Shibari Halo Wand: Epilogue

Shibari Halo Wand

Epilogue

Today I mourn the loss of a beloved friend, dear readers. My dear old and faithful friend, Magic Mic, departed from this world late last night. I cradled it in my hands as the motor became weaker and weaker until it ceased altogether and lay still and silent, its red power indicator still winking at me amidst death. Please join me in a moment of silence...

...

...but not for too long, because now I have Magic Mic 2.0! An improvement over the original model while still following the blueprints of what started it all. You know what they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! So while I pour one out for that which has fallen, I consider this a great opportunity to compare the two wands and provide insight into what to expect from general wear and tear and the inevitable passage of time.

At a first glance, these Shibari wands appear identical, but you should notice the subtle differences the longer you scrutinize. Exhibit A at the top is my original wand first purchased approximately four years ago. Exhibit B on the bottom arrived in the mail this morning from Amazon, freshly unboxed and cleaned. The major improvement I immediately picked up on is not visually apparent but becomes so when you weigh them in both hands. The new Shibari Halo feels more dense and compact with a more evenly distributed weight while the older model has most of its weight trending towards the head only. This causes the new wand to convey a sense of security and stability. The former wand could tumble out of your hand if balanced improperly, but the improved version settles squarely in your palm.

As you can see, continuous use and subsequent cleaning caused the silicone to eventually wear down and develop a patchy shine. However, the material never deteriorated, and the surface and structure is still very safe and hygienic. It merely lost the lovely silky matte texture of a freshly unboxed toy. I'm grateful that my wand never developed any holes or tears throughout the years and could still hold up well today if the internal components still worked.

The surface wear is more apparent in this image. Shibari also included DC (Direct Current) above the charging port, although I'm not sure why it was necessary as the charging cable and adapter are identical to my old ones.

This is where the improvements in the new model really start to shine. One of my biggest gripes with my old wand involved the buttons. Although there are two distinct areas for on/off and power/pattern, if you press down in the middle of the teardrop shape, you activate the on/off portion of the toy. This proved immensely frustrating when in the throws of passion, I accidentally turned off the wand entirely while trying to increase the vibration strength. But now, thank my lucky stars! Shibari added a plastic divider between the two buttons so there are now distinct pressure points and not an ambiguous region. Now I'll know definitively which switch needs to be pressed. However, on the flip side, the old model provided raised buttons while the new one's are flush. Because of the divider, I don't expect this to be a serious issue, but it is unfortunate that I now lack a sensory indicator when I'm groping at it blindly.

Lastly, I provide you with a graphic depiction of Magic Mic's broken neck. This happened well before the motor gave out, but what started as a peculiar crinkling noise developed into a distracting vibrating crackle. I still don't know what caused it in the first place, but a plastic piece snapped inside around the flexible neck and caused more pieces to follow over time. You can see a sharp shard of plastic protruding from beneath the silicone. Thankfully, the neck in the newer model feels much sturdier while still retaining its flexibility.

As I bring this memorial service to a close, I want you to leave knowing that a well cared for toy can last you for many happy years to come. I certainly didn't expect mine to persist for four years, and I might have kept it longer if I was a little more gentle with it. But near daily use this past year certainly made it a worthwhile purchase in the end, and I look forward to the future with Magic Mic's successor.

For more info:

Shibari Website
                Shop
Amazon

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