Silicone
What is silicone?
Silicone is a synthetic elastomer (technical name for rubber) derived from the complex processing of silica or quartz. It is a non-organic material in that its molecular “backbone” is made up of bonded Silicon and Oxygen atoms, rather than the organic model, which is Carbon – Carbon. In part due to this lack of hydrocarbons, silicone is not flammable. It also will not melt under a flame, but please don’t try this, it will still turn to ash and harm your toy. It is also the non-organic nature of Silicone that makes it so prefered by most toy afficiondos. Silicon (without the “e”) is the second most abundant element on the earth, after oxygen. Silicon is not found in the pure form in nature as it has a strong affinity for oxygen and readily forms oxides with it. The process involved in deriving the Silicon from these oxides such as silicon ore, quartz, quartzite and silica is one that is energy dependant.
To get Silicone to turn from a flowing substance to its solidified, final rubber state a catalyst is added which then triggers the curing process or ‘vulcanization’ as it is called.
Because of cured silicone’s relatively simple chemical make-up and resistance to moisture and oils it displays exceptional biocompatibility and is consequently widely used in the medical field. Please don’t confuse the silicone horrors of early breast implants with the silicone used to produce my toys and any other silicone toys for that matter. There are 100′s of different types of silicones created for many different purposes from cosmetic, to food, bio implants, industrial and now….toys.
Why is silicone better than vinyl?
Most of the toys on the marketplace today are made from sort of vinyl. Why? Because it is a byproduct of petroleum and therefore available in abundance. You can pick out vinyl by its strong plastic like, or sometimes, burnt smoky odor. Any of the super soft materials like jelly or the pink flesh-like feeling ones are all vinyl based. The issue that many toy afficianados have with vinyls is the toxic plasticizers that are required to make it soft. Since the lining of your rectum is designed to absorb, anything that you insert there will run the risk of entering into your bloodstream, the danger of which is enhanced even more if you’re wearing plugs for long periods at a time.
Because vinyl is a heat vulcanized material any heat it is subjected to in cleaning and sterilizing acts to slowly breakdown the material itself and release more of the plasticizer. If you’ve ever had a toy get gummy, soft, brittle or melt other toys it touches this is why. Eventually cleaning them becomes impossible or they just end up breaking or too sticky to use.
Never remelt vinyl and try to recast it or try to smooth cuts with heat as the smoke contains dioxin along with other harmful chemicals.
Why is silicone better than rubber?
Latex, although much cheaper as a raw material, is an organic substance and will react with oils, mild acidic substances, even water and body fluids and will quickly deteriorate. Anyone who has had experience with latex toys knows that you can’t expect them to last for very long. This gradual breakdown of the surface will create an environment ideal for harboring bacteria and the heat and moisture needed to sterilize latex toys actually harms them even more. Latex will also lose its moisture over time to shrink and harden considerably.
I decided to use only Silicone when I discovered that the reason the particular large, imported toys I had been buying were being made from a type of latex. Not one has survived more than 2 years and one began to “peel” after only 3 play sessions. Silicone, in addition to being long lasting, strong and flexible, transmits body heat much more efficiently and therefore makes it more comfortable to play with as well.
What kind of lubes can I use?
I personally prefer a mix of water-based and Crisco, but I have found that water, j-lube or oil based lubes are all safe to use on my toys. The word on silicone based lubes is that I must advise caution and perhaps to avoid using them altogether.
A few other manufacturers of silicone toys have not recommended their use. I have not had any short-term adverse effects on my own toys by using silicone lube, nor have I yet to receive negative feedback from fellow players. It does raise the question however of what the effects might be over the long haul. I personally don’t prefer silicone lubes simply because I cannot ever get it all off once play is over. There is always some lube left on the toys to attract dirt.
But, there are literally thousands of different types of silicone, so maybe those manufacturers are using one that reacts adversely to silicone based lube. I did read on one site that they used a microwave to “cure” their product, which indicates to me they are using a silicone completely foreign to me. No heat is used in my production process. Another plausible reason would be that they know how well silicone adheres to itself in casting, but this only applies to silicone in the uncured state, not in the state you find the toy or lube. As a result, this could just be a precautionary measure on their part.
Why are silicone toys more expensive?
The nature of Silicone being a manufactured substance makes it considerably more expensive than latex or vinyl as a raw material (upwards of 7 to 10 times more expensive). Casting silicone is also a very labor intensive process and requires a certain level of technical know-how. But Silicone is unsurpassed in its quality and suitability to making toys, namely durability, sterility and imperviousness to water and oils, which more than justified the expense for me. I often remind people that, originally, I began creating these only for myself and spared no expense nor sacrificed quality or safety at the time. I continue to carry this attitude with me as I develop the line and sell to my friends and the public in general…not choosing to compromise quality or the artisic process for a buck. This is what most makes them unique in my eyes.
It is my goal to offer the best value for large silicone toys anywhere. I’d like to know if you find comparably sized Silicone toys elsewhere for less. Beware of companies misrepresenting what they actually use, if it’s marked “Silicone” and the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Pure silicone lacks the odor you find with other, cheaper materials.
Are your toys very flexible?
How much give do they have?
I formulate my silicone to have a nice ‘cushiony’ spring to it but still be firm enough so it can stand up on its own for handsfree play and make it easy to handle. My toys are definitely softer than most of the hard latex ones, and even more importantly, they don’t harden with age either. They are definitely not pliable to the point of jelly toys or some of the really soft vinyls. From both a creator’s and a users’s standpoint, I feel that if a toy is well designed there really is no need for the rubber to have excessive give. I have tried to find that balance between comfort, feel and durability. Overall, silicone is stronger and will flex much more than vinyl or latex can.
New for 2006, recent advances in silicone technology have allowed me to introduce a SuperSoft silicone in limited shapes. Its about half as soft as my original formula.
