Paper Clip - Instrument of the week, 04/01/2002

What makes the paper clip such a fine instrument, is its ability to be forced into small places without major tissue damage. The dull point, as opposed to a sharpened one, allows for more pressure to be put onto the skin without fear of puncture. This provides for greater nerve stimulation in a smaller area, and prolongs the period in which pain can be inflicted. Because there is significantly less tissue damage, it allows the practitioner to essentially run "laps" around the sensitive areas of the subject, giving ample time for each to recover before affecting a given area again.

The thickness of the paper clip can also play a large role in its usefulness. The thicker the gauge of wire in the clip, the greater the pressure that can be applied before it either bends or pierces the flesh.

For those times you do wish to puncture, the thinness of the paper clip allows for excellent burrowing. Once inserted under the skin, it can be pushed in further along the underside of the skin and other tissues. This creates a nice little "burrow" of pain, so to speak. From here it can be used as a lever, and by pulling upwards stretch the skin away from the bone until it tears, or by shifting the "handle" side to side, slowly create a pocket of inflamed nerves under the skin.

Something very important to keep in mind with a method such as this, is that there are many people who pierce their bodies in abundance for pleasure. Obviously these people will have a better resistance to this particular type of torture than others. But something important to keep in mind is that when a person pierces for pleasure, there is usually some sort of self-identifier that they associate with it. The number of people who self-identify with torture is much smaller. Thus the essence of fear plays a strong factor in this method. If a person is being pierced against their will, and the negative concepts of fear and domination (without safety) have been successfully introduced in the session, it will be harder for them to associate the pain with something they would normally enjoy for the "purity" and "clarity" of a piercing.

Areas to consider:

• Soft surface flesh, such as behind the ears or areas of the forearm. The backside of the knees is another good spot. Burrowing is excellent for the crook of the knee, since once a pocket is created, every time the knee is bent the injury will be aggravated further.
• Interior tissue. A personal favorite is the inside of the nose. A few well placed jabs into the nasal passage, and the subject will be begging you to stop.

Supplemental practices:

• Insertions. Once a burrow has been created, the entry hole can be used to insert any manner of pain inducing items. These can range from varieties of dried pepper, to broken glass, to larvae (depending on your timeframe and severity level).