When I go to events like Hell Events = Alterno, Mega Alterno or Prague Fetish Weekend, I always discover new techniques and fetishes that just draw you in. But this year, I was completely blown away by something I’d only vaguely heard of before – clawdering.
I first noticed it with the performer Marvel, a well-known creator of metal accessories and tools. At first glance, it looked unassuming—metal gloves with extended claws. But when you touch human skin with them, a real spectacle of sensations begins.
What exactly is clawdering?
In layman’s terms, it involves playing with “claws”—usually metal, sometimes plastic or acrylic—which the dominant uses for:
- gentle scratching and stroking,
- creating temporary marks on the skin,
- stimulating sensitive areas,
- or for harder, even painful scratching that can leave marks.
It is a combination of sensation play and marking – that is, leaving marks that can serve as a visual reminder of the entire scene.
My First Encounter
I remember standing at Alternu in the back of the hall, where Marvel was demonstrating its “claw gloves.” A submissive model was tied to a cross, her eyes closed, waiting for a touch. When the claws lightly slid down her arm, her whole body shuddered. And then—suddenly a sharp scratch across her back.
The audience audibly gasped for breath.
I had the chance to try it out later in a small private session—and I have to say, it has its own charm. The touch of metal is cold, a bit impersonal, but in combination with sharp pressure, it creates an electrifying mix of pain and pleasure.
My partner Aly and I also experienced clawdering at the last EroFest fair in Prague —specifically in the Alterno Chambers section, which was dedicated to BDSM, shibari, fetishes / kinks and other similar pastimes… 🙂
Risks and Safety
Clawdering isn’t for everyone and has its own rules. If you’re tempted to try it, keep the following in mind:
- disinfection = claws must be clean, ideally disinfected before each use.
- skin hygiene = avoid open wounds, acne, or eczema.
- gradual increase in intensity = start gently, don’t dig deep right away.
- communication = classic “stop words” (safewords) are absolutely essential here.
- risk of scarring = based on experience, this method won’t leave permanent marks, which might be sexy for some but a nightmare for others.
For beginners, I recommend getting plastic or acrylic claws and saving metal for when you know what your body (or your partner’s body) can handle.
INTERVIEW with founder Marvel on the Lascivni podcast:
Scenario Tip
Clawdering works beautifully in combination with other forms of BDSM. Imagine the scene:
- The submissive is tied to a bed or a cross.
- He is blindfolded, so he doesn’t know when the next touch will come.
- The Dominant alternates gentle strokes of her nails with sharp scratches.
- This can be accompanied by a kiss, a piece of ice, candle wax, or even a slap—the contrast deepens the intensity.
- In the end, the body remains dotted with red lines—a map of the entire game.
Such a scene is visually powerful and at the same time offers a wonderful range of sensations from tenderness to raw pain.
Summary
Clawdering isn’t just a game with metal claws – it’s a way to explore the boundary between pleasure and pain. It’s just starting to gain traction on the Czech fetish scene, but in my opinion, it has great potential. If you like visual marks, the combination of cold metal and a sharp touch, this technique might completely captivate you.
And me? I know that the next time I see Marvel / Lance with his metal gloves, I won’t miss out on this experience.
Our Experience – Petra and Aly – from the Clawdering Workshop
In this episode of the Lascivní.cz podcast, we follow up on our recent interview with Marvel, but this time we’re not just talking the talk. We headed out with Aly to his clawdering workshop and are bringing you a report straight from the scene, from the Subspace venue, which you may recognize from our shibari episodes with Joan von Brook. But here, instead of ropes, they work with touch, skin, and the nervous system in a way that can completely shut you down.
At the workshop, we were led by a trio of instructors: Marvel, Šárka, and Marina.
No phones, no personal photography, with a closed group and an atmosphere that feels more like a ritual than a class. We’ll discuss how clawdering originated and where it’s heading, why it often moves further away from the classic BDSM framework today, and how much it involves conscious touch, working with intensity, and safety.
And above all, we’ll share our practical experiences. How the roles differ between the one who clawders and the one who receives, what surprised us on different parts of the body, how big a role music, light, and tempo play, and why it’s crucial for this fetish that the gloves fit perfectly.
And yes, we’ll also get to the point where we realize that one glove really can’t exist for both of us.
If you’re intrigued by clawdering, or just don’t understand why anyone would enjoy “deliberate scratching,” this is the perfect episode. Curious, practical, and very honest.
