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Glossary
D-ring
The smallest part of your gear, and the only one that all the force runs through.
What is a D-ring?
D-ring (the same word in Dutch) is a metal ring shaped like a capital D that serves as an attachment point. The straight side is fixed to a strap of leather or fabric; on the rounded side you clip or tie something. On restraints, collars and harnesses the D-ring is the spot where rope, carabiner or chain takes hold.
| Dutch term | Identical. D-ring; see the encyclopedia entry. |
| Shape | a ring with one straight and one curved side, like a capital D |
| What for | lashing down and coupling: rope, carabiner, snap hook, chain |
| Where you see it | wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, collars, harnesses, bodybags |
| What varies per ring | material, shape, weight, finish and load rating |
What a D-ring is for
Coupling. The encyclopedia describes the D-ring as a piece of hardware, usually a metal ring shaped like a capital D, used mainly as a lashing or attachment point. It sits at the end of a leather or fabric strap, or is fixed to a surface with a strap or bracket; there are also versions with a center bar to weld to steel. A well-fixed D-ring swings freely.
That last part is exactly why it sits on restraints. A ring that can turn follows the direction of the pull, instead of tugging the strap sideways.
Why you come across it everywhere
Because the same piece of hardware turns out to be useful in almost every field. The same encyclopedia lists D-rings in climbing and caving, on saddles and bits, on dive vests, in truck beds, on dog collars, in ring binders, on transport belts for prisoners, and on BDSM restraints. One shape, dozens of worlds.
For bondage that mainly means: where the ring sits decides what is possible. A wrist cuff with a single D-ring on the outside you couple to a chain or to a fixed point in the dungeon; two cuffs with the rings against each other you clip to one another. What a ring can take varies from ring to ring: the encyclopedia names composition, shape, weight, finish and load rating as properties that vary per version. On a BDSM date with me, the D-ring is the point where the rope or the carabiner takes hold on the cuff.
Sources
- D-ring. Wikipedia. Provides the description as a D-shaped piece of hardware serving as a lashing or attachment point, the ways it is fixed, the free swing, the variation in composition, shape, weight, finish and load rating, and the list of uses from climbing and equestrian sport to BDSM restraints.
Related terms
- Restraints. The gear the D-ring usually sits on.
- Collar. The collar, where a D-ring is the spot for the leash or chain.
- Dungeon. The room with the fixed attachment points you couple to with such a ring.
- Bodybag. One of the few pieces of gear where the rings sit on the outside itself.
- Ankle cuffs. The cuff whose D-ring is its whole point.
- Wrist cuffs. The cuff where the place of the ring decides what is possible.
- Carabiner. What clips into the D-ring, and what the kilonewtons on it mean.
- Spreader bar. One of the things you couple to a cuff with a D-ring.
- Hoist. The pulley system that hangs from a cuff or harness via such a ring.
- Snap hook. The quick hook without a rating, which the plain snap hook falls under.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about the D-ring.
Where does a D-ring sit?
On wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, collars, harnesses and bodybags. Outside BDSM you come across the D-ring just as much on saddles, dive vests, dog collars and in truck beds: it is simply hardware.
Are all D-rings the same?
No. D-rings differ in composition, shape, weight, finish and load rating. So the shape tells you nothing about what a ring can take, and that is the one thing you cannot see from the outside.
Who can you turn to with questions about gear like the D-ring?
Victor, a gigolo with twenty-five years of experience in BDSM and a background as a psychotherapist. Bondage with rope, leather or steel is on his yes list, and he is happy to think along about material. You can put a question to him with no obligation through the contact form or first chat for free.
Related service
Bondage during a BDSM date
Cuffs, rope and steel are on my yes list. The service page explains what we agree in advance about material, time and signals.
Learn more
Still have questions about D-rings?
I am Victor. Questions about gear often come from people who want to buy something themselves and do not know what to look out for. Ask yours, no strings attached. No obligation, I will message you back at your own pace.