Erotic, Exotic & Worth Every Penny - TongueStud.Com
Written: Sep 06 '02 (Updated Nov 19 '06)
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Body piercing is something that most people dismissed as a passing fad. Almost ten years after it became "popular" [at least to the mainstream] it is still riding high and attracting new customers. From the curious to the experienced, the rich to the poor, slacker to office executive – body piercing is something that is erotic, highly personal and if I do say so myself, slightly addictive. For those that have never been pierced [other than your earlobes] most of this review will seen a bit strange, outlandish and possibly even freaky. They say that variety is the spice of life, if that is the case, then this my dear is like a jalapeno sandwich lathered in Tabasco sauce.
Having pierced more than my fair share of clients over the past few years I’ve come across a number of reputable vendors of jewelry. Some are brokers that sell in wholesale sized lots and others are smaller businesses that handcraft the items. Tongue Stud has been the one that I have used personally as well as one of the only sites I’ve recommended to people wishing to purchase post-piercing jewelry or those that wish a specific piece for the actual piercing.
One thing that sets the site apart from others is that they care. Yes, it is a business. Yes, they do make money. But if you take a look around the site you’ll see something there that other sites just don’t offer – piercing aftercare, an interactive calibration chart, money back guarantee, a piercing directory to find an artist in your area and a photo gallery. The gallery does contain some nude photos [nipple piercings] so please be forewarned of that. The gallery exists to not only show example but also for those curious about piercings as well as the varieties that exist.
Tongue Stud offers the curious consumer a wide variety of products, all backed with a complete 100% guarantee. Don’t like it? Send it back for a full refund. It’s as simple as that. What impressed me most is the “no bull” approach to returns of products. As the site stresses, most of the time you won’t know the quality of a piece of jewelry until after it has been used. Case in point, I ordered from a vendor in Florida and received a 14 gauge barbell. It looked good in the package but there was a slight issue with the threading. I was told that since the package had been opened I could request a refund but I would be penalized a fee of 25% of the purchase price for returning an opened piece of jewelry. I’m not sure about anyone else, but the thought of ordering something that may have been used in or on someone else’s body scared me to pieces. I don’t care how many times it’s been autoclaved or sterilized – it was still previously in someone else’s body. Any item returned to Tongue Stud, opened or still sealed is destroyed once it is received and a credit has been issued. You will never have to wonder where it’s been before it arrived at your doorstep.
Site Navigation
Cruising around the site is extremely simple. All the products featured at the size have a photo and description as well as price, gauge option, color option and product notes. This tells you what material was used to make the piece as well as any warnings of color fastness. You can choose from two sections when you arrive at the site. The top portion deals exclusively with the products at the site, materials, guarantee and all the fine print. The second section takes you on a little trip into the world of body piercing. Photos, a piercer’s guide and after care advice are just a few of the places to explore. A few sections are under construction so check the site often to see if they have been reactivated.
If you get lost in a section or just need to get back to the main page you can click the “home” button on the left hand side at any time. A breakdown of jewelry sections is always available at the top of the page if you wish to move from section to section without having to return to the catalog page.
Products
Clicking on the “catalog” link on the main page, you will be taken to a section that lists the different types of jewelry that is sold by Tongue Stud. Barbells, septum spikes, labrets, captive rings, beads and an assortment of other body piercing related items. Since it will be almost impossible to cover every piece of jewelry that they sell, I’ve go into detail about the most popular type of body jewelry – the captive bead ring. Commonly used for eyebrows, belly buttons, nipples, guiche, lip and genital piercings, Tongue Stud offers six different styles in a mind-boggling array of colors and gauges. From titanium [colored metal] to surgical grade stainless steel, you are almost guaranteed to find something wining the section that will appeal to you.
But you aren’t limited to the more common items that most sites stock, at Tongue Stud you can choose from metal septum tusks, ear adornments including claws and tusks – the most impressive being the Pyrex claw – and tapers in the event that you wish to enlarge the size of a hole to accommodate a larger piece of jewelry.
Retainers
If you need to hide a piercing but don’t want to take the risk of having your piercing close up, a retainer is your best option. I almost fell over when a client came into a shop I was working at and had a piece of thread in her eyebrow. There is no way the thread is going to keep the hole open and I don’t even want to think of the bacteria that could be on the thread. Not to mention the possibility that it could get yanked on or caught on something. I had a few clear plastic retainers on hand and told her that if she valued her piercing as well as her own personal safety she would invest a few dollars in one.
Sometimes you simply need to be free of any type of metal – the most common reason is for medical tests especially for M.R.I.’s [Magnetic Resonance Imaging]. In this case you can use a retainer that is made completely of plastic but you must check with your doctor first. Some doctors and facilities will ask you to remove even plastic retainers before they will start the testing procedure.
Tools
Tongue Stud does not sell piercing kits, needles or supplies – but they do sell pliers. These are almost an essential for anyone that has, or plans on having, a captive bead ring. If you have every tried to replace a captive ball by yourself you know the frustration that goes along with it. I don’t know how many balls I lost when they slipped out of my fingers and hit the floor – or worse went down the drain. You’d think I’d have a pair handy when cleaning or changing the balls – sadly these are the things you think of ‘after the fact’.
The site offers four sizes of pliers that are almost identical to the ones used by body piercing artists. Reasonably priced at $24.99, these will make changing balls a breeze. If you are interested in purchasing these but aren’t exactly sure how they should be used, feel free to call the customer service team or shoot me an email.
A Simple Warning
Regardless of where you purchase your jewelry, the sterility guarantee by the manufacturer or any other claim made on the package I highly suggest that before you insert any piece of jewelry you have it autoclaved. If you are a customer of a tattoo or body piercing shop you can request that they autoclave the piece for you. Some may charge you a small fee to do so but can you really haggle with your health? If you are purchasing a piece from this site for an initial piercing and the piercer does not autoclave it prior to the procedure you should think twice about having it done at this facility.
Payment Options
Tongue Stud accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express as well as online checks. Paying by electronic check does not mean that your order is shipped as fast as with a credit card. The same rules apply – if it bounces you are charged a $20.00 fee. Money orders are accepted and if this is the option you feel most comfortable with then you’ll find that the site is most accommodating. Fill out the order form, print it out and mail it in with your payment. The E-Gold option is available as a form of payment. For those that are not familiar with it you can visit the following link to their site for more information. www.e-gold.com/e-gold.asp
I have never used the E-Gold payment option so I can’t comment on how smoothly it is but I will comment on the use of credit cards. No double billings, no over charges, no hidden fees. A perfect transaction from start to finish.
Interactive Gauge Chart
One of the things people complain most about is not understanding the different gauges of body jewelry. If you are going to a qualified piercer who cares about his or her work and isn’t just in it for the money they should take the time to explain the differences in styles, sizes and materials as well as when you can take out the original piece of jewelry. Tongue Stud has a simply awesome tool called the Interactive Gauge Chart that allows you to calibrate your screen to see actual sizes of the gauge, length, diameter and ball diameter to assist you in picking out your jewelry.
Calibrating does nothing to your computer and takes about 5 seconds to do. There is the image of a quarter and all you are asked to do is move the scroll bar on the right hand side of the screen up or down until the quarter you are holding almost covers the one on the screen. This gives you an almost 100% accurate view of the different pieces of jewelry.
Shipping
Since each order is different I can’t quote exact shipping fees. To be completely honest, I don’t pay shipping fees. If you order over $50.00 in goods you receive free shipping [ground delivery]. All of my orders have been over $50.00 so I paid no shipping fees. If you are planning on ordering ask your friends if they are interested – combine your order to qualify for the free shipping perk. I do know that most orders are shipping via the United States Postal Service using Priority Mail. If you wish to have your order expedited or please contact them via email or phone to make arrangements.
Returns
As mentioned earlier, all items ordered are guaranteed. If within the first five days of receiving your order you don’t line what you see, request an RMA [Return Authorization Number] to receive a complete refund or exchange. That’s all covered under their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Let’s say three months down the road you notice your acrylic septum tusk has a small crack in it – not a problem. Call them or email them and they will issue you an RMA, all you have to do is send back the piece to receive a new one. In the event that the piece is no longer stocked or sold, they will offer you a comparable piece or give you a refund. All items are guaranteed for life.
Mailing List
Subscribe or unsubscribe to the sites mailing list from the main page of the site. Doing so will ensure that you know about the sales, promotions and deals before everyone else. It’s free, painless and might end up saving you a ton of money!
Contact Information
Tongue Stud [Pegasus Enterprises]
110 Circle Lane
West Lafayette, IN 47906
[765] 743 – 4341
inquiry@tonguestud.com
www.tonguestud.com
The Bottom Line
I wish I would have known about this company a long time ago, it would have saved me time, money and aggravation. I won’t lie and say that this site is inexpensive but I will ask you one simple question – how much are you worth? You can go to almost any major mall and find a kiosk that sells body jewelry – some of which claim that the pieces are sterile until the package is opened. Are you willing to open that package and insert that piece of metal or plastic into your body without knowing a little more information about the company, product, guarantee or how it was manufactured?
It simply amazes me that people are so careless with their bodies. If I had a dollar for each time I saw someone at the mall purchasing a piece of jewelry and effortlessly shoving it into their piercing without asking even the most basic questions – I’d be rich. If you are not going to be responsible and care for your piercing – new or completely healed – then you simply don’t have any room to complain when you are sitting in the emergency room with a massive infection from inserting a non-sterile or autoclaved piece of jewelry.
If you are looking to purchase a 100% guaranteed product for a new piercing or to replace an existing piece, I highly suggest Tongue Stud. They go out of their way to ensure that you are happy, not just after you receive your shipment – but for the life of your piercing and piece of jewelry. You might pay a few more dollars than that kiosk at the mall – but will they be around in a few months when the threads are stripped? Who knows. Think about that before you plunk down $16.99 for a glow in the dark plastic barbell for your tongue piercing :]
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2006 Freak369
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You can also check out my editorial about body piercing basics here:
If You Can Pinch It, You Can Pierce It
And to learn more about tattooing, check out this one:
Tattoo 101: When The Needle Meets The Skin
Regretting a tattoo? Then read about my own experience with laser removal here: Laser Tattoo Removal
Recommended:
Yes
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