Model 04 - “Halfshell” chastity device from RigidChastity.com (Poland)

There isn’t nearly enough information out there about this fantastic product, so here’s my attempt to redress the balance. This is the device in question: http://rigidchastity.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=65&product_id=63

TL;DR: its great!

I decided to order this custom device after waiting patiently for a review from chastity blogger extraordinaire Thumper at https://denyingthumper.com/2016/11/15/rigid-chastity-halfshell-review/ which turned out to be an excellent and thorough write-up. Subsequent posts from him demonstrate that he really likes it beyond its initial appeal and it has become his primary device. That’s quite an endorsement.

Getting a custom device is an expensive affair and involves a long wait for it to be produced, during which time you will worry a lot about whether you got the dimensions correct (they can’t really be changed later). I will make this one recommendation very strongly: make sure you know what sizes work/don’t work for you.

Personally, I have tried around ten (much) cheaper devices on my journey to find one I really like. This helped me massively in knowing what sizes to specify. I think it’s great that there is such choice, and the market for Chinese-manufactured devices available on dhgate.com etc. seems to have matured beyond “cheap knock-offs” to some well made and innovative designs of their own. However, not one seller seems to be producing something equivalent to the likes of the premium device crafters like Rigid Chastity. And while I liked a lot of the devices I tried, they all fell down on one point or another. Sometimes it was rough edges, bad tolerances/wobbling/clanking, etc. But usually the downside was that they turned out to be escapable. Yes, chastity is supposed to be partly in your mind; I get that. But I fall into the camp of thinking that there’s nothing hotter than a device that you GENUINELY can’t escape (or “get off in”, if you know what I mean). The Halfshell seemed to be just the ticket and I agree with Thumper’s reason’s for selected it.

You may have heard that Rigid Chastity take a long time to deliver and that their communications are a bit sub-par. I did find them quite slow to reply on occasions and I had to keep prompting for an update. Also, the device took ten weeks from order to delivery: three weeks longer than the initial estimate. But the communications were all polite and in plain English. Here’s a breakdown for the curious:

• 8th Feb: I ordered the device. As others have mentioned, the payment gets taken and you get nothing in return. However, I was anticipating this, thanks to others’ advice, so I didn’t immediately panic that I’d been conned. I emailed to confirm the order.
• 10th Feb: after two days I finally heard from Adrianna, who thanked me for the order and said it would take approximately 7 weeks. This meant I was expecting to receive the device at the start of April.
• 6th March: (Four weeks after ordering) I emailed to ask if there was any change to the estimated completion.
• 7th March: Adrianna said it might possibly be ready at the end of March (as originally estimated).
• 3rd April: I emailed again to ask if there was any update (since the device was expected to be ready at this point).
• 8th April: Adrianna replied to say it would ship the middle of the next week.
• 21st April: (Ten weeks since ordering) I emailed to ask if there is a tracking number. (In other words, “HAS IT SHIPPED YET?!”)
• Sat 22nd April: Adrianna replied to say it still needed a few hours of polishing to get the perfect mirror effect and would ship on Monday. She emailed a bit later to say she had managed to finish the device and get it shipped with the Saturday mail.
• 26th April: The device arrived home in England, safe and and sound.

So as you can see, while it was quite a wait, Adrianna did politely respond to my nagging and gave her best estimate for completion, which was appreciated. It is obvious from the build quality, fit and finish of the device that this is not something that can be knocked out in a couple of hours. A lot of work goes into planning it, making it, testing the mechanism and polishing it.

I ordered the device with a ring size of 50 mm, cage diameter of 47 mm, a length of 50 mm and an S-hook of 5 mm / 4 ga. I really agonised over the first three dimensions; after reading other’s experience it felt like it would be impossible to get right. However, as I mentioned, my experience with other devices meant I knew what wouldn’t work. One of those things would be a ring diameter less than 50 mm. For sellers that offer a range of ring sizes, this is usually the upper limit. That fact alone would ordinarily be enough to make me think it’s not the right choice for me, however, I know very well that I cannot bear a smaller diameter. In fact, even rings of 50 mm play havoc with my skin fairly quickly. It will take quite a while for me to get used to the burning, but that is mostly an issue with my anatomy rather than a criticism of the device. If I were to change just one thing, given the chance to order again, it would be to ask for a custom base ring size of a few more millimetres. I am not circumcised and I do not shrink to a tiny size, ever; I have a fair amount of skin to pack away inside this thing. Considering how important it is to go SHORT on this device (to avoid pulling), I knew that I would be expanding in other directions and bulging outwards. In this regard, I believe it was absolutely the right decision to select the 47 mm internal cage diameter. Again, this is the upper limit on the selection menu, but the advice on the Ridgid Chastity site - albeit for a different model - suggested that the 37 mm would be too small. That advice definitely seemed to be right. As for the length, well, I believe I got that correct too because it’s short enough to ensure pulling doesn’t happen and just long enough that I can just about squeeze the sections together to put the thing on. So while this doesn’t give me an immediate snugness around the girth, it does make me feel packed in tight in a comfortable and reassuring way. I think that “shorter and fatter” is also a better way to go for a less visible bulge, too. (Again, after trying various different tube-like devices I have never found a benefit to a narrow fit; it just causes unhappy skin, difficulty fitting and discomfort for me.)

So, it’s early on. I’ve had the device a couple of days, over which I’ve given it something like 12-15 hours on and off to get used to it. It feels great and I think I’m going to come to love it with time. However, I did not manage to make it through a night. This was purely down to the issue with the base ring - or rather with me - as I mentioned; the rest of the device seems fine. I think/hope I can get used to this, or adapt a bit physically to the point where even the 50 mm diameter no longer feels really tight. Then I’ll be able to sleep through. As things stand, it’s going to stop me getting to sleep because of burning, which only seems to happen at night.

Incidentally, the design is slightly changed from the images on the site. Now, instead of the base ring having holes and the central/hook ring having posts, it’s the base ring that has posts: both the posts on the base ring and the posts on the shell go into the receiving tubes on the central ring. I don’t think this makes much (any) difference but must have been seen as an improvement by the designers, or perhaps makes it easier to build. It looks the same when it’s put together, anyway.

Over all I’m really happy with the Halfshell and I think it’s a fantastic, secure, well-made and good-looking design, made with care and attention to detail. I really want to get used to it so I can wear it longer and hand over the key. I highly recommend this product. However, if you’re thinking of ordering, I urge you to bear in mind the following:

1. Don’t make this your first device. Do some experimentation with other devices so you know what dimensions work for you, especially the ring diameter. Then reduce the length for this particular product, because the PA fixing is - as the name suggests - rigid. You will really regret making it too long. You almost can’t go too short.
2. Be patient. This is a custom made product built to order. When it arrives you’ll know it was worthwhile.

 

Update: It's been a week of having the device on and off. I think I'm getting used to it. The Halfshell is great and I'm really pleased with it. It's like my dream device after so many disappointing ones. It's still the tight base ring that is giving me any trouble at all but I think I'm getting accustomed to it and managing it with cream/oil which does a good job of preventing soreness from persisting. This morning I woke up in chastity for the first time ever: every prior attempt (in any device) has resulted in me having to give up due to pain in the small hours. Tomorrow morning will be the first time I've been locked almost continuously for 24 hours. Since the device is new - and a PA-secured one - I've taken it off a couple of times to check that it's not damaging me (it's not) and that cleaning with the shower is effective (it is).

 

In my humble opinion, the end product is well worth it and I think you'll be very happy with it if you got the measurements right. Part of the reason for me writing this post is because I feel some sympathy for Rigid Chastity. They're not a big company or even mass producing these things in any way; each device is custom made to order and it would take considerable time to craft even if they were ready to get started as soon as you sent payment. My friendly advice is to cut them some slack and try to "enjoy the anticipation", rather than "suffer the delay". You'll be rewarded with a very high quality product made just for you, which you've earned and waited patiently for.

 

Yes, I just think Adrianna would rather be working on crafting than answering emails. And if she quoted any longer on the delivery estimates potential customers might be put off. It's a balancing act, I expect. And, yes, short is essential. I'm glad I took the advice to get the wider shell because everything can just squash up in their and fill out. It has the benefit of feeling somehow "spacious" but not affording any usable access - I love it! If it were any longer I would find the rigid hook (the whole point) would be worrying me constantly.

 

I've really no idea and I admit I'm curious too. Perhaps they can answer if they're reading this! I get the impression it's a couple. All my emails were from Adrianna and that's apparently who was polishing the device for the final stage. That's all I can tell you.

 

I'd like to help you by showing what it looks like when not in use (I'm not interested in showing it in use).
Unfortunately it is in use and I'm in no position to change that. Sorry :/