Recap: Spanko Brunch 2.0 for October 31

What happened to all the school paddles? Are they ever for sale in antique shops?

Bonnie: I've seen this sort of vintage implement offered on eBay with varying degrees of authenticity. Sorority and Fraternity paddles are more common than than school paddles. I feel more comfortable with these because we know that the recipients were probably adults capable of consent.

We've also encountered new paddles for sale at back road tourist traps. Most have painted sayings such as "For the Cute Little Deer with the Bear Behind," "Heat for the Seat," "Attitude Adjuster," or "Board of Education." These are humorous until you are the intended recipient. These paddles were once very common, even in mainstream attraction gift shops, but they require a bit more hunting today.

Roz: We used to have a gift store locally that had cuffs and I even saw a flogger in there once. Admittedly, these were more novelty/joke items. I haven't been in to many antique stores, but have never seen any paddles etc

Rosco: We’ve had access to the riding crops that were ceremoniously displayed in a historic stable and was then emptied. There were some works of art, with which Irene thrashed me many time. Eventually the old leather or the stitching hold it together fell apart.

I’ve bought a few new items in western stores, which can be a little nerve racking. Once an attractive sales girl offered to show me how much a small riding crop could sting, but she laughed it off before I could accept.

Rich Person: I haven't seen a paddle in an antiques shop, but I did encounter something that could be used as one.

Some years ago on a trip down the Oregon coast we stopped at a shop that sold myrtlewood items. I was looking at what was displayed as a cheese board, which had the shape of a paddle. One of the shop keepers remarked that when parents picked one of those up their kids got very quiet.

I bought two of them, for girlfriends.

My theory is that you never see a paddle in an antiques shop because the shop keepers find them irresistible. They keep them all for themselves.

Ronnie: Ebay was selling a leather Lochgelly Tawse (they were used in Scottish schools). I've seen riding crop in a couple of antique shops but never any canes, so I am not sure what would have happend to the school canes when CP was banned in our schools.

Anon: I bought an old paddle in a antique shop about 20 years ago. It is about 2 feet long, 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. It is made out of solid wood and has tape around the handle and on the end of the blade. It has places on the back for names of males and females - I assume spankees. There are some signatures. I made a copy of it for a mistress in Seattle who wanted a principal paddle. I put her name on it along with the word principal.

Barrel: I always look for such items when we stroll through an antique store, but while looking for canes, all I usually find are fishing poles or fly rods. I did come across a pair of ladies leather gloves that I tried to get my wife to try on as I thought they would protect her against the backlash of our tawse, but she declined. Even old hairbrushes are difficult to find. As Rich notes, they are probably still in service.

Prefectdt: I have been to many Antique shops and Rommel markets (same thing as car boot sales) over the years, I can't help but think that I must have found something to buy at these over the years, but I cannot think of anything that I have in the toy box now, from these sources.

I did buy a real Walsall Tawse, from the factory shop of one of the last two leather factories, in Walsall, back in the 80s. That went missing in a house move, though.

All but one cane that I have owned did come from school shops, again in the 80s. Corporal punishment had been banned in schools, in the UK by then, so I think that were just selling off old stock.

Wendel: When I was little my parents would take road trips. Along the way we would stop at Stuckey’s,
a road side snack and souvenir shop. Stuckey’s sold magnets, post cards, toys and games. Some even sold fanny paddles meant for children as well as grownups. On one trip my brother and myself were acting up and upsetting our parents. Mom stopped at a Stuckey’s and came out with one of the paddles. She warned us that if we did not behave she would spank us with the paddle. Of course we misbehaved. Dad stopped along the side of the road and mom took us out of the car one at a time for a paddling. Back in the early 70s people driving by would not question a mom spanking her son. The paddle remained in the car from that day forward in case we misbehaved while they drove. 

In the spring when the Misses and I went for a trip we found a Stuckey’s just outside of Louisville Kentucky. They had the paddles hanging up on the wall for decoration but would not sell them.
We did find an antique and souvenir shop in Carefree Arizona that sold fanny paddles. The Misses bought the “Heat for the Seat” paddle. She told the clerk it was for spanking her little boy then glanced over to me.

Hermione: I've never seen a paddle in any of the antique shops I've visited. I think that when corporal punishment was abolished in schools, a certain Grade 4 teacher was able to snap up the strap and all the rulers she could find in unattended desks. She then went on to be a very successful professional disciplinarian.

Rabbit!