The Leather Master Scott was mentored in was based in part on the old Leathermen from the 50's and 60's.  These are the gay men who came out of WWII era.  Many were part of Biker Clubs.  But since they were scattered all over the count they didn't all have the same Leather practices.  One thing most had in common was the need to keep it very underground and usually a lot of rough sex.  There were many similarities, but each region and sub group had their own twist.  Somewhere along the way the term "Old Guard" was used to describe the men during that point in history.  There is no consensus on what “Old Guard” really was or wasn’t.  There are lots of stories and lots of myths, but Master Scott says there will never be agreement.  The men who were around during this time certainly didn’t refer to themselves as “Old Guard”.  That phrase was coined years later.  It seems people throw the word "Old Guard" around like a cheap rug.  By sheer age, there are very few around who are really "Old Guard".  Master Scott says if someone tells you they are Old Guard and they are still ambulatory and not in leather diapers, she would take it with a grain of salt.  They may have been trained by Old Guard or they may practice many of the Old Guard ways, but they probably are not of the generation that belonged to Old Guard.

Safe, Sane and Consensual was not part of anything these men did.  There were no "Old Guard" women.  It was strictly gay male.  Some women were able to get a glimpse into the Leathermen's world because they may have been friends with them, but in public they did not associate with Leather Women.  They were a hard living, drinking crowd.  Some of them were also heavy druggers.

Master Scott says since the groups were smaller, there was much more control of members of the community.  If you screwed up, you could easily be shunned from the community.  Training may have differed from group to group in some fashion, but usually you had a mentor of some sort.  You were given instruction on how to act, protocol (whatever that was for your group), responsibilities, traditions and other codes of conduct that the group practiced.  It wasn't written in a book they handed you.  It might not have been on a formal policy they had (but some groups did have formal policies).  It was simply how your group acted and expected you to act.  If you screwed up one time too many, you were out.  Period.  No discussion.  And the Master Scott says one time too many, could have been one time, period.

Master Scott says the terms and labels Daddy, Boy, Sir and Master weren't used in the Lesbian Leather Community 30 years ago.  When Master Scott came into the scene switches weren't accepted and no one would have ever admitted to being one.  Those who switched kept it on the down low.  She says she never knowingly met a switch until the 90's.  She says she sees as many or more Switches now than those who like her, strictly Top, or who strictly bottom.  Master Scott was mentored and trained as a Dominant.  While in training she was not allowed to Top anyone and she had to learn to serve.  She says you didn’t get to call yourself a Dominant overnight.  If one didn't have the patience to learn and pay their dues, they were excluded.  End of story.  Training varied by group and by trainer but it seemed like a very long time. 

At the time Master Scott started out most groups felt even if you were being trained to be a Top you had to be a bottom first.  To many it was felt you had to experience being a submissive to be a successful Dominant.  Her mentor felt that you had to pay your dues by serving and learning but if you didn't have "bottoming in your blood" she could hang you on a cross all day and flog you, you still weren't going to know how being a bottom or submissive felt because you would never go to what some call “bottom space” because it wasn't part of your psyche.

Master Scott’s Mentor trained her in the responsibilities of being a Top (in this case she uses the term Top to mean Master, Daddy etc. while that isn't her meaning in the strictest form).  Master Scott’s Mentor’s opinion was anyone with enough practice can throw a whip or flogger reasonably well.  She concentrated more on the mindset, the protocol, the responsibilities, and the expectations she had of Master Scott if Master Scott was to be a successful Top. 

This all adds up to Master Scott practicing many things that might be referred to as 'Old Leather' for identity purposes.  She acknowledges that even the meaning of that phrase is often in dispute. Master Scott uses it to refer to what people were doing at the time she learned.  Master Scott expects her slaves, subs and boys to act certain ways, she expects them to train, to 'earn their leathers', follow protocol. She insists on very strict high protocol in public.  At times she relaxes the protocol requirement in private.  She considers her slaves and subs to be a committed relationship.  While she is married, they do become very much a part of her life and are involved in it in many ways.  Her slaves and subs must be independent women.  Master Scott feels a slave’s or sub’s submission would mean little if they were a dependent personality.  She knows not all Tops feel this way, but she does. 

Master Scott says with the widespread use of the internet, Leather changed.  She says it has always been in a state of change but it seemed to run amok.  Master Scott explains, “The internet has been a double edged sword for the Leather Community.  It made it easy for us to get the word out, it helped those stuck in BumFuck USA find like minded people, or organizations within their area.  It allowed many of us who might have never met, to do so.  It has a very big down side too.  It means anyone can make up a name and be a Master, Mistress, Boy, Sub, Slave etc. in the time it takes to login.  It means con artists and sleaze have a built in audience to victimize.  It means some people get involved for all the wrong reasons.  The life, unfortunately, has always drawn its share of abusers and victims of some sort or another.  But the internet seems to have multiplied their numbers.  With the community being so large now, it is much harder to excommunicate people.  Only small groups have been able to control their members.” 

Master Scott’s feeling is that so many people come into the community now, even if half of them were serious about their Leather and learning it from the ground up, there are not enough experienced people to mentor them.  She knows of women who are very serious about learning Leather history, traditions and protocols but have not been able to find a mentor near them that they want to train them.  She also says not everyone with experience necessarily make good trainers or mentors.  Some people don't want to do it, others might want to but just don't have the temperament for it, others it may be just not having enough time.  Because of that there are a lot of people running around with only the training that comes from an online chat room or something like Fetlife.  She finds the scene is diluted by people who treat it as their new fad.

This page last updated on:  03/01/2012