastity cage gives the key holder / dominant partner (nearly absolute) sexual control of the submissive partner. Thus an individual BDSM session can be expanded very simply by the application of a chastity cage concealed under clothing. With a chastity cage, a form of 24/7 total power exchange lifestyle can be enjoyed without having to come out about BDSM to friends and co-workers.
Design
Most chastity cages have two parts: a ring seated around the base of the penis behind the scrotum and a capped tube, into which the flaccid penis is inserted. The tube is perforated to allow fluids to drain easily. Some designs have a curved or angled tube to make erections uncomfortable. The two parts mate together on hinges or pins and are held fast with a padlock, holding the testicles in a gap close enough to prevent the penis from being pulled out.
Many manufacturers offer metal detector safe locks for those who travel frequently. These locks are one use, and once closed cannot be unlocked. Each lock has a unique serial number written onto the body of the lock. The locks are removed via cutting. Once cut, they are discarded. They operate on the same principle as a wax seal on an envelope.
As of August 2007, there have been four models of cages released by A L Enterprises Inc, one of the main manufacturers of male chastity cages.
CB-2000
This was the first offering. User consensus was that it was moderately secure, but had a tendency to pinch the skin. The cock ring was of solid construction.
CB-3000
The CB-3000 was considered to be a large improvement from the CB-2000. The cage was larger, and there was less ability to stimulate the penis as the cage was mainly closed. Several colours were offered, however A L Enterprises never offered the CB-3000 in blue. All blue CB-3000 chastity cages are illegal copies, mostly originating out of China.[citation needed] While they are exact copies in terms of construction, build quality and finish is generally very poor, resulting in sharp edges that can chafe.
The Curve
The Curve chastity cage. Note the serial numbered plastic lockThe Curve was designed for men who could not fit comfortably into the CB-3000. It shares similar components, the main difference is the cage portion is longer, and there are large ventilation strips running down the end of the cage. There have been reports that due to its increased length it is harder to conceal under clothing.
CB-6000
The CB-6000 is the latest in the line of chastity cages from A L Enterprises. It is similar in construction to the CB-3000, however with some improvement. The tube portion is the same length overall, but has a larger head, and removes the top and bottom ventilation holes, moving them to the side. The ring, unlike the CB-3000 is solid, which combats the issue of chafing. It is also flatter, reducing the bulkiness of the package.
Erotic Denial
Chastity cages can be used for both orgasm control and orgasm denial. Note that a man / couple may not necessarily entertain other elements of the BDSM lifestyle apart from those aforementioned.
Depending on fit and comfort, a chastity cage may be applied for an indefinite period of time. Human sex drive tends to increase when an outlet is not available, and a chastity cage can increase a male’s sex drive. The dominant partner / key holder, if one exists, can use a chastity cage to exert control over the submissive partner, allowing sexual outlet as a reward.
Fitting
To fit a CB-6000, first the half ring is placed behind the scrotum, between the testicles and the body. Then guide pins are inserted into the top of the ring, closing the ring around the scrotum. The penis is then inserted into the cage portion, which is brought closer to the body. Once it mates, a lock can be inserted into the middle guide pin, in front of the cage.
Once locked, the testicles are held between the cage and the ring. The penis cannot be stimulated, nor become erect, as it is contained within the cage portion. The entire apparatus cannot be removed, as the testicles cannot fit between the gap between the ring and cage.
To help with comfort, it is suggested that some baby oil be applied to the end of the penis using a cotton swab, or a Q-tip. This will facilitate the penis moving inside the cage. Some men also find it helpful to apply some oil between the ring and the scrotum to allow the base ring to slide backwards and forwards depending on arousal state.
Safety
The male genitalia is a delicate structure, comprised of skin, the soft spongy tissue of the penis which becomes engorged with blood during arousal, and the testicles. A chastity cage must be properly sized, fitted and adjusted in order to be secure and not damage the genitals. Ring size and spacing are the two most important adjustments that can be made. A ring that is too tight will cut off blood flow, while one that is too loose will not be secure.
If there is any discoloration or numbness of the testicles or penis, the ring or spacer is too tight and must be released.
Current research suggests that frequent orgasms help to prevent prostate cancer in men.[citation needed] A chastity cage, depending on usage, will remove the ability to masturbate, and as such, there is a health risk to the man. This can be countered by milking the man. Milking is the process by which the fluids of the prostate are drained by manual stimulation of the prostate via the anus. Some men find this act arousing, others are repulsed by the act.
