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Branding - 2/14/2004 5:39:01 AM

FriendlyMaster

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Joined: 1/1/2004
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I am somewhat a newbie Master and have one full time slave who would like Me to brand him. I seek advise IF this can be done SAFELY as well as procedures. While this is My full time live in slave and white, I do have a part time black slave. Appreciate any feed back, negative and posititive.

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RE: Branding - 2/14/2004 1:14:11 PM

Voltare

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From: Santiago, Chile
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greetings,

I'm not certain the race is an issue, but I would offer a few thoughts on the actual branding. Depending on your location, I would suggest visiting the more reputable piercing/tattoo shops. Do NOT be surprised if they do not offer the service - rather, ask them if they are familiar with anyone in your region who are experienced. Most tattooists and body piercers regularly attend conventions and regional gatherings where more specialized artists gather, i.e. branders, exotic piercers, etc. Branding has gained popularity in the Goth/Fetish realm, outside of the BDSM community. The first time I had heard of someone being branded, it was from a vanilla girlfriend who said she had a female friend who was branded because she wanted to be different.

I would STRONGLY urge you to consider the nature of the brand though! Unless you have owned your slave for a significant period of time (this differs of course, but for a tattoo or brand, I would expect no less then three years) and fully expect to keep this slave for many more years to come, I would urge the brand to either be of a non-personal nature (in Goreanism, a cursive 'k' for kajira for example, as opposed to the initial or mark of the actual owner) or possibly to wait until certain time/committment conditions have been met i.e. one year of continuous servous, and a willingness to commit another five years, etc.

Premature marking of a slave in this fashion is on par with getting a girlfriend/boyfriend's name tattood on your chest after dating for only a few weeks. Sure, it's a romantic idea for some, but a few weeks is simply not enough to gauge the long term realistic possibilities.

Stephan

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RE: Branding - 2/15/2004 12:22:54 PM

DaddyGrey

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Joined: 1/15/2004
From: Pacoima, CA
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Friendly,
Branding on human skin is tricky, tricky! Besides the very pertinent consideration of being sure you are going to stay with this person for a loooong time, there is the actual health and safty aspects to consider. As with anything you are not familiar with, prepare in advance. Gather information, take classes, find out what you need to know before you begin.

There are two basic methods of branding or heat-marking. Drawing and single strike. The drawing method can be done with a cautery tool available from med supply houses. It is a battery powered device with a heated wire element at the tip. This heated tip may be lightly drawn over the skin and used to make even some very complex patterns and designs. It requires a very steady hand and clear closeup vision to do it right.

Single strike it just what it sounds like. A quick strike of a heated piece of metal. Human skin is thin, unlike thick hide of cattle. You need to carefully select what you want to use as a branding iron and do NOT over heat it. Do NOT press hard! you want the branding iron hot, not incandecent. A light, quick strike is what you aim for, not a prolonged pressing. You want to consider the design or mark itself, as well. Over complex designs seldome come out well with traditional single strike brands. but you can use several quick strikes to compose a design of some more complexity than one strike would allow.

With whichever method you choose practice on raw chicken breast with skin first. Practice a LOT before you touch brand to living skin! The danger of pressing too hard and burning too deeply is very real! Better to get a light mark which may fade over time and then do it over (as a recommitment ritual, even) than to cause harmful over burning, damage to nerves and muscle tissue or disfiguring scars rather than the brand design you and your slave wanted. And in regards to scarring be aware that different skin types scar differently. In this area race is at times a factor as many darker skinned folk get keloid scarring more easily. Keloids are puffy, raised scars. This is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what texture you may want in your design.

If you are in an area where there is an active Leather or BDSM community, please try to find those who have experience with this activity. either as doers or recievers. Talk to them. If you can find a workshop or training seminar I encourage you to go and then talk with the instructors about your plans afterward.

I hope this gives you some information to work with, but I must repeat again,.....find someone who has sucessfully done this a number of times to learn from. Don't just try it without instruction/supervision.

In Leather,
Daddy Grey

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RE: Branding - 2/15/2004 12:30:03 PM

Estring

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My advice is do not do it yourself! Find someone who is reputable and experienced. This will be a permanent marking. I would make sure it is done right.

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RE: Branding - 2/15/2004 1:51:14 PM

Wolfspet

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Hi,
Not a Master, (he reads but does not post..), but "temp" branding is a frequent part of our play, and lasts for about 6 months to a year.

Please feel free to mail me with any questions.

Dianne

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RE: Branding - 2/16/2004 1:01:25 PM

hisbijou

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i think Wolfspet has sound advice, as i have thought a few times that a relationship was to be permanent, but am happy now that no One's marks are on me! At the time, it was something i wanted badly.....i am grateful they did not grant me my request!
be well,
bijou

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RE: Branding - 2/25/2004 10:58:27 PM

Sorostitute

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Joined: 2/23/2004
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IMO, I would suggest finding a professional to do it.

Branding someone yourself without proper training could result in SEVERE infection.
Not to mention, it will almost never come out the way that you want it to. (I have seen many self done brands, and they all look pretty crappy.)

It will be difficult to find someone to do this for you, you will probably have to visit several tattoo/piercing specialists. Most professionals do not advertise the fact that they will do this kind of body modification. It is risky and painful, and not exactly legal. If you are straightforward and tell them exactly what you are wanting, then they will either politely refuse, give you the name of someone who might do it, or arrange a discreet consultation with you and the person to be branded. Make sure to only bring this up when there are no other customers present, otherwise the answer will almost definitely be a no.

I feel like I should also note that skin color does play a part in branding. African americans who are branded tend to scar differently than caucasians. Their scars will be whitish in color and raised, also known as "keloiding." Caucasian skin will generally scar lighter and thinner, and will almost never keloid.

Sorry for the long post, this is a major interest of mine :-)

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RE: Branding - 11/14/2004 6:57:38 PM

DominaSadista

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As far as the keloiding, there is a process I'd heard of ca;;ed "etching," in which a tattoo needle without ink is used. It creates scaring and, unlike a tatoo, you are ENCOURAGED to pick at the scab. Then it bleeds )or if you were too cautious, they repeat the process), and so on until a raised and discolored area is established regardless of skin composition of melanism.

I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that the same "scab picking" tecnique would work with a cautery or branded design, as well, as long as it was not to intricate. Any oe know about this???

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RE: Branding - 11/14/2004 9:01:15 PM

LadyJane

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I second DaddyGrey's point of being very certain that you both desire this for a long term relationship and have mutually shared the commitment for that.

I will not even tatoo someone less than 12 months in service with Me. Not going to happen. If, after a year, I and the sub, both desire the ongoing relationship, then permanent marking will be part of the discussion.

Lady Jane

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RE: Branding - 11/16/2004 9:59:43 PM

LadySonelle

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From: Santa Fe NM
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HFirst. I echo everyone else. WAIT at *least* a year! Yes, your slave wants it. But just because a slave wants something does not necessarily mean that thing is good for the slave... or you! I've seen many a sweet subbie with eyes bigger than their butts.

Second, you can use this waiting period to good effect. Have a certain goal in mind that, when reached, will make branding the reward. Have your slave lose that last 5 pounds, learn to use Linux, drive a stickshift or learn French... make the branding a reward. You, also, must use the interim time to *learn* at the hands of someone who DOES it. Don't try to read a book and then go out and do it. UH-uh!

I have been practising BDSM for 23 years and I do not do branding. It's edgeplay and it's top level skill. Consider having the brand done by someone else who is an expert.

During ther wait time, also, you can experiment with designs and placement. Take a surgical marking pen and draw the design on your slave where you want it to go. See how it looks. Have them wear it for a while. In selecting designs, straight lines look better than curv4s, but sharp angles (while pretty) often mar or blur because of the concentration of heat at the point. NEVER do a colsed loop design such as D R P B or O or anything like that. The skin inside the dircle may well die making a NASTY and quite ugly scar. If you want to do a closed loop letter try "stencil' style such as ( ) for O and | ) for D, etc.

I have seen brands done with irons, cauteries and even bent paperclips.
Oh, and when you *do* brand... make certain that not only is your hand steady, but your slave is bound tight. The very natural "flinch" can ruin the brand. As I said, consider having an expert do it.

Hope this helped some...

Lady Sonelle

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RE: Branding - 11/28/2004 5:56:17 PM

faithNZ

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From: New Zealand
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Although i am relatively new to the lifestyle, i wouldn't even consider branding anyone or being branded. i do have a medical background and have seen some nasty burns. The problem is that a branding would be a 3rd degree or full thickness burn, which would result in the nerves being destroyed on the burn itself and the surrounding nerves would probably also have some damage. There is also a large risk of infection and then there is the aftercare that would be required whether or not an infection set in.
Don't do it unless it is a fully committed relationship and you can get it professionally done. In New Zealand, it is considered assault, even with permission from the 'victim' and the brander can wind up on charges (or it was a while back, big ho har in the papers about it for a couple of days).

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RE: Branding - 11/28/2004 7:52:58 PM

proudsub

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quote:

The problem is that a branding would be a 3rd degree or full thickness burn, which would result in the nerves being destroyed on the burn itself and the surrounding nerves would probably also have some damage.

Does it have to be a 3rd degree burn to leave a scar? I have a nice scar from a burn from my lawnmower and I doubt if it was 3rd degree.

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RE: Branding - 11/28/2004 8:00:52 PM

stef

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No, it doesn't have to be a 3rd degree burn to leave a scar.

~stef

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RE: Branding - 11/28/2004 8:16:05 PM

MistressDREAD

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Since You are not experianced in branding but desire to learn there is quite a bit here on site about the processes with pictured details. Change your top area to 365 days and most all of the posts to the site will show up for You to research back about 6 months and should find much on Your questions on Branding.
The other process of perminant marking that was talked here with the needle is done by deep scratching and is a repeatitive process which a needle is used to etch into the skin the design and then the ashes from tobacco rubbed into the scratch etching. This is done repeativly over a couple of weeks time with the scab being pulled and the design re etched and ashes reapplyed till the desired mark is acheived and the raising of the skin is at the leval desired. ( This originated in Africa and is a current ritual still practiced in many tribes. Bamboo is carved into the sharp objects thats used. ) Remember safe applications of such needs to have gloves on when handling any thing with body fluids and needles that have been sterilized or one use needles that are disposed of after each use. Sum Sadists use knifes for the same procedure. ~smiles~ JMO

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