my attempts at preventing the severe skin irritation leading to an open sore by using a rubber ring over the hinge were not successful, the sore re-opened after five days. I have now got a solid ring but am not really satisfied with the results.
I suspect the ring is another clone (air inclusions in the moulding do not suggest top quality ?) and the section remains round at the area where the rods and tie-rod fit, so unless the tie-rod is matched exactly with the right spacers, the ring rocks, allowing the spacing to vary from top to bottom. The result of this was an "escape" with one testicle migrating through without any deliberate action from me! I found it pretty much impossible to get it back through, so had to ask My Lady for the key, to re-assemble.
I tried reducing the spacing by perhaps 2mm, but this is proving to be a bit uncomfortable after only a couple of hours. Perhaps better lubing will cure the "burning" sensation. This was not apparent at the previous spacing, but for long-term use it needs to be comfortable and secure.
I am rather tempted to try the CB6000 which seems to overcome the hinge problem and perhaps the variable spacing issue as well.
To answer LoKit's query, and as CDiB says, how long you wear the CB depends why you are using it.
In my case, my use of the CB is to ensure My Lady has full control of my sexual activity. It need not be fitted 24/7 as we are together for some of the day and of course the nights, but 24/7 is obviously more convenient for her as repeated access to the keys is not required, and ensures I remember why I am wearing it at all times, including overnight. It might be a bit difficult to understand, but it isn't because I am her submissive. We are both switches and change roles regularly. I made a big mistake some months ago, and this is part of my proving my deep love for her.
We have previously used the CB as a short-term feature of play, in which case wearing it was indeed part of my being her submissive, in much the same way as wearing my collar. It signalled that for the approaching play session, my role was submissive. In this case it would be for a few hours, perhaps from getting up in the morning.
I know that some Dommes use the CB during play, often including the spikes, then restraining the sub and deliberately stimulating him so that erection begins, maintaining an agonising balance between excitement and pain. This is particlularly effective if the sub happens to be a masochist, when the pain in itself leads to sexual excitement. Actually, we haven't tried that approach (yet) but I know it works from the times when I have been locked in with the spikes fitted and the morning involuntary erection arrives
Most of the problems relating to sizing/spacing/hinge do not really apply for perhaps a couple of days so need not be a concern, but if you are intending it to be weeks/months then getting it to fit comfortably is essential. Whilst it might be a turn-on to imagine yourself in continual pain at the behest of your Domme, reality steps in once you are past the hour or two of "play"
I'm not aware of any actual harm caused by wearing a CB during an erection. Unless you are of very large dimensions (!) the volume available is sufficient to allow blood flow in and out of the penis. There have been some horrific injuries caused by Darwin Award entrants who have inserted their flaccid penis into small steel rings (I remember reading of one guy, a car mechanic, who used a small ring-spanner, and another who used a stainless steel hydraulics fitting)
However, there are reports of the sonic-welded seam between the two halves of the tube splitting, and during erection a split opens, and then as the erection subsides, the split closes over trapped skin
There are also suggestions that not reaching orgasom for long periods results in pain and/or damage. I would suggest this is macho rubbish put about by guys who think regular orgasms prove they are "real men". There are many men who never orgasm, for a variety of reasons, and who show now adverse sypmtoms. From my own experience, if you are having regular sexual activity and then suddenly stop, you do indeed suffer some discomfort, a general ache in the balls/groin after a few days, but this passes in a day or so. This is more a case of the body getting used to a change in hormones etc rather than the mythical "filling up" of the testes with excess semen etc. (you don't go "pop" if you don't orgasm
)