I’ve been admiring Strange Bedfellas’ fantastical creations for the last six months, so I was excited when the shop owner, Meesh, asked me to choose any dildo to review in honor of Strange Bedfellas’ first shop anniversary. Of course I picked a Tyv, Strange Bedfellas’ most popular toy. I wanted to see what the knot in this “chimera” dildo was all about!1
Tyv is now available in five different sizes! I chose size small because I wanted to be sure that I could take the knot vaginally without getting my cervix prodded. Small Tyv’s five inches of insertable length are very manageable for me—though the 2″-wide knot is not small by non-fantasy-toy standards.
I’m not a “size monarch” by fantasy toy standards, but I am used to somewhat large dildos, so fitting the knot in was a breeze for me. The half an inch jump up in diameter between Tyv’s lower shaft and Tyv’s knot is very doable with just a little warmup. The knot’s gentle slope helps with this.
And in Strange Bedfellas’ medium silicone (00-50 shore = pretty squishy in this size), Tyv’s knot is delightful to clench around. It applies just the right amount of pressure at my entrance. Plus it’s nicely rounded, ideal for slow, tugging movements. Having that extra weight right inside my vag really adds to clitoral stim. I also like to slowly slide Tyv’s knot in and out, so I can feel its bulk against my vaginal mouth and lips while I also get the gentle texture of Tyv’s coronal ridge stroking my G-spot.
But even better for me is flipping Tyv the other direction, so the ridge faces the back wall of my vag. It’s easier for me to sit on the full length that way, and grind on Tyv, because my pubic bone isn’t forcing Tyv’s knot backward. I can feel Tyv’s smaller (1″ diameter) coronal ridge really well this way, as the toy’s fairly phallic head bends forward.
And Tyv will bend either backward or forward a lot, because the “neck” below the knot is thin—Tyv is always leaning a bit. For me, someone who usually enjoys gentler stimulation, I think the bendiness is perfect because I can angle Tyv however I want it. When I’m sitting on the toy, I can even lean forward with the whole length inside me, to grind on the furry texture in the Tyv’s base. With most other toys, this position would poke me in uncomfortable ways, but Tyv’s flexy neck and squishable silicone makes all the difference. The flexibility makes me understand why a shape shifter was this toy’s character inspiration!
Finally, talk about colors! I asked Meesh to pour my Tyv in a coloration that best represented their work, and I got a beautiful pastel marble. And speaking of quality, the silicone’s surface is flawless: a smooth, just-a-bit-sticky matte. Many small indie makers produce toys with noticeable blemishes—”mold marks,” printer texture, small dents in the surface, lack of symmetry, a ragged seam around the base, etc. These minor irregularities don’t make the silicone unsafe for use, but they can make a toy look less polished. Strange Bedfellas’ toys do not suffer from any of these minor defects: the production quality is up there with—or possibly even better than—any large dildo maker, including Vixen Creations, Tantus, and Bad Dragon.
Overall Thoughts
Strange Bedfellas’ toys are just excellent work: usable designs, in lovely colors, with fun fantasy themes. It’s hard for me to believe that the shop has only been open a year now, because toys look so professional.
As for Tyv, it was a fun entry into knotted toys for me! The knot isn’t so large compared to the shaft, which makes it easy to take. Using Tyv is all about clenching around that knot, tugging it downward to put pressure at my entrance. The toy’s more diminutive head adds to the experience for me—but isn’t the star of the show. G-spot (and prostate?) stimulation come second with this shapeshifter, and sometimes that makes it a great change of pace from toys with very pronounced ridges.
Tyv is available in many different premade color schemes, several different sizes, and usually soft (00-30) and medium (00-50) firmnesses in all Strange Bedfellas stock drops.
Check out all Strange Bedfellas’ toys here, or the Tyv description here!
My thanks to Strange Bedfellas for sending me this dildo in exchange for my honest review. I always tell my readers when something does not work for me or when I think it’s badly designed.