Our beautiful but wicked replica Reformatory Paddle is made of firm, heavy 10 oz (4-5 mm) dense Oak Bark Tanned Harness Leather of the finest quality. The paddle measures 20 inches by 3 inches including a 7-inch moulded leather handle that is cross-laced at the back, making for a very comfortable grip. The blade is 12 inches long with six 1/4 inch holes to deliver a little extra sting. It is approximately 1/4 inch thick.
The paddle is ideal for using with the culprit standing or bending over a bed, desk or chair. It is as comfortable for the Top as it is uncomfortable for the bottom! Its size and weight make it the perfect deterrent for naughty boys and girls, especially when hung on its 3/4 inch nickel D ring as a deterrent for all to see.
In an anti-CP article by the director of the John Howard Society, the caption reads:
The paddle or strap used in Canadian penitentiaries and Reformatories is perforated so that the soft flesh of a man’s buttocks is drawn up and torn with each stroke. He usually can’t take more than a few strokes at a time.
Warden Allan of Kingston Penitentiary had a more innocent, aerodynamics-related explanation for the holes, to do with keeping the strap flat so that it did not turn and cut the prisoner.
All our implements are made from our thick Oak Bark Tanned Harness Leather and in a choice of Rich Tobacco Brown or Black. They are hand-crafted from beginning to end, made with care and attention for the perfect piece. It is bevelled and burnished to a glass-smooth finish, with a saddlers crease around the edge. Not only amazing to use and feel, but beautiful to the eye too.
Although we try to select the perfect piece of leather for our implements, sometimes the leather does have slight blemishes and grain. Also, because this is a natural material, colour may vary slightly from hide to hide. This however, we feel is what adds to its individual natural character.
ATTENTION: All our products require professional use to prevent unwanted injury. The London Tanners are not liable for any injury.
Nick, The London Tanners