Anal play: from the first time to a plug
How anal play works, why lube is not optional, which toys are safe, and why a flared base is the one rule that really matters.
Glossary
Anal hook
The steel tool you reach for once rope alone stops being enough, and the one detail that keeps it safe.
What is an anal hook?
An anal hook is a curved steel rod with a rounded ball at one end. It goes in anally and is fixed at the top to a tie, rope, or chain. Sizing and the choice of material are what matter most, so that is where I start with anyone new to it.
| Material | solid stainless steel is the standard: non-porous, boilable to clean, and heavy enough to work on its own |
| Size | the ball diameter sets everything; 25 to 50 millimeters across is typical |
| Connection | an eye or crossbar at the top, where rope, chain, or a hair tie attaches |
| The one requirement | that eye has to stay outside the body; it is the brake against sliding in |
Why steel, and why that shape
Stainless steel is not chosen because it looks intense. It is chosen because it takes nothing up. A non-porous surface cleans completely, which with anal use is the difference between keeping a piece and throwing it away. Weight is the second reason. A steel hook steers your posture even when nothing is attached to it.
The bend at the top does a job too. It sends the pull up along the cleft rather than straight back, so when you tug it, the hook wants to go deeper instead of coming out.
What to watch for
That last part is also the danger. In the review by Dahlberg and colleagues in International Journal of Colorectal Disease, sex toys were involved in 41 percent of objects left behind in the rectum, with a surgery risk of 17 percent against 4 percent for other objects. The authors point to a safety cord or a wide enough stop as the obvious fix.
For an anal hook that means one thing: never buy one without an eye or crossbar, and use plenty of silicone- or water-based lube.
If you would rather feel something like this once with guidance instead of working it out on your own, that is what a bdsm date is for.
Sources
- Retained sex toys: an increasing and possibly preventable medical condition. Dahlberg, Nordberg, Pieniowski, Boström, Sandblom & Hallqvist-Everhov, International Journal of Colorectal Disease 34(1), 181–183, 2019. Gives the share of sex toys among retained objects, the raised surgery risk, and the advice on a safety cord or stop.
Related terms
- Butt plug, Saint Andrew’s cross, shibari, and bondage are the anal hook’s closest neighbors.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about the anal hook.
What size anal hook should you choose?
The ball diameter sets everything; 25 to 50 millimeters across is typical. More important than size is that the eye or crossbar at the top stays outside the body, because that is the brake against sliding in.
Who can you turn to with questions about an anal hook?
Victor, a gigolo with twenty-five years of experience in BDSM and a background as a psychotherapist. Bondage is on his yes list, with rope or with steel. You can ask him a question with no obligation through the contact form or first chat for free.
Blog
Articles on anal play
Where the anal hook sits among anal toys, and what comes first before this is a sensible step.
More info
Any questions about the anal hook?
I'm Victor. With gear like this I get more questions about safety than about use, and that is a good sign. Ask yours, no obligation. I'll message you back at your own pace.