The Art of Lovemaking: Starburst Fantasy Feather by Sportsheets

Even though ticklers are very simple, soft, and tend to be one of the lightest toys that can be used for introductory sensation play, I still have this love for them, regardless of my status of being an extreme sadist. They're just so sensual and cute, and they can be used in a variety of ways to tantalize and tease a partner. When I saw Sportsheets' Starburst Fantasy Feather tickler, and its price, I immediately wanted to buy it—honestly, how can you go wrong for $9?

The tickler came to me regularly packaged in Edenfantasys' discreet shipping box, but with a cardboard tag wrapped around the plastic. The tag did give some good ideas on how to use the tickler, like tracing the partner's body with it, blindfolding them and playing a guessing game of traced letters. It does not give any care instructions, but I found that to be alright, as my ticklers do not generally get dirty.

The feathers are surprisingly long at 7", and the total length of the shaft and handle of the tickler fairly short at 15 3/8". It's a very easy-to-manage tickler because of its size, and it's not intimidating, which is good for people new to sensation play. It's very simply designed—the shaft and handle are both made of a black plastic, glued together strongly. Considering the fact that the tickler will only be used for sensation play, and nothing rough, the tickler should hold up to most anything. The end of the handle is rounded off to make it comfortable to grip.

I will note here that the handle is 3½" in length, making it extremely short. Even though it's short, it does not make it difficult for those with larger hands to hold, simply because the entire thing is plastic.

Where the feathers are attached is another plastic piece (I'll call it a cap) that keeps all of the feathers together. They are glued into the cap, held together very sturdily. None have fallen out (though some little feather bits have floated off of the feathers), and I doubt that they will unless intentionally pulled on.

I bought the brown option, not only because is it a more natural coloring, but because it has this sprinkling of aqua throughout its feathers. The feathers have variation of light tan, white, black, brown, aqua, a sheen green, and grey. The combination of these colors works wonderfully. It's not dyed in any way, and it's not synthetic—it looks realistic, and though that might be off-putting to people who prefer vegan products, it is really beautiful.

At the base of the feathers are short, fluffy feathers, and the rest of the longer, smoother feathers are sprouting from the middle. It really does look like a starburst—if you hold the tickler straight up, all of the feathers curve out from the middle like a burst, or fireworks.

If the tickler ever becomes dirty, making a soft washcloth or paper towel slightly damp, then wiping the feathers with the grain should clean off anything. After cleaning the tickler, leave it out to dry thoroughly. Using a hairdryer on low power with cold air should work well to dry it, too.

So, for $9, does this little tickler do its job of making a partner's skin crawl in anticipation? Yes, it most certainly does. My favorite places to brush the tickler over are the stomach, back, bottom, and thighs. They're just such nice areas, because they are so sensitive. For individuals with penises, I definitely recommend running the feathers along the individual's shaft—it feels extremely good. The only thing that I do not recommend doing is dusting with this tickler, simply because it cannot be cleaned easily and you do not want to get it dusty. I mean, yes, it works well for dusting, but keeping it for sensual play is a better idea.

I am glad that I bought this tickler, not only because of its price, but because the feathers are so smooth and soft—they really do an excellent job at raising goosebumps. The feathers are absolutely luxurious, and it's just damned adorable and pretty. I love the softness of using a tickler, and the Starburst Fantasy Feather tickler gives that, and gives it well.

Interested? You can by your own over at my favorite sex toy shop for $9. They also sell great BDSM products, like cuffs, blindfolds, and floggers to get all of those "kinks" out. At the checkout, you can enter my partner code B5P for 15% off your total order!