Dancing with Sharps: Part 1
Don’t Cut Yourself: My Introduction to Knife Play
My first memory of being turned on by the idea of something sharp against my skin was when I was a teenager and watched the movie, Tank Girl. Lori Petty’s character is standing guard and thinks her boyfriend has walked up to her for some sexy time. She uses a sharp pair of scissors to cut off parts of her clothing and slice into the sheer stockings she is wearing. Upon rewatch, it’s a completely cheesy scene, and yet the sight of the blade of the scissors against her skin still gives me a little tingle between my legs. I never knew there was an actual kink for this and that other people were turned on by it too. When I learned about Knife Play, it was a bit of a light bulb moment for me.
Ever since I learned about Knife Play, I’ve tried to dissect why I am drawn to the idea of it, especially as a bottom. For me there is a combination of factors. I am a very tactile person and there is a strong sensory aspect to knife play. There is the feeling of the metal against skin, the coolness of the blade, the sharpness, the heavy feeling of the flat of the blade, and the contrast of the hard metal and soft skin. There are the mental aspects of Knife Play that also intrigue me. I like playing with the fear of being cut. I enjoy the mental challenge of the strength to hold my body perfectly still while the sensations make me want to wriggle. There is a focus on my body and breath, being fully present in the moment. These were all things that I innately knew played into my desire for a sensual Knife Play scene. But what I have learned is that the true magic of Knife Play is the exchange of energy between the Top and the bottom with the knife as the conduit of that energy.
So what is Knife Play exactly? Under wikipedia you will find this definition: “Knife play is a form of consensual BDSM edgeplay involving knives, daggers, and swords as a source of physical and mental stimulation. Knives are typically used to cut away clothing, scratch the skin, remove wax after wax play, or simply provide sensual stimulation.” It’s also important to understand what Knife Play is NOT. It is NOT deliberately cutting or piercing the skin. That is known as Blood Play, and while that can be combined with Knife Play, it is a separate kink entirely. However, Knife Play involves knives and sharp things. There is an inherent risk of being cut when playing with sharp objects. That is why it is crucial to vet your play partners carefully and to be risk aware. I practice both RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) and PRICK (Personal Responsibility Informed Consensual Kink) in my kink scenes, which deserves its own blog post. The crux is that I understand that there is a risk of being cut when I engage in this type of play, and that ultimately, I am responsible for my own safety and risk profile.
My first experience with Knife Play was during a wax scene that I was doing at my local dungeon. The Domme was very experienced and loved to Top in wax and remove the wax with a knife. I had bottomed in a wax scene with others before, where hot wax was dripped on my body and was removed with a cake frosting spatula, which is flat and blunt. On this occasion I knew the Domme would want to remove the wax with her knife, and I specifically wanted that experience from her. I was blindfolded as she dripped the wax, and the heat from the wax hitting my skin felt like a massage. I was very relaxed and felt aroused from the unexpected drips. When it came time to remove the wax, I asked her to remove the blindfold. I wanted to see the knife move across my skin. The visual of that sharp blade sliding under the wax, against my soft skin was completely mesmerizing. The physical sensations were even more incredible. I knew that I wanted this experience to not only be a sensory one for me but also an educational one. During our negotiation, I asked her if she would mind me asking questions and talking to her during the scene. Some Tops like to go into a very focused headspace, and I wanted the experience to be good for her too. She informed me that she enjoys talking about what she’s doing, and that if she needed me to be quiet, she would let me know. So we had a great conversation during the scene about how she was able to safely move the knife across my skin. I learned how to use the back of the blade to create the sensations safely and the difference between a cut and a scratch in Knife Play. That experience left me feeling relaxed, exhilarated, and even more curious to further my interest.
During Covid, I took up the hobby of knife throwing and also began to collect knives. I love the power I feel throwing the knives and the satisfying sound they make when they hit the target perfectly. The focus and body control it takes to throw knives is very similar to the hyper focus I feel during Knife Play. I love the connection I feel with each of the knives in my collection. My husband and I have experimented with some Knife Play during a violet wand scene. He was grounded, and I used the back of my knife to give him some intense sensual play without danger of scratches or cutting. I enjoyed running the knife along his skin and watching him squirm and gasp. Being as safe as I could be with both the knife and him.
I have also engaged in Knife Play with my Bull. I love wearing a cheap body stocking specifically for him to cut off of me. I find the sounds of the fabric being cut and the feeling of the knife sliding between the fabric and my skin intensely erotic. I buy my body stockings in bulk for this reason. The first time my Bull laid a knife to my skin I felt my pussy get very wet. My breathing changed and my skin felt simultaneously cool and on fire. There is an almost electric charge to the experience. Since neither of us are very skilled in this type of play, we are extremely careful. He pulls the fabric away from my skin in order to slice it, and always makes sure the blade is cutting away from my skin. His care for my safety is part of why I love exploring with him. We have done this multiple times since then, and each time we go a little further. The connections we have during these moments and the communication afterwards is something that furthers our dynamic. However, I had minimal knowledge of how to use the edge of the blade safely in a knife scene. Knowing my own limitations, I began to seek out classes.
Due to the pandemic, the majority of classes I’ve attended have been online, which have usually been found through Fetlife. Recently I had the opportunity to go to my very first kink hotel takeover. The kink event was full of opportunities to meet fellow kinksters, set up scenes and play, and, most importantly to me, classes about all kinds of kink. One of the classes I was most excited to attend was all about Knife Play! As a result of that class, I was very lucky enough to have the sensual Knife Play scene of my dreams. There is so much to go into about what I learned and the amazing time I had. It was a transformative experience, and one that I will cover as I attempt to convey the next step in my journey of exploring Knife Play in Dancing with Sharps; Part 2. To be continued…
