Sunday 20 May 2018

Kink Crawl - Melbourne Rubber Men


Yesterday I attended the Rubber Kink crawl.
Organized by the Melbourne Rubber Men, the day saw a lunch at the Yorkshire Hotel, a demonstration at Eagle Leather, a lecture at Piercing HQ, finishing with celebrations and partying at The Laird.




Melbourne Rubber men are a social group of rubber and latex enthusiasts. Often meeting for luncheons or dinners before kink events, the group has also organized several events including their one year birthday party, and yesterday's Kink Crawl.


The Yorkshire Hotel
We started our crawl with a lunch at the Yorkshire Hotel. We had use of the fireplace room, which allowed some privacy from other pub goers in that they weren't walking through our group. The food was tasty and seemed reasonable for the price.
Being someone who isn't outgoing these kind of events are a bit nerve wracking, but everyone attending was lovely. And Martin (the organizer) was going about and talking to everyone.

Eagle Leather
We made our way down to Eagle Leather. They held a 20% off rubber sale for the group, but the staff, being as kind as they always are, extended it to items that weren't rubber.
BJ then did a demonstration of mummification bondage on John, Melbourne Rubber Man 2017. It was an interesting demonstration as I hadn't seen mummification in person.
Before BJ began he discussed different safety things, and ideas to keep in mind for different levels of mummification. For example, different communication systems if the mouth is gagged, and again if the hands are bound. To be aware of temperature, if the sub is on drugs (prescription or otherwise), if they have any injuries, etc.
We then watched as John was wrapped up in shrink wrap. As BJ did this he continued to give tips; covering the nipples with 10c coins and Band-Aids for easy access later (without cutting the nipple), twisting the wrap to get over the shoulders, putting a towel between the ankles/knees to help stop them knocking together.
I haven't had a chance to attend one of Eagle Leather's demonstrations before, but seeing this has definitely motivated me to make time to attend more, and learn from these people with so much experience.

Down An' Dirty
Down An’ Dirty sponsored the Kink Crawl, and provided show bags for those who attended. I had expected the show bags to be nothing special, with maybe lube and condoms and information, but they were full of a lot more. Included in them were safety shears, some rope, a wrist wallet, hand towel, drawstring bag, lube, and information on different organizations. They were essentially a little kink starter kit.
Down An’ Dirty is an organization which provides safe sex advice, and information on STIs for gay men. Alongside this they also provide information on kink and BDSM practices, such as breath control, tattoos, CBT, along with information on drugs and how they can affect you.    


Piercing HQ
After the mummification demonstration we headed down to Piercing HQ where Bella and Paulus gave a talk/Q&A on piercings. They discussed the process of Prince Alberts, along with aftercare of them and how play may effect this (e.g silicone lube and ecoli make infections much more susceptible in fresh piercings). They debunked myths; keeping a foreskin pulled back off a PA can cause paraphimosis, and put some concerns at ease, most men don’t feel the actual piercing of the penis, and it is normal to bleed for some days afterwards.
They covered how wearing latex may effect a new piercing, with lubricant getting inside and the pulling of a garment on. They also advised on not getting a piercing the day of an event, because otherwise it can get infected and other people are insensitive and will pull on it (e.g. nipple piercings)
Whilst Bella said she used to be strict in telling people not to do anything whilst the piercing heals, she has realized that people will want to try their new piercings out as soon as they can. So whilst they recommend to take a break from play, they also give advice on keeping the piercing safe such as wearing a condom to keep a PA clean and in place during sex. Their philosophy is if it is in bad pain then stop.
I really enjoyed the talk. Whilst I don’t think I would get a PA myself, hearing about the process and aftercare is interesting. I also didn’t know about the wide range of services Piercing HQ offer, from assisting in fixing piercing problems; such as adjusting old PAs that are starting to split the head of the penis (from decades before a proper method was established), to sterilizing sounding kits and metal and glass toys.
They clearly have decades of knowledge and experience, and if they can’t help you they will know someone who is kink and queer friendly who can.

The Laird
I ended my night at Piercing HQ, but the crawl continued on to the Laird. The Laird is Australia’s longest running gay owned and operated bar.
Though it is a male only venue, they do have open days for everyone several times a year. They offer all different kinds of parties and events for all different kinds of gay men. With 3 bars, a garden, and accommodation you are sure to find something you like at The Laird.

Overall the Kink Crawl was a fun and informative day. Thank-you to those who organized, and those who gave their time for demonstrations. If you’re into rubber and latex and after a social group I would recommend Melbourne Rubber Men.


Written by: Mushroom x Head

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