Atlanta Vampire Alliance [AVA]

[siege]

What tools--knives, razors, lancelets, syringes, etc,--do you and/or your donor(s) prefer? What part of your donor's body do you prefer to take blood from?

Personally, I prefer lancelets. I like to make several pricks in a fleshy part of the body. It doesn't produce a lot of blood at one time, but I prefer this technique mostly because anything else would freak me out. LOL I have no problem with the blood, but I don't like inflicting pain on others. I actually prefer to let my donors prick or cut themselves if they'll agree to it. Usually they want me to though. Can't say I blame them. I can't imagine cutting myself on purpose.

[Maloryn]

Much of this depends on the donor and the relationship with the donor.
I've used lancets, ritual knives, razors and even (on one occassion) kitchen knives.

Generally, speaking it's generally recommended to have the donor cut themselves, if at all possible (cuts down on potential legal issues if things go sour).

In my experience, some donors actually prefer to draw the pain a bit, the flood of endorphins similar to those gained from tattooing.

EhranV

[Eclecta]

I've not found many sang donors who were willing to cut themselves.. So, I have always done it myself.

What I do it usally just on the chest above the nipple a couple inches make a small cut with a scapel. You can also get what is called and 'eyebrow shaper' which is also a form of a scapel from Walmart.

Just make sure you don't use it on more than one person and use alcohol on the skin and/or at least listerine, even tho it tastes bad.. Lots of bacteria in the mouth...
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"Love is the law, love under will."

[figment]

I order scalpels from a medical supply center. I have plastic disposable ones right now, but soon I'll be getting a "real" scalpel and just buy the blades.

Get #10s.

[siege]

[Eclecta]

Maybe that is why your donors will do the cutting themselves and mine are thinking I should do it for them LOL..
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"Love is the law, love under will."

[Andarael]

Personally, I've used lancets and razor blades. Of course I've made sure to sterilize the blades. I also cleanse the area with Listerine (rubbing alcohol just tastes nasty) and also rinse my mouth very well. The lancets & razor blades seem to be less intimidating than syringes in my experience.

I usually cut/prick either around the shoulder area or the chest area.

As for syringes, I'm a medical lab tech & drawing blood is something I've been doing for a very long time. I wouldn't mind using this technique but only if my donor were comfortable with it. Needles tend to cause anxiety in folks. Unless you truly know what you're doing you may want to consider a different technique. If you were to hit an artery instead of a vein the situation could get out of hand quickly. Even accessing a vein in a person can cause bruising. Also, you have to consider that you're directly accessing a blood vessel and sterility is of utmost importance as you would NOT want to be responsible for the slight chance that you could cause a blood infection. Your hands would have to be clean, the donor's skin would have to be cleansed with alcohol betadine, the needle and syringe would both have to be sterile. You would need a tourniquet and a bandage. You would also need something to safely dispose of the needle and syringe in.

Again, the chance of infection is slight unless you weren't at all clean about it, but the possibility alone should be enough to make you choose a different technique.

[Eclecta]

That is really good info to have. I saw once on a vamp board where a girl was trying to give advice to another girl.. both were like under 18, about how to draw blood. It was scary! No mention of anything sterile.. Nothing.. I was like.. I hope they dont find anyone willing to let them practice on them. Geez.
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"Love is the law, love under will."

[Malhavoc's]

I prefer Razor blades, or other Extremely sharp tools. I practiced BDSM for some time, and knife play after that, and I have found several ways to cover up my true goals if it is unwanted. My Donors are usualy Masochistis, Submissives, Or experienced in Blood letting and Will cut themselves, but have admitted finding more pleasure when I do it myself.

I have however-encountered phsycological strain from sour Donors, however, the Donors I choose can not hold much credit for what they describe is part of the lifestyle they choose anyway.

I am a firm believe in SCW (sterile, clean and willing) And Advise anyone that partakes in blood-letting to Screen for STDS n' such, as well as regularly clean your untensils prior to use and on a constant basis. I also believe that you cover every angle in a full discussion with the donor as to cover any legality issues if they become upsett for one reason or another (emotional riff raff ETC)

As far as locationing, blood can be drawn in fair amounts from almost any part of the human body, this is another good reason to discuss it out with your Donor, as they most likely will have a preferred place. cutting/peircing/feeding, from your donor in this area will be taken much easier most likely and enjoyment is also enlightend [A donor knows what a Donor wants] And will make the relationship last much longer.
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Horrid Dreams, Pleasent Screams, Feed well on this Ravenous night.

[Kiera]

It's interesting to me that Razor's seem to be the prefered method. As lady Andarael, I've been performing phlebotomy for over seven years now and so I can usually pierce a vein without someone even noticing.

I would personally prefer to use a syringe or a lancet because there is far less risk of infection or scarification. I know some people suffer needle anxiety, but it would seem most people would be more concerned with you cutting them up like Jack the Ripper!

However I do realize that Cutting and scarification is a prominant fetish in the BDSM community and that many masochists and submissives would gladly submit to the blade. I am not involved in the scene myself although I understand it well and have many friends involved within it. I prefer not to cut up my donors and leave calling cards for everyone to see. I prefer to maintain a low profile and leave little seen puncture marks that can be easily hidden. But thats just my preference. I do not judge others for theirs.

Kiera

[Malhavoc's]

I use Razers primarly because it is what I was taught to use in BDSM, (stick with what you know) secondly I've never had lancets/needles open to me, Nor do I have any skill in them (pratice makes perfect, but I'd hate to be the one I practice on) I've actualy looked into those two methods and have been reading on them Any suggestions from you would be appreciated.
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Horrid Dreams, Pleasent Screams, Feed well on this Ravenous night.

[Eclecta]

I'm partial to razors because I like the way the skin just so subtly seperates when you drag a razor across... It's just cool. It feels cool too.

And it works pretty well to boot.
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"Love is the law, love under will."

[Kiera]

Yes one good thing about being a phlebotomist... easy access to lancets and syringes. I prefer working with vacutainer devices and butterfly needle attachments personally. They are easier to manipulate than syringes.

Lancets can be bought easily enough over the counter, because it's a diabetic supply. Small gauge insulin syringes can also be bought OTC.

It is very important to cleanse the area you intend to puncture with some type of antiseptic. Either rubbing alcohol or listerine.

Lancets are generally tiny needle tipped instruments inserted into a spring-loaded device. These prick the skin very shallowly and can be used to gather enough blood to test one's blood sugar. Lancets are almost fool-proof. It might take alot of finger milking or multiple pricks to satify a Sang's need for blood, depending on how much blood they intended on drawing.

Syringes take a bit more finesse. The needle must be inserted thru the skin and into a vein, bevel up. It's best to use small gauge needles in the beginning, for even if you miss the vein entirely, a tiny needle won't cause much more than discomfort. You pull back on the plunger once the vein has been punctured and once the barrell of the syringe is full of blood it can be drained into a goblet or other container.

Vacutainers use the same theory as a syringe and if you use a butterfly attachment... it's a cake walk. Hold the needle by the "wings" and insert into the vein. Smooth as silk.

[Andarael]

Well said, Kiera. I prefer syringes though probably because I've been using those for 10+ years. I do like the Vacutainers also but one would have to have access to those supplies as well as the tubes as they operate by a vacuum (the tubes have a vacuum pressure which pulls the blood into them). I don't like butterflies much at all but when I started in the field they were pretty well frowned upon and a last resort for drawing a patient's blood.

Be careful with using insulin syringes also as they are intended for subcutaneous injection and not for the purpose of blood drawing. I've used insulin syringes giving injections to a diabetic family member and erythropoetin injections to a friend who had Lupus and those needles are easy to bend.

I suppose if one doesn't know what he/she is doing in accessing a vein the best and safest method would be by using lancets. As Kiera said, they are easily obtained and are meant for the job they perform.

[Maloryn]

Safety aside there is just something electric about the sound of flesh parting beneath a blade and the slight gasp of the donor ...

*Makes mental note to self to avoid posting while drinking next time*

Ehran V