The opposite of cheap - Steelwerks Extreme cage/experience review

Discussion in 'Chastity device reviews' started by latexsissy, Sep 29, 2019.

  1. latexsissy
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    latexsissy Active member

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    I haven't really found a full description of what it's like ordering a cage from Steelwerks Extreme in Canada here, so I thought I'd add my two cents (ok, more like two dollars) about what it was like ordering mine. This'll be pretty long but hopefully informative to others considering taking the plunge on the Rolls-Royce of chastity.

    This post will cover both the cage I ordered and the experience of ordering from them.

    Background:
    I've been playing around with chastity for the past 15-20 years or so, and I wanted to move to a serious cage for extended term wear; something with the option for 24/7 if that's the way I wanted to go. I've always had a couple of issues with the cages I've used in the past, though:

    1. Sizing! No matter how short I make them, they always seem too long. I grow from about 2 1/4" to about 7", and I always end up with the base ring pulling against my balls, and a couple of inches of exposed skin on my penis. Not the most attractive or comfortable look.

    2. Pulling on my piercing. I have a 4 gauge PA, and since I grow quite a bit, I've always had difficulties with too much movement pinching the skin around my piercing's exit hole against the cage body. Uncomfortable but not in a fun way.

    So I've long wanted a maximum security penis prison that's comfortable for me and also looks great. Enter Steelwerks.

    Getting started:
    Steelwerks, if you're not familiar with them, are the king and queen of bespoke chastity cages - Chris is the machinist and mad scientist who makes everything, while J runs the business side of things and provides support both pre- and post-delivery. They also make custom BDSM toys, and will even make customized keys for your keyholder to show off. If you can imagine it, they can probably figure out a way to make it happen. Want spikes for playtime? Want your keyholder's name and "Property of" engraved on the base ring? Want a matching anal plug? Yeah, they'll do that.

    I got a response back within two days to my measurements and desires, and we went back and forth on both style and price. Based on my measurements, they recommended the "short story" model as the base. That one's essentially a straight cap for the head, attached to the base ring at the top center. I added a scrotal cuff for support. As it turns out, those come in three standard sizes - medium is most common for folks, but based on measuring tips they gave me, I went with small. I also decided, since my piercing is stretchy, to go up to 2 gauge as that's the smallest size they do a "J-bar" style piercing jewelry. The J-bar they use is hollow inside to allow for less mess when urinating, and that appealed to me as well; don't want something so pretty smelling like stale pee.

    A word on cost:
    I can't stress enough that this is not a cage if you're just starting out, or if you're unsure of your measurements, or if you're unsure of the lifestyle. The most basic items of theirs start out at about US$1000, and can go up pretty quickly. If you want titanium instead of stainless steel (can be any colour you want, of course, and so, so light!) expect to double the price. Want gold? They'll do that too, but hold on to your hat for that quote...

    That said, they're happy to provide no-obligation quotes for anything you want, and are very understanding if you want to "value engineer" after the sticker shock wears off. Payment is 50% up front, and 50% on completion, by wire transfer only. My order time was quoted as 8-10 weeks, but due to circumstances beyond everyone's control that aren't really important to this post, it ended up being about 20 weeks.

    Unboxing and construction:
    Delivery was in a small fabric bag, well packed in a shipping box. I did a tear down to photograph everything included:

    IMG_2603.jpg

    Things of note:

    - There are a total of six security screws that hold the device in place. The four small ones include two for attaching the base ring to the top bar, one to hold the scrotal cuff in place around the scrotum, and one for the piercing J-bar. The two larger ones are to attach the cage body to the top bar of the base ring, and the scrotal cuff to the bottom of the base ring. The screws are slightly different lengths, so you know which is which (the cuff screw is slightly longer).
    - The base ring top bar swivels open if only one screw is attached, so it's very easy to swing it into place when putting the cage on or taking it off.
    - Included were two base rings - one to which the scrotal cuff can be attached, and one for wearing without the cuff. A nice gesture.
    - Two keys were included.

    You can see the J-bar construction up close and personal here, including the exit hole on the front and the urine entry hole on the inside:

    IMG_2605.jpg IMG_2604.jpg


    And to attach it, you seat the small steel ball in the other end, then screw it in place, resulting in:

    IMG_2606.jpg

    The ball spins freely when the screw is in place, and it protects the screw head from being grabbed and removed without the key. Pretty ingenious if you ask me!

    Put it all together, and you get:
    IMG_2602.jpg

    The quality of all pieces is just phenomenal; there's no rough edges anywhere and everything's polished to a mirror finish. Total weight is 208 grams; about 7.3 ounces.

    Fit and day-to-day:

    As you might expect, this stays put and stays put well. At 63mm (2.5" or so) from tip to base ring, things stay very well confined. With the cuff on, there's pretty much no tugging on my piercing at all. The slot the j-bar goes in on the underside prevents any side-to-side movement, and forward-to-back the jewelry never reaches the ends of the slot, so pinching is more or less a thing of the past.

    When I get hard, there's about 1/4-1/2" movement forward, and things just stop cold at that point. There's some bulging, but otherwise you wouldn't really know the difference. Between the lack of growth and the almost complete inability to touch my head, there's not going to be any possibility of escape.

    Urination is cleaner than with other devices, but not entirely; there's still a few drips. I still sit down to pee and wipe up afterwards. But it's considerably cleaner than anything else I've used.

    Cleaning is my standard routine: Dr. Bronner's liquid soap and q-tips in the shower, with the occasional bath for deeper cleaning.

    One thing I've noticed is that with the squared-off edges on the base ring, I need to apply a bit more lotion to prevent chafing. Especially at night, I find I use a small amount of vaseline around the inside. The first week I wore it I got a pretty bad chafe on one side of my scrotum, but between the vaseline and an occasional application of Lanacane anti-chafing gel things cleared up quickly. I might yet get a larger base ring in the future to see if the problem goes away. Otherwise, I really don't have any complaints. I'm hoping to last through Locktober in it at this point.

    Conclusion:

    I'm cautiously optimistic that this will be the last device I may ever buy. Steelwerks do a phenomenal job, and if you're looking for the end-all, be-all in cages, this will be hard to beat.

    That said, there are plenty of cheaper cages out there that work for people, so you may want to exhaust those options before you spring four figures on the cage of your dreams. One thing's for sure though, it's unlikely you'll be disappointed if you do go for it.
     
  2. amareine
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    amareine Long term member

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    hard to bike with it....
     
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  3. latexsissy
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    latexsissy Active member

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    Heh, honestly, not so hard at all! Though that was a concern.

    I've been biking to and from work in it both of my most recent lockups, and it's been fine, especially if I go just a little slower than normal. The most difficult part has been getting hair caught in it occasionally, which is just a reminder for me to shave again.

    (It also probably doesn't hurt that I ride a women's bike, without the crossbar.)
     
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  4. ValleyMichael
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    ValleyMichael Junior Member

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    Have you used a device which secures with a prince's wand? How does it compare? The slot seems like it allows for a bit of give which could reduce stress on the piercing.
     
  5. latexsissy
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    latexsissy Active member

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    I've never used a prince's wand for security for a couple of reasons:

    - Too sensitive, and
    - Seems like an express ticket to a UTI unless the cap on the end seals really well.

    The slot is a godsend for me, and has solved almost all of my piercing stress issues. No lateral movement means no sideways pulling on the piercing hole. I've been locked up for 16 days straight now and I've only noticed a couple of structural issues:

    - The bondage ring has a tendency to get looped around the bottom ball of the piercing and then pulls backwards. This feels a bit funny but doesn't seem to be an issue - I'd be much more worried if it pulled forwards as I don't have that much room left to give there.
    - Even with the urine hole in the J-bar, I still get some drippings after I pee. It takes some effort to wipe up the leftovers. I've taken to having a quick shower before bed to clean things out.
     
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  6. ValleyMichael
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    ValleyMichael Junior Member

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    Wouldn't you have the same UTI issue with an uncapped j-bar as a prince's wand? After all, they both go into your urethra. Prince's wands do all seem to be quite long, though, much longer. I'm not sure why.
     
  7. latexsissy
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    latexsissy Active member

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    #7 latexsissy, Oct 15, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2019
    You've hit on the problem - the wand would be *much* longer than my bar and goes much further up. Otherwise there'd be a greater UTI risk from just leaving a PA without jewelry in it, since the lower hole would be open. Also, PW tubes tend to be much larger diameter than mine, with a much larger opening for backflow to go up into the bladder.
     
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  8. TomInAustin
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    TomInAustin Long term member

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    Great review, I have been looking at the short story for years and yours is the first complete review I have seen. They will do a custom measure for you so I am thinking of going up there. If I am going to buy a 2k titanium cage, a few hundred more for a flight is not that bad. My fear is fit, it would suck to spend that kind of money and not get a good fit.
     
  9. latexsissy
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    latexsissy Active member

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    That was definitely a concern of mine, but I couldn't really justify a flight from Europe to Montreal for it. I was hoping they'd come over here for an event of some kind but they had no plans at the time I ordered.

    As it turns out I did OK on my own, but if you can afford the trip and the time I'd go for it.
     
  10. TomInAustin
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    TomInAustin Long term member

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    I have enough points to fly free from Texas so it makes sense to let them measure. If they screw it up, it's on them.
     
  11. Alceste
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    Alceste Chaste Member

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    I have a short story cage, which I have been wearing since mid 2014. Some pictures are in my gallery.

    The fit is very good, no erections, totally secure with a PA lock.
     
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  12. friscoboi
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    friscoboi Member

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    Thank you for this VERY detailed review. I just requested a quote this morning to get an idea. However, I want to wait until I have an engaged keyholder or life partner before I splurge on this. I have a Custom Rigid 11 at the moment and I'm really enjoying the chaste lifestyle.
     
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