Good Vibrations Magazine

NobEssence: Exotic Hardwood Made Erotic

There’s something about wood—the smooth surface, the beautiful grain, the beauty only found in nature….
When our Senior Toy Buyer came across the NobEssence line, she was immediately struck by both the design and functionality of the stunning wood toys. The product line is diverse, with something for everyone: Tryst is a double-ended toy, perfect for both anal play and G-spot stimulation, Fling is a G-spot specialty with a handy handle, Romp is a wearable prostate toy, and the Rendezvous Rings are a great alternative to metal or rubber cock rings.

All of the NobEssence toys are made of exotic hardwood and feature an odorless, non-porous and hypo-allergenic coating, making them perfect for folks with sensitivities.

I recently sat down (via the internet) with Alicia Yoder, President/CEO of NobEssence, Inc. for this exclusive interview:

How and why did NobEssence come about?

I would like to give you some deeply intellectual story full of lofty ideals, but I am afraid to say that it was mostly to do with the fact that I could not find a toy that I was satisfied with.

With delightful frequency and the enthusiasm of an eager puppy with a morning newspaper, my husband Jason would present me with a new toy – each one guaranteed to please. Unfortunately for him I must be a close relative of Goldie Locks, as everything I tried was too soft, too cold, bumps in the wrong place, pulled my hairs, absorbed the lube, was ugly or smelled bad.

I was pregnant with our fifth child and it was evident that Jason was looking for his pregnancy project. You see, it is common that while a woman is growing a baby, her partner has to use up surplus energy in some manner. This often manifests as decorating the nursery or remodeling a bathroom. When you get to your fifth child and only have one bathroom and no nursery, one has to start getting creative. So, I gave him his task, “we can not find the perfect toy, so make me the perfect toy.” My criterion; firm, smooth, beautiful, with just the right amount of essence of nob (British Slang for Penis)”. I was informed that while he was quite resourceful, he was pretty sure that glassblowing, masonry or steel forging were not going be happening in our garage. Jason however did know wood. Raised in a rural wood-based community he had made furniture, tree houses and some driftwood carving, and was now happy to be able have an outlet for his wood working skills.

As the baby grew, so did the realization that our project was so successful that it had to be shared. After a year and half, we are delighted by the positive response that we are receiving to the NobEssence brand.

NobEssence designs are ergonomic….

Ergonomics is very significant to our designs because as we were developing the sculptures so was my pregnant belly. Thus the “Tryst” was born. Finally, I could comfortably hit the right spots without requiring Yoga warm-ups.

I did not want to have to explain to my prenatal group that my repetitive strain injuries were due to my extensive use of sex toys – even if it was in the name of research. So we enrolled numerous friends and acquaintances to trial our designs. We were blessed with a really wide range of testers from the insightful San Francisco Bay Area Sexologist Danielle Harel who kindly featured an adventurous version of the Tryst in her quarterly podcast, to individuals who had never used a toy before. Each one has their part in our development process and we thank them all.

Noone has a straight vagina or anus – we know, because we researched real anatomy – external and internal. The “Romp’s” design was derived from real impression casts of the inside of some of our more intrepid tester’s bottoms. It is so comfortable that it can be worn for extended periods.

Layered through all of this is Jason’s undeniable artistic gift. It truly amazes me how he can select a piece of wood and instinctively know how to carve it to release its beauty.

Why wood?

Wood has long been associated with luxury and quality. A truly natural material, the whorls, knots, holes, and spectacular grain patterns are to wood as inclusions are to diamonds. We carefully choose all of our exotic hardwoods for their color, shape, texture and grain, so every single toy we make has a different character.

There is great versatility in wood. With access to the world’s diverse woods, we are able to greatly vary texture, color, pattern and weight. Rosewoods and ironwoods sink in water and are great for bottom sculptures and leopardwood has a uniquely bumpy texture. And because wood is a natural insulator, it stays at room temperature and soon warms with your heat and stays warm for a while if set aside briefly. It won’t be the temperature with NobEssence sculptures that makes you gasp!

The first thing people say when they hear wood in the same sentence as dildo is, “Oo! splinters!” But when handed a NobEssence “Fling” with its sensual curves and ergonomic handle, that “Oo” changes to “Mmmmm……” The wood species we use are hard and dense so they are able to be sanded to an incredible smoothness. It is lengthy part of our production process, but one that I won’t compromise. We caress each sculpture innumerable times before it is deemed smooth enough to caress you.

The other question most people ask is about wood being an absorbent material. I have really sensitive skin, have to be very careful with lubes and I am pretty fussy about what gets put in my most sensitive spots. There’s nothing worse than finding that your toy leaves you with a nasty itch. So it was a must that we found a way of finishing our products that made them waterproof and safe even for sensitive skins.

I am happy that we have achieved more than that. Our 16 step finishing process sets our sculptures apart from your standard toy. Not only will our sculptures not soak up your lubrication, but they are scent-free, hypoallergenic, non-porous and bacteria resistant. The slightest spot of lubrication makes them slick and slippery – compatible with all known lubricants – a little goes a long way.

Are all your pieces hand-crafted?

Yes they are. I love the fact that we can provide heirloom quality sculptures at a reasonable price and you can invest knowing that no one will ever have a toy exactly like yours.

Each sculpture is hewn from solid planks, hand-sculpted and finished with great care. As demand for our sculptures is growing we have sought out and trained additional craftspeople to assist us. We have very high standards and have found few artisans who are detail-focused enough to be able to meet our narrow tolerances for sculpture quality.

Unlike plastic, glass, stone and steel, wood is a living material and the only one that continues to develop its own shape and color over time. While this occurs in all of our wood sculptures to some degree, it is particularly pleasingly to observe in our “Rendezvous Rings.” Each ring is perfectly round until seasoned over a period of 2-3 months whereupon it settles into a slightly ovoid shape that delivers long-lasting visual and physical excitement.

While the artistic and organic nature of our products may imply that size and shape does not matter, we personally examine and caliper test every piece to ensure consistent results to within 1/8″ to ¼” of the original reference design.

Are there any special care instructions….?

Our exclusive waterproof finish means you can spend more time enjoying your toy and less time worrying about how to care for and sterilize it. Between uses or between partners you can wash it with warm water and non-abrasive soap, or wipe down with your favorite toy cleaner and finish by wiping down with a soft cloth. You can leave your sculpture out in the open or store it in its premium velvet-lined storage box. Though wood is very durable material, it can be damaged if dropped or impacted against other hard surfaces. If this happens, I recommend a close inspection before re-use.

Not all wood products are alike. Each NobEssence sculpture bears our unique “n” shaped mark meaning that you can trust that it has our hypoallergenic waterproof finish. I am not aware of any other wooden toys that can be cleaned to the same standard of hygiene.

Good Vibrations used to carry wood products years ago…

One of the reasons we have chosen to partner with Good Vibrations is their commitment to selling safe, quality products and educating consumers so that they may avoid materials that may harm their bodies or environment.

The fact that we use woods selected from our own estates or harvested from responsibly managed woodlands (replanting, selective cutting, etc.) is not our only story.

We understand ourselves to be stewards of our environment and therefore practice sustainable business practices that consider the entire lifecycle of our products and the materials we use in our business operations. This encompasses everything from the planting of exotic species for future generations, premium packaging made from renewable wood and paper, paperless office management, and the collection and composting of waste wood and sawdust.

As wood is a naturally occurring raw material, our products require very little energy to create. Oh! And did I mention that they are Phthalate free? No nasty chemicals or petroleum derivatives here!

What can we expect from you in the future?

*Smiles* Why, ‘vibes’ of course. We have developed a way to add buzz to our sculptures and are currently refining those designs. Early 2008 will also see the introduction of some remarkable new shapes and textures as we are very excited to have access to newer organic materials.

While some of our products are already dishwasher-safe, we are refining our finishing process so that we can confidently recommend this method of cleaning for all NobEssence sculptures.

Visit www.nobessence.com.

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Oh, and by the way, I just heard that Alicia is expecting her 6th child; if baby number 5 brought us NobEssence, I can not wait to see what this baby will bring.

–Simone