For the last two years, information has been coming in from violet wand customers all over the world.  The previous 2010 survey will be two years old and a lot can change in two years time.  I had decided to go with two year time blocks for the surveys because its a mountain of data and anecdotes, plus two years give businesses a chance to even out, or make improvements, new businesses a chance to gain stride or fall behind.

The 2010 survey compiled customer input for the years 2008-2010, and the 2012 survey has been compiling for 2010-2012. With the help of some number crunchers, Ill be posting the 2012 surveys early in 2013.  We have to give the last little bit of chance for December, in case anyone has any last minute input.

In compiling the studies, we throw out any duplicate IPs, (which is why your IP is recorded when you take the surveys) and the top and bottom 5% of reviews to ensure that the results are not padded by ghost accounts.  Your information is protected, and no company will ever see it.  More attention is given to the surveys containing details of purchases that went right (or wrong) and why they did, what your experiences are, what you like and don't about the toys.  Because we are all about the toys.

If you've read my blog in the past, you know I have a great distaste for shenanigans.  Im sure my email box will fill up with hate mail from vendors but these are YOUR reviews and no amount of pressure can change what YOU, the customer, has to say.  I have been asked why I do not allow permanent comments posting.  Because a) we do not want spam here, and b) we don't want the sock puppets and the ghosts.  We allow NO known violet wand seller or commercial interest to be registered on this site. 

There are, at this moment, 6000+ registered readers on this site.  We sent emails to 1000 random readers to ask them to complete the surveys, in addition to all the voluntary submissions over the past two years.

Who has improved?  What new products are out there?  For 2012, we will have a new section about variety of products and new products.  Who has the largest selection, who has the smallest? Because you work hard for your money and have choices to make.

There is still the month of December if you wish to complete a review survey.  You'll find it in the Survey Database III, The Current Survey, in the menus at right.  Please take the time to submit your input.  It does count and it does matter.  Thank you.

I've made it no secret that I dislike the new 'electronic' or 'solid state' violet wands.  Based on the weak beauty machines, there are so many different types flooding the market from Asia that its hard to make heads or tails.  You don't really know in some cases what youare getting till you get it home and try to work with it.

Maybe you've heard too that many of the 'junk' versions are winding up unused, fit for nothing.  Maybe you've heard that some are turning out to be acceptable and inexpensive alternatives to the heavy duty traditional 'coil' wands.  It flies in the face of convention and Im the stubborn ass who wont budge.  Except they are here, they are here, they are here.

So we have been undergoing extensive testing of major makes and modes.  Like other wand products under our review, we literally are ripping them apart.  Getting accurate readings on their outputs and finding out if they can actually DO anything. 

Stay 'tuned.'

Alright, you know that violet wands can perform or enhance any scene or fetish.  You can electrify your knives, floggers, paddles, forks- do branding, fireplay, needles, piercings- do violet wand fishhook suspensions, play internally, do medical scenes, you name it.

But fashion?

An Italian fashion magazine called Digimag ran an article about someone closer to home who has a design project called 'Wearable Weapons' and one or more of her designs use violet wands.

The magazine article is here, in Italian.  It appears that the equipment was provided by www.violetwanda.com

Here are the pertinent paragraphs, in English, courtesy of Google Translate:

Zoe Romano: Your latest work is based on Violet Wands, erotic games that stimulate the body with electricity. How do you fascinated and what you're trying to explore hackerandoli?

Carrie Mae Rose: I began to conceive the project of Wearable Weapons (Fire-of-the-Gods Series) as a dress with wings of fire and electric arcs. When I began to understand more about electricity, I have quickly realized that working with Violet Wands was the starting point from which more secure. I am inspired by the delicacy of lace collars and Elizabethan. I'm planning to build an armored suit and safe electric portable able to launch mini pulse arc activated by voice, with electrodes attached to watermark lit Violet Wands.

The costume will protect the wearer against electrical shocks due to a thin Faraday cage made ??of knitted wire conductive. I am in touch with one of the leading manufacturers of Violet Wands - http://violetwanda.com who kindly donated to me has a dozen along with a wide range of internal and external electrodes. He suggested design of new electrodes that can then fill with Argon gas. Is gaining a whole new direction for my work is that I very stimulating.

Interesting word- hackerandoli.  There's no picture of the design using wands in the magazine, but here is a look from the artist's flikr gallery.

And pics from the Eyebeam Art and Design Center where the show was held.

Well, I don't know about actually wearing the thing, but anything that promotes violet wands is a plus.  It just proves you really CAN do anything with a violet wand.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess, that the cheap foreign imports would start flooding the violet wand market.  Now, keep in mind that the imports are not built for kink, they are built for beauty. 90% of them can not accept violet wand electrodes or accessories and only can be used with the few electrodes they come with. And 98% of them are so weak they only light glass tubes and you get no feeling or spark.

So I have been dead set against these electronic units, because even though they light the glass tubes that come with them, they don't do anything else that a kinky person wants from a violet wand.  Across the board, they literally s*ck.

And there have been a few stores trying to pass these cheap foreign import electronic machines off on unsuspecting customers.  Notably, the 'Zeus electrosex wand' and the Kinklab 'Neon Wand'.  Those two are sold by two very large retail stores, and yet the two machines don't do anything but light their own electrodes and produce a very mild spark.  So you can't use any other electrodes and you can't do any wand techniques.  Shame on the big retailers to sell these without letting you know they are not violet wands and you can't use them like violet wands!

So you see my continuing low tolerance for the electronics and the people who sell them.

---well---

I have to amend that a bit because there is a change.  I told you the violet wand world was a constantly changing one.  Its tough to keep up.  There is a change, and now...

There is now an electronic violet wand.  It is here. Its a great beginner wand.  It is a violet wand. And its all electronic. 

There is also now a cross between an electronic violet wand and a tesla type.  It is here.  I have one of these and blogged about it.  It is NOT a beginner wand but is for pretty advanced users. 

Its interesting how the technology could produce two such different electronic-based violet wands.

Well, I got my Mjolnir Pulse violet wand.  Finally.  I have been anxiously awaiting this modern marvel.  I have, and secretly order, various items from most of the violet wand companies.  (Wait till you read my upcoming blog on lightbulb adaptor sets.  We rip them apart, literally.)

But few things have been holding my attention as much as this new violet wand.  Ive been leery, skeptical, scared and excited, all at the same time.

If you havent seen it, here it is

http://www.violet-wands.com/details/59/8/the-wands

and its a huge step forward in violet wands.

The description on the item's page is rather lengthy, but I'll sum it up as short as I can.  The Mjolnir Pulse violet wand will be all that you expect, and nothing like you can guess. 

First, I knew it was going to take a while to receive.  The company estimates 3-6 weeks for delivery under normal circumstances.  At one point I got a notice that the holidays had been high in demand and the wait would be a bit longer.  Im familiar with the company, and so I know that they manufacture themselves on a small scale, and that their kind of quality takes time so I was not worried even though I was disappointed.  It arrived in a plain discreet box, well packed and insured. 

When I lifted it out of the package, I was a bit surprised as it was smaller and lighter in weight than I expected.  It feels substantially built.  There were some small manufacturing marks on the case.  It came in a bag with the extension cable and handle and metal probe which acts as a body contact probe, and a short manual.

I fought with my manly-know-it-all nature and sat down to the read the manual first.  No, I didn't.  I lie; I got out all the components and fitted them all together.  The cable plugs in nicely to the wand, and the handle connects onto the cable.  The metal rod plugs into the handle.  The handle is solid and very mysterious.  I've seen one other vendor's copy of this handle and its just a hollow foam handle on a cable.  This is miles beyond that knock-off.  This has a lovely, ankle bone connected to the shin bone, fortuitous connection.  It was very satisfying plugging things in and out, and I ran to get electrodes and tried them into the universal collet of the handle.

yep, they all fit.  Universal collet is a win.  I am happily able to use all my old and new electrodes of all sizes. 

After playing with sticking things in and out, I THEN opened the manual.  Out of curiosity, because real men don't need manuals.  The manual is short and to the point and left me light-headed.  It states plainly that it assumes I am already familiar with violet wands, their safety and basic techniques.  It implies I should be willing to learn to use this new wand and that it might take some getting used to since it operates differently.  There are a bunch of survey questions for consumer feedback, and the serial number for my new wand, which I also found is on the tamper proof 'warranty is void if removed' sticker.

The box seems unprepossessing..just a shiny black plastic component box with a handle.  And an electrical cord.  And cute little rubber feet.  And the hole to plug the cable in.  And a mysterious knob.  Alright, the knob isnt really mysterious, but Im getting to that.

I made sure the knob was off, then I plugged it in.  I stood back.  I turned it on very carefully and slowly.

Right away I could hear the spark repeating inside the box.  My scientific mind was intrigued and I immediately wanted to SEE the spark I was hearing.  I turned the knob up, and the sound grew quieter and faster.  Back, and it grew louder and slower.  It's always a shame you can't see inside a wand to see what is making that lovely sound.

Overcome with anticipation, I turned it off and plugged in the cable, the handle and the electrode, gripped the handle and turned it on again. I  inched it toward my arm.  And I havent been the same since.

I have to say that if you expect the same kind of visuals from this new violet wand as a regular hand held tesla coil violet, you will be disappointed.  This wand is made for spark, not for looking at.  The glow from electrodes is slower and much lower, and the glow of the electrodes strobe with the spark.  Strobe isn't bad, its just not what we're accustomed to.

I moved the handle toward my arm and prepared for the shock.  Well, I wasnt prepared.  The output from this sucker is up there, but not with just a higher voltage.  The amperage must be up just a bit, because the spark seemed to bite deeper.  Each spark was a separate sensation and rather than in a steady stream, the sparks were like individual bees.  Each spark made me want to recoil.

I turned the wand 'up' to the faster but lighter settings and played with that a while.  At the fast end, it was much more like the output of a handheld violet wand, and the electrode strobe was faster.

At the fastest settings it felt more like a hand held violet wand as well.  Which, once I'd had the lower end of the adjustment, now didn't seem like it was enough.  So I went back to the slow sparks, and each spark that 'ticked' out of my new wand was a sharp, nasty sting.  I played with that a while to get the feel of it then decided to try the metal probe in the wand.

Now, the metal probe in the handle, is used as a body contact probe.  There is a separate instruction in the Pulse wand's user manual regarding Indirect techniques.  It seems that you can complete a circuit by holding the probe for Indirect and trying to turn the wand on, and send a spark to the knob which you feel, so there is a little work around.   I didnt have anyone close by to try Indirect, so I just touched the metal probe to my knee.  And I promptly swore at the sky, the moon, and at the floor where I had dropped the handle.

The Pulse wand has the output circuit isolated from the operating circuit, and a built in isolation gap for safety, so I know I was not injured.  Dont let me scare you, it was by no means as strong as a cattle prod or anything like that.  It was very violet wand-like, or as if it were the demon spawn of a violet wand and an EMS, and stronger.  Multiply the door-knob shock feel of a violet wand x 10, and you get the idea.  It may be too much for most people.

So, now Im even more intrigued.  Knowing the wand was safe to do so, I started sticking all kinds of conductive things in the handle if they fit, and testing out how they felt.  And it was pretty amazing.  The handle keeps you out of the circuit, though of course if you get too close to the connectors between the handle and the cable, the electricity is going to jump.  So I developed a relaxed but comfortable grip on the handle, and realized that it was so lightweight that I could even hold it like a pencil and do violet wand branding.  This was going to be fun.

The Mjolnir Pulse wand sits on a table, and with its grip back it did not slide around at all.  It has been easy to use but does take some getting used to its differences in operation.  It requires a rethink to know that the lighter sparks are at the far end of the adjustment, and the nasty slow heavy sparks are at the beginning of the knob adjustment.  But that will come with time and practice.  I would like to see a different feel to the adjustment knob, like clicks rather than a slow rotation, but that also could be that is what Im accustomed to with a hand held violet wand.

But the main difference is that I feel like I have been playing T-ball till now, and for once have gotten a ball pitched at me.  The Mjolnir Pulse is a different league.  Im pretty pleased with all the possibilities that lie ahead.

p.s. I have discovered something fun.  If you set the box on its side, the collet is facing upward. You can plug a lightbulb adaptor into it, or even an electrode, and have it standing straight up.  Will have to experiment further.