What are alligator clips?

“What are alligator clips?” was written for BDSMforyou.nl by Mistress Moriah.

Alligator clips are small, spring-loaded clips that are often used to make temporary electrical connections. You may well have seen them before, even without realising it. Think of those little metal clips with teeth that look as if they came straight out of the jaws of a miniature crocodile. They get their name from their resemblance to an alligator's jaws. It is precisely those teeth that make them a nasty alternative to (for example) nipple clamps in BDSM. And precisely because of those teeth, they are not entirely without risk.

Different names

Like many products, alligator clips go by several names. One of the most common alternative names is crocodile clip. Crocodile or alligator, they have more or less the same nasty teeth. In some parts of the world, especially in the United Kingdom, they are called crocodile clips. In America you mostly hear the term alligator clip, which is of course simply the English version of the Dutch word alligatorklem.

What do they look like?

Let's take a closer look at the appearance of these handy clips. Alligator clips vary in size, but they all share a number of common features. They are usually made of metal, with a spring mechanism that makes the jaws close firmly when you don't squeeze them. The jaws are often serrated, which helps to get a firm grip on cables and wires.

Many alligator clips have a coloured insulating material around the handle. This insulation, often made of plastic or rubber, helps prevent you from getting a shock when you grip the clip. The colours are usually red and black, which helps to distinguish the positive and negative poles of electrical connections.

Alligator clips on your sub!

They are a fun (and more painful) alternative to the clothes peg. They clamp just as well as clothes pegs, but with their sharp little teeth the pain bites in that bit harder. They also leave beautiful marks when you remove them, so that lovely patterns appear on the skin. It all sounds nice and fun (and with a bit of care and finesse it is), but still be a little careful with these clips. They are not sweethearts.

Given their normal function, the clamping force is considerable, and the nasty little teeth make the clip even more intense. Hitting alligator clips off with a whip, or pulling them off your sub without opening them first, is NOT an option!! The teeth tear the skin wide open, and that can obviously never be the intention.

Mistress Moriah

Source

Text: Mistress Moriah
Image: BDSMforyou