Holiday Gift Guide: Leather
This can be a tough one. Where do you start? Go beyond the gift card with this thoughtfully selected lot of leather-aligned offerings. List curated by Steve Lenius.
Handmade Leather-Scented Candle
BANDEDmasculine
$13.99
This handmade 6-oz. all-natural soy candle comes in a steel container with lid and has the leather aroma of “a broken-in baseball glove . . . or maybe a harness?” This is according to Chris Lavoie, the creator of BANDEDmasculine, who hand-pours each candle when it is ordered. This leather-scented candle is one of BANDEDmasculine’s bestsellers and has even been part of BANDEDmasculine’s pop-up shop at The Eagle LA in Los Angeles.
BANDEDmasculine is in the business of creating “masculine-smelling stuff for guys.” Lavoie says he was inspired to create BANDEDmasculine when he “was looking around for some awesome stuff like candles, soap, and body wash that smell like guy things . . . leather, hunting lodges, barbershops, etc. . . . and couldn’t find anything. So, I made them myself!”
In addition to this leather-scented candle, BANDEDmasculine candles are also available in holiday scents like Christmas Tree, Spiked Egg Nog, Gingerbread Man, and Spiked Apple Cider. Other candle scents are inspired by drinks such as Kentucky Bourbon, Margarita, Mojito, Chardonnay and Black Coffee, and food flavors including Hot Buttered Popcorn, Orange Sriracha, Glazed Donut, Maple Glazed Bacon, Meat Rack (hickory barbecue), and even Cereal Milk (“lots and LOTS of Fruit Loops!!,” says Lavoie). Other masculine scents include Hunting Lodge, Humidor, Campfire and even Library. But, according to Lavoie, “No lavender . . . we hate that crap.”
Other BANDEDmasculine products include bar soap, liquid hand soap, body wash, and beard balm.(BANDEDmasculine.com).
Spanking Set by Seagrape Apothecary
$36.99
Available from smittenkittenonline.com
This spanking set by Seagrape Apothecary is a convenient introduction to the sensuality of an erotic spanking scene. The kit contains spanking powder, a handmade leather slapper, edible cocoa honey dust (and a feather to apply it with), and a sample-size massage candle, all packaged in a handy clear plastic travel pouch.
The folks at Seagrape Apothecary suggest you start by sensually smoothing the spanking powder on your bottom’s bottom. Then create some impact clouds by using the included handmade leather slapper, another impact toy—or, of course, your hand. Follow your spanking session with some tender aftercare by applying the edible cocoa honey dust and lovingly kissing it away, or using the included soy massage candle to give a warm back rub.
Seagrape Apothecary, located in Portland, Ore., specializes in handmade goods for self-care of body, psyche and spirit. The mission of Seagrape Apothecary is “to help you transform self-care into a love affair.” The company’s values statement highlights pleasure, beauty, community, embodiment and connection. To support these values, Seagrape Apothecary provides education and community space, “in hopes of helping folks cultivate self-care skills and trust in their own magic.” Seagrape Apothecary supports small, independent makers, teachers and farmers—especially those who are members of the queer, immigrant, indigenous and PoC communities (smittenkittenonline.com).
Intensely colorful bondage rope by Agreeable Agony
$9.99 (15 feet), $17.99 (30 feet)
You may remember that I wrote a few columns ago (in Lavender issue #661) about rope bondage being an excellent pandemic pastime. The bright colors of this 5/16” solid braid MFP (multifilament polypropylene) rope make it especially great for shibari and other decorative bondage.
MFP rope is durable, easy to care for, and affordable. Because this rope is made of a synthetic fiber, it is waterproof, and it also resists most oils and lubricants. The bright colors go all the way through the rope and are completely colorfast.
Unlike rope from the hardware store, this rope has been carefully made specifically for bondage and kink activities—soft and smooth on the skin, yet still able to hold a knot. This rope is available in lengths of 15 or 30 feet in many single colors, a rainbow-colored twist, and three-color twists of Unicorn Cupcake (aqua, rose pink, and purple) and Flaming Cupcake: a blacklight-reactive mix of aqua, hot pink, and purple.
Agreeable Agony, the maker of this rope, is a small company based in Massachusetts that specializes in unique handcrafted kink toys. The company’s motto is “Toys for pleasure, toys for pain.” The crafters, artisans, and kinksters at Agreeable Agony are committed to providing high-quality products to the kink community at reasonable prices. They also are committed to education, and to building community, through munches and classes (agreeableagony.com).
