Frequently Asked Questions

What does the packaging look like?

A plain corrugated box with no branding, no logo, no product image, and no wording that describes what is inside. The sender name on the label is [PLACEHOLDER: neutral sender trading name] at our EU warehouse address. Where a description of contents is required, it reads as [PLACEHOLDER: agreed neutral description] — accurate, and uninteresting to anyone handling the parcel. The invoice travels inside, in a closed envelope. Metal is bedded in foam so the box is quiet. Weight is the only clue, and weight tells nobody anything.

What appears on my bank statement?

[PLACEHOLDER: statement descriptor]. Neither the IRONVOW name nor any category word appears. If you pay by SEPA transfer, the only reference we ask you to quote is your order number.

What are the products made of, and what if I react to nickel?

Load paths and body-contact surfaces are austenitic stainless steel: 304 across the range, electropolished or mechanically finished, then passivated. Powder-coated parts — spreader bar tubes, the Atlas frame — are coated over a phosphated steel substrate.

On nickel, the honest answer is more useful than a reassuring one. Austenitic stainless steels contain nickel — roughly 8–10% in 304. It is part of what makes them corrosion-resistant and non-magnetic. What matters for skin contact is not how much nickel the alloy contains but how much it releases, and a properly passivated stainless surface releases very little, because the chromium oxide layer on top of it is what your skin actually touches. This is why surgical instruments and quality watch cases are made from the same family of alloys.

The European limit for items in prolonged skin contact is a nickel release below 0.5 µg/cm² per week, measured to EN 1811 under REACH Annex XVII, entry 27. We have designed and specified to that limit. We have not yet published a test report, and we will not claim a result we cannot show you: [PLACEHOLDER: pending EN 1811 nickel release test report]. When the report is in hand it will be linked here in full.

If you have a diagnosed nickel allergy, treat that as an open question rather than a settled one until the report is published. Anyone with a severe contact allergy should speak to a dermatologist before wearing any metal against the skin for extended periods.

Do your products carry a CE mark or a certification?

No, and they should not. CE marking applies to specific product categories under specific EU directives — electrical equipment, machinery, toys, medical devices among them. Non-electric steel restraint hardware falls under none of them, and affixing a CE mark to a product outside the scope of those directives is itself an infringement. Any competitor showing you a CE mark on a plain steel collar is telling you something about their compliance knowledge.

What does apply to us: the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, under which we hold technical documentation and maintain a responsible person established in the European Union — see our Imprint — and REACH, covered in the previous answer.

Certifications and test reports in progress: [PLACEHOLDER: list of pending reports and their status].

How do I measure for the right size?

With a flexible tape or a strip of paper and a ruler, around the narrowest part of the joint: the wrist just below the wrist bone, the ankle just above the ankle bone, and the neck at its base where a collar naturally settles. Take the measurement at rest and at room temperature, and record it in millimetres. Leave clearance — one to two fingers at wrist and ankle, two fingers at the neck.

Our sizing guide walks through each measurement and explains what the clearance is for. If you are between sizes, take the larger one. And measure before you break the hygiene seal: while the seal is intact the item can still be exchanged.

How do I clean and maintain steel?

Warm water, a pH-neutral soap, a soft cloth, then dry it completely. Between partners, wipe non-porous steel with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let it evaporate.

Never use chlorine bleach, chlorinated cleaners, steel wool, or abrasive pads. Chloride attacks the passive layer that makes stainless steel stainless, and steel wool embeds carbon steel particles that rust in place and look like the item has failed. The full routine, including powder-coated parts and any leather liners, is in our care guide.

How hard is the Atlas to assemble, and how much does it hold?

Assembly takes one person about [PLACEHOLDER: assembly time] with the supplied hex key, or noticeably less with two people. The frame ships flat-packed, the fasteners are captive and pre-sorted, and the instructions are torque-specified — the numbers matter, so use them rather than judging by feel.

On load, we are deliberate: the Atlas is a leaning frame, not a suspension frame. A person may stand against it and be restrained against it. Nobody may hang from it, and no part of it may serve as a suspension point. We publish no working load limit, because publishing one would imply a rated, tested, load-bearing product, and this is not one. It is designed to be used upright on a level, solid floor and, where the instructions call for it, secured to a structural wall with fixings suited to your wall — which we do not supply, because the right fixing for masonry is the wrong fixing for a stud partition. Re-check every fastener before use and after any move.

Footprint and shipping dimensions: [PLACEHOLDER: Atlas assembled and packed dimensions and weight].

Can any of this be used for suspension?

No. Nothing in the range — no ring, eyelet, shackle, connector, chain, or frame — is designed, tested, or sold to suspend, support, or arrest the weight of a human body. Suspension is rigging, rigging equipment is rated and certified and inspected, and we do not sell rated equipment. Treating restraint hardware as rigging is how people get badly hurt.

This is a deliberate limit on the range, not an oversight, and it is written into our Terms.

How do returns work?

Fourteen days from delivery, no reason required. Email us, get a returns reference, send it back; you pay the return postage, we refund the price and the original standard delivery charge within 14 days.

One exception, set by EU law rather than by us: items worn against the skin ship with a tamper-evident hygiene seal, and once that seal is broken the withdrawal right no longer applies to that item. The inner package is transparent so you can inspect finish and size without opening it. A broken seal never affects a fault claim — defects, transit damage, and wrong items are covered for two years regardless. Full detail is on our Shipping & Returns page.

What payment methods do you accept?

Payment cards, processed by a specialist secure payment provider; your card details are entered on their page and never reach us. And SEPA bank transfer, which we dispatch against as soon as the funds clear, usually one to two business days.

We do not accept PayPal. PayPal does not permit adult-goods transactions outside the United States, so no merchant selling this category into Europe can offer it — anyone who appears to is risking your money along with their account.

Where do you ship from, and will I pay customs?

From our fulfilment centre inside the European Union at [PLACEHOLDER: EU warehouse city and country]. Stock is imported and cleared before you order, so EU deliveries involve no customs formalities, no import VAT on arrival, and no handling fee. Most EU addresses receive their parcel two to five business days after dispatch.

For destinations outside the EU — [PLACEHOLDER: non-EU destinations] — import VAT and duty are payable by the recipient at the destination country's rate. We cannot prepay them, and we do not mislabel shipments to reduce them.

The goods themselves are made to our drawings by precision metalworking partners in China, imported in bulk by sea, and held in the EU. That is the whole supply chain, and it is the reason our prices sit where they do.

Which piece should I buy first?

Most people are best served by the Oath Wrist Shackles at €79, or the Anchor Under-Bed Kit at €69 if you would rather establish anchor points than restrain a joint. The Vantage Rigid Spreader Bar at €89 is the natural second purchase, and the Keystone Connector Kit at €29 makes everything you own compatible with everything else.

If you already know you want the full set, the Foundry Complete Set at €199 is the consolidated route. Our beginner's guide explains the reasoning, and the safety practices that matter more than any of the hardware.

Can I order as a business or reseller?

Yes. Write to [PLACEHOLDER: wholesale email] with your company details and VAT identification number. We supply distributors and retailers in the EU on standard trade terms, and we can discuss private-label work on the same tooling where volumes justify it.