While the vast majority of BME folks are way too young to remember the days of Gauntlet, I was both fortunate, and at the same time unfortunate to have been interested in Body Piercing at that time.
At A Glance Author John Contact [email protected] IAM petslave45 When Ten years ago or more The fortunate part was "Finding" Gauntlet in the first place. I was ecstatic with the discovery of both a "Professional" shop, and the best damned subject magazine I've ever seen.
The unfortunate part of being around then is that "Body Piercing" was pretty much a "closet" practice, and hardly EVER did you see anyone showing off their piercings.
Some 25 or so years later, we have BME, and within the next ten years "body mods" will be accepted just about anywhere, in any occupation.
Gauntlet, in publishing PFIQ was the beginning of it all......Thanks to both Jim Ward, and the late Doug Malloy. PFIQ was, and still is, the best of the best, and if Jim would give it a shot, I think he'd sell more than Playboy in todays world.
A few of us still remember some of the featured folks in PFIQ, like Annie Sprinkle, Sailor Sid, and a gentleman I believe named Navarone (excuse the memory in the spelling, it's been a long time, and I lost my copies in a move). I remember receiving issue #15, (shown here in Jim's article on Gauntlet), and thinking "what a bold and Wonderful girl"!! She was WAY ahead of her time, and downright "beautiful". I wonder what she looks like today....Probably More beautiful!!
PFIQ had it ALL, the pictures (especially good when they went to color), the stories about the piercings people had, the wonderful "diagramed" tutorials in "Pierce with a Pro", which were the ONLY professional source of information on how to pierce what, and the "sharing and meeting" facility, "Pin Pals", the forerunner of BME's IAM.
Gauntlet was the ONLY place to buy real body jewelry, and the only place to buy needles, corks (yes they were used for most everything then). There was a lady, I don't know if she was a partner, but I think her name was Liz, who was Very knowledgeable, and more than willing to take the time to answer questions!!! As I remember her, she was also about the most "pierced" lady in the country at the time, and wore her jewelry well.
The days of Gauntlet were a time of learning. I'm pretty sure that both Doug, and Jim, did a LOT of experimenting. They didn't have much to go on, as not much was published anywhere, a few pictures here and there, mostly from cultures practicing piercings and other body mods, but not much of anything as far as "technique". Their creativity, as far as what could be pierced, and how to do it, became the foundation of body piercing, and will remain so. (Speaking of learning: as I remember it......gold was the metal of choice for "healing". BUT "betadine" was to be used several times a day for cleaning.......believe me, they do not mix well. The betadine turns the gold to crap, (no matter how much you rinse), and the jewelry cannot be cleaned without removing it!.....One of the boo boos of the time....
I learned the hard way, and fortunately a switch to surgical stainless steel jewelry did the trick and I did not lose the piercings. (I still used the betadine though. Salt soaks alone have proven to be the best aftercare for most new piercings......We learned....(since today, if you look, there are many Qualified piercers available, I suggest that you use them....BUT look closely, there are more "jerks" around today than professionals!!!!)
I remember each of the covers shown here today on BME and also how "eager" everyone was to check their mail every 3 months, hoping to find a new issue. BME has a "Larger Gauge" nipple piercing section, but I wonder how many remember Fakir in PFIQ with 3/4" nipple piercings????? He was the first person I ever saw doing a "chest suspension". Or with LARGE stakes placed vertically through his chest?? He has become one of, if not THE, experts in the world, and he did it by "doing"!!
Now, I have a wonderful slave/wife, who's always dreamed of body mods, and I've put what I learned from PFIQ to good use. she now has some 36 piercings, including 00g nipples, and quite a bit of "quality" ink. While her septum was punched,(at 6g), and her nipples were needled at 10g, (all three at one sitting), by a pro, I did all the rest, and all of her stretches, using what I learned from PFIQ.
My sincere thanks to Doug, Jim, and Shannon, for educating us and providing a way for us to "grow". Without them, we would still be in the "closet", and using sewing needles.
John
Master to IAM petslave45
"P.S."
In glancing back at Jim's article,I read at the bottom of the page
that he was taking donations to restart Gauntlet!!!!! I then made a donation, and encourage others to do so. Just the republication of PFIQ would be nice!