Dear Carol,

I see a lot of toys for men in the shops and on your site, but I am a little confused about what to buy because I am uncircumcised. I don’t see any products that I can recall specifically designed to “play” with the foreskin. Is there anything I should be aware of in choosing “cock and ball” toys? Thanks for any information you have about this.

--Uncut

Dear Uncut,

First of all, congratulations on retaining all those nerve endings! I’m sure you have already discovered in self-exploration and -stimulation that your foreskin is sensitive, probably at a different level than your shaft and corona. Its sensitivity is one thing to keep in mind when choosing a toy for penis play. At Good Vibes we carry several styles of cock and ball toys: sleeves, pumps, cock rings, plus a few other things that are designed specifically for the penis-endowed people among our customers. Other companies carry different things – so there are many toys to choose from. Before I get to their specifics, here’s some information about foreskins.

At one time, most American men were circumcised at birth or shortly after, whereas in Europe and many other regions of the world, circumcision is not routine. It’s no longer as routine here either, partly because some adult men who were circumcised are vocally irritated that their bodies were altered before they had a say in the matter. Indeed, routine infant circumcision in America is pretty tied in to the anti-masturbation sentiments of the late nineteenth century, an attempt to remove one of the reasons for little boys to masturbate. Since we’re happily pro-masturbation, let’s explore some of the ways that can be done – and then add toys into the mix.

The foreskin in most men becomes mobile, sliding easily on the head of the penis – so in a way, it’s a masturbation toy in and of itself. On the inside it has a slippery, mucosal layer that is part of the fun, and it’s very, very richly endowed with nerves. Typically when the penis is erect, the foreskin can slide back along the shaft kind of like a turtleneck sweater, revealing the head. (On a minority of uncut men, the foreskin remains too tight to slide back this way.) So the commonest way to play with the foreskin is by hand – instead of getting a sleeve to masturbate with, for instance, the skin itself can do the job, and its inside surface is receiving plenty of stimulation just as it is delivering sensation to the cockhead. Some guys also like the sensation of stretching and pulling.

Now let’s consider toys. The one penis toy I’ve been warned about by an uncircumcised man about is the Come Cup, designed to be used as an attachment on the Wahl coil vibrator. It looks like a tulip, sort of, with “petals” that can open out and stimulate the head of the penis. Apparently some men have loose enough foreskins that the skin can get caught between those petals, and the resultant pinch is not the sensation they were going for -- so that one might be a more optimal toy for men who have been circumcised.

Generally, sleeves will be fine to use for men who are cut and uncut alike, unless there is something rough or irritating inside the sleeve – in this case, uncut guys may find it extra-irritating. Some uncircumcised men might find the really, really tight sleeves are pretty intense – though, of course, some people like it intense. Speaking of intensity, vibration on the cockhead and foreskin is a favorite for many men; most vibes are really unisex and there aren’t many designed just for males. The exceptions are embedded into sleeves and affixed to cock rings. Most vibrating cock rings may have been originally designed for stimulating a female partner during intercourse, but lots of guys find they’re fun to wear right at the juncture of the cockhead and the shaft. An uncircumcised guy who likes the buzz could get such a ring, position it there by drawing his foreskin all the way back, set the ring at the coronal ridge, and pull the foreskin back up over it. Thrill ride! The Neptune Ring Vibe is the toy GV carries that would be most suited to this use, because it’s small and soft. Point the dolphin’s head toward your cockhead. Unless your foreskin is pretty tight, that should work. It’s also possible to put the teeny new generation of vibrators, such as the Itty Bitty Vibe, into a condom and stretch the whole thing on. Some men will find this way too intense, but again, everything is relative.

If clamping or stretching is your thing, the nipple clamps Good Vibes carries might work well to start with; the wider clamps are likely to work better than the narrow ones. And of course we have the Tiny Buzzers, vibes with clamps attached. A store that caters to gay men is likely to have even more toys for uncut guys, so you might want to explore those too.

I would be delighted to hear from other uncircumcised men who have toy tips or recommendations. When I get a few letters, I’ll do another column on this topic.