Pipedream Icicle No. 8: Thaw Me to the Core

Pipedream Icicle No. 8

Thaw Me to the Core

In my previous reviews, I mentioned on many an occasion my limited personal knowledge with glass toys, possibly to the point my readers roll their eyes in annoyance and say, "Yeah, yeah, we know." That one unsavory experience deterred me from seeking out another glass wand, and my hesitation persisted for several years. That is, until now! At long last, I feel ready to dabble in the realm of crystalline pleasure again. However, armed with more appropriate knowledge, I believe it best to avoid going big or going home in this instance and select a more realistic toy, at least until I can accurately determine my physical limits. While searching for the best toy to start my endeavor with, I stumbled across Pipedream's gorgeous and extensive collection of Icicle dildos and was immediately smitten with the detail and quality. Although I'm usually all about heavy textures, I opted for something small yet reasonable with enough size and surface variation to provide noticeable stimulation without pushing my limits too far off the charts. And I especially wanted to locate the perfect anal toy since my last experience with anal beads left much to be desired and borderlined on sheer misery.

I originally discovered Pipedream's Icicle No. 8 while browsing for art references on Google Images. Unsurprisingly, the official product images are usually doctored to seem more appealing with enhanced color variations in the core, so I stopped in to Spice 2 Nite to view it in-person first. While the inner spiral looks less like an aurora burst or multi-colored crystal and more of a solid singular color, the delicate blue swirls within the glass are still very arresting and beautiful enough to overlook the false advertising. I ordered mine from Amazon because of the drastic price difference. However, the trade-off was waiting three weeks for it to ship from China, but like Isyld's experience ordering her glass dildo online, mine too arrived in a lovely red box with a gold silk inlay that I still use to safely store it.

No matter how deep I delve, I simply cannot find the original MSRP of this toy, but it retailed in Spice 2 Nite for roughly $30 (ridiculously more than it needs to cost, in my opinion) and I paid $16.99 for mine with free shipping though I recall it available for as low as $10-11 a few months prior. Although one of the safest and most hypoallergenic materials available for sex toys, borosilicate/Pyrex glass costs very little to manufacture and therefore should not retail for much unless you find a massive dildo the size of your arm made out of it. Dish sets at Walmart are made from Pyrex and are reasonably priced, so there is no reason for you to break the bank for a glass toy. For $30, you essentially pay for the brand, so be kind to your wallet and search elsewhere if you decide to purchase one for yourself. I made it a general rule of thumb never to pay more than $20 for a glass dildo.

The Icicle No. 8 is one of the smallest/most slender toys I've ever owned with an overall length of 7 in (18 cm) and an insertable length of 5.5 in (14 cm), and it looks even smaller in person when held in your hand. The width at the widest point is 1.5 in (4 cm) with a 2.75 in (7 cm) diameter/8.6 in (22 cm) circumference. The profile is not something I normally gravitate towards, but I thought it the best and most reasonable option for testing the waters. The surface is utterly smooth except for three bulges in the shaft and a large bulb at the base that acts as a handhold or stopper. The tapered tip lends for easy insertion, and each corresponding bulge is slightly thicker than the last.

As previously mentioned, the Icicle No. 8 is made of Pyrex or borosilicate glass, one of the safest materials next to medical-grade silicone and stainless steel. Since I ultimately intended to use this anally, I need something comprised of the absolute best material available, and glass hands-down offers the easiest clean-up. Borosilicate glass is also surprisingly sturdy so you could drop a glass dildo on the floor without fearing it might shatter, but because the Icicle No. 8 has pinched areas between the bulges, I worry the structure could be compromised compared to a solid shaft and might snap at these weaker points if dropped. So while glass toys don't necessarily require additional care, I treat mine delicately just in case.

I first tried the Icicle No. 8 vaginally before any cross-contamination occurred just to satiate my curiosity, and in all honesty, it absolutely blew my mind! I expected the slim and short profile compared to my other toys to only offer a so-so experience, but I felt every knob sliding in and out and almost climaxed right away without any clitoral stimulation, and once I did throw that in the mix, I exploded immediately. I made such a wonderful gooey mess everywhere, but the simple clean-up took a grand total of two minutes, and my toy was like new again. This initial experiment made me exceptionally optimistic to test it anally. Unfortunately, that experience was sub-par in comparison. The bulbs felt nice but did not provide nearly enough to stimulate me fully, and I ended up abandoning the act, thoroughly cleaning the toy and resuming with it in my vagina instead. Because of the awkward spacing and number of bulbs, the Icicle No. 8 makes serious anal play lackluster. The tapered tip fails to truly stimulate unless you continuously pull it out and perfectly angle it to plunge it back inside you. Move it just off center, and it only causes discomfort or frustration. The last bulb might be a viable option for someone else, but for me, it was spaced just far enough that it felt too painful to press it far inside and put forceful pistoning out of the picture. That leaves only the middle bulge which on its own is simply not enough to bring me even remotely close to climax.

Despite the anal setbacks, the toy provides relatively easy use. The tapered tip makes insertion a breeze, and the pinched areas between the bulges prevents you from taking on more than you can handle at once, like a stopper. Like previous experiences with glass toys (both mine and others), this performs best when used in specific positions because of the rigidity, but its thinner profile offers more wiggle room. I find it the most manageable when sitting up perfectly straight or lying all the way back with my legs up. Any angles such as reclining or on my knees causes too much discomfort from pinching and pressing on the inside, though comparatively not as drastically to the point you lose your momentum.

Overall, the Icicle No. 8 exceeded my expectations and is quite effective although I argue it works best as a foreplay tool instead. It functions amazingly well at bringing me right up to the edge in a short amount of time but then fails at tipping me those last few steps over. That being said, as soon as I switch to some form of clitoral stimulation such as my hand or "Magic Mic," I generally climax immediately. In the anal department, it slides in rather easily and provides a pleasant massage but no more. I'm still disappointed in its performance as an anal tool since that was my entire intent, but I can't deny its ease of use and the fact I can spirit it away in my bag to use during those lonely late night hours at my job. The Icicle No. 8 is not a ground-breaking innovation, but for an inexpensive price it's a nice toy to have on hand if you so desire. It has no major downsides, and I have no regrets purchasing it. To some, it may not be worth the trouble if it doesn't offer what it appears to advertise, but if you have some cash to spare and think it can do you some good, I recommend it. It does encourage me to experiment with some of the other glass items in Pipedream's Icicle collection to see if another model offers what the No. 8 lacks.

Summary

Size: ★★★★☆

Cost: ★★★★★

Texture: ★★★★☆

Material: ★★★★★

Ease of use: ★★★★☆

Effectiveness: ★★★☆☆

Final rating: ★★★★☆

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