Glossary BDSM
Clothespins
Also called · clothespin zipper · pegs · improvised clamps
At a glance
- In one line
- Ordinary spring pegs used as improvised clamps, applied in numbers across the skin.
- Usually looks like
- A line of pegs on the chest, thighs, or inner arms, sometimes strung on a cord and pulled off in sequence.
- Gear needed
- Yes, but they cost almost nothing and come from any supermarket, which is the appeal.
- Talk about first
- Where they go, how many, how long, and whether they come off one by one or all at once.
Clothespins are ordinary wooden or plastic laundry pins used as improvised clamps, applied to the nipples, the inner thighs, the sides of the chest, or anywhere a fold of skin can be pinched up. They cost almost nothing, which changes how they are used: people put on ten or twenty at a time rather than the one or two typical of purpose-made clamps.
Number and arrangement are the point. A single pin is a minor pinch, while twenty set out in lines is an experience of a different scale, both to look at and to endure. Spring tension varies widely between brands and can be reduced by swapping or bending the spring. The zipper, where a row of pins is threaded onto a string and pulled off in one motion, is the usual escalation and belongs in its own category.
People rate these high for the improvisation, the low cost, and the way an array feels as a whole rather than as individual points. Low scores tend to come from the sensation being a persistent dull pinch rather than something sharp, from the wooden-peg aesthetic, or from an unwillingness to take a zipper, which is what many people picture when they see the word.
What a score means here Clothespins
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0
Hard no: pinching pressure held on the skin is not something you want in either role.
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1–33
1–33: one or two on a forgiving spot, briefly, out of curiosity.
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34–66
34–66: a handful of pegs across the chest or thighs works well inside a scene.
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67–99
67–99: you want them in numbers, left on long enough to ache, and taken off deliberately.
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100
100: covering the body in pegs, and the zipper at the end, is the scene rather than a part of it.
Rating it
A low score means pinching pressure applied over time is not a sensation you want; a high score means you want it deliberately, and clothespins in particular scale in a way single clamps do not.
Common misconceptions
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Clothespins are the beginner version of clamps.
In practiceWooden pegs vary hugely in spring strength, and a stiff new peg can bite harder than an adjustable clamp set low. Test each one on a finger web first rather than assuming they are mild.
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A zipper is just taking them off quickly.
In practiceA zipper — pegs strung on a cord and pulled in one motion — concentrates every removal spike into a second. It is a distinct intensity and is worth negotiating separately from wearing the pegs at all.
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You can put them anywhere skin folds.
In practiceAvoid anywhere the pressure lands on nerves close to the surface, and keep them off broken or irritated skin. Twenty to thirty minutes is the outer limit anywhere, less on the nipples.
Worth knowing
Use time limits and check the skin under each pin, since loss of color, numbness, or coldness means take them off now. Removal hurts more than application and a zipper concentrates all of it into one second, so agree that in advance rather than adding it as a surprise. Discard pins with weak or broken springs, which pinch unevenly.
About this item Frequently asked
Clothespins — questions people ask
how do you use clothespins in bdsm
Clothespins are used as improvised clamps, applied in numbers across areas with some skin to grip: the chest, the outside and inside of the thighs, the inner arms, the sides of the torso. The two variables are quantity and time, since one peg is mild and twenty is a scene. They are often strung together on a cord so the whole line can be pulled off in one motion, known as a zipper, which is the traditional finish.
how long can you leave clothespins on the skin
Twenty to thirty minutes is the outer limit on fleshy areas, and much less on the nipples, where five to fifteen minutes is the range. Pressure restricts blood flow, so the concern is tissue rather than discomfort — take them off before the area is fully numb. Watch for skin that stays white or blue after removal, and give the same spot a rest rather than reapplying immediately. Test each peg on the web of your hand first, since spring strength varies enormously between pegs even from the same packet.
what is a clothespin zipper
A zipper is a line of pegs threaded onto a length of cord or ribbon and pulled off in a single motion. Every peg's removal spike lands within about a second, which makes it far more intense than taking them off one at a time, and it produces the loudest reaction in most scenes. Negotiate it separately from the pegs themselves — plenty of people are happy wearing twenty pegs and want them removed individually. Set the cord loosely so the pull comes off cleanly rather than dragging.
whats the difference between clothespins and nipple clamps
Clothespins are cheap, numerous, and fixed in tension; nipple clamps are adjustable, shaped for the tissue, and designed for two points. That makes pegs the better choice when the appeal is coverage — a chest and both thighs lined with them — and clamps the better choice when you want controlled pressure on the nipples specifically for a longer stretch. Pegs also solve the discretion problem: a bag of clothespins in a shared flat needs no explanation and no delivery.
how should i score clothespins compared to other pain play
Score how much held pinching pressure appeals, separately from impact. On the 0–100 scale, 0 is a hard limit — no pegs, in either role. Low scores fit one or two on a forgiving spot out of curiosity. Middle scores fit a handful across the chest or thighs inside a longer scene. High scores fit wanting numbers, real duration, and the zipper at the end. Liking clothespins predicts liking clamps reasonably well, and predicts nothing at all about whether you want to be hit.
Appears on
This item appears on the BDSM test — one vial each.