Samppa Magnets installed by Russ Foxx

I had two magnets professionally implanted by Russ Foxx in Vancouver yesterday. The magnets he provided were from Samppa von Cyborg, they are 3x7mm cylindrical magnets with a robust parylene coating.

I've self implanted a magnet from SMM and an M31 from DT in the past, both in my left ring finger, and both rejected before fully healing. The SMM had a coating failure, and the M31 rejected due to trauma following the implant. I put it in saline after removal and it rusted, so it would have failed anyway.

The Samppa magnets clearly have a good solid coating on them, and the rounded edges should be more comfortable than the hard corners on most other magnets. I haven't been able to find many pictures of them online, so check out the attached one. That was from about 20 seconds before it went into my hand.

I have mine installed in the knife edge of my left hand(the recommended location for sensing with these magnets) and by my index finger in between it and my thumb. The latter is slightly closer to the index finger than the standard glass tag implants, and both are about an inch from my knuckles. I'm aiming for a semi-binocular sensing ability, though I'm aware that the thumb/forefinger area is not as good for sensing. I've kept my right hand nonmagnetic because I work with and around electricity and transformers, power tools, and metal shavings.

I definitely noticed the difference in regional sensitivity during the install. The knife edge one was significantly more painful, though even that wasn't as bad as a bee sting. It's a little more painful than a chip implant, and takes a little longer, but it's definitely in the same neighbourhood. More on that later.

Human binocular vision works very well even with severely reduced acuity in one eye, so I hope the magnets working together will provide more 3d information than a single magnet could. I'll definitely report back as they heal.

I had a few conversations with Russ before getting the magnets, and between his experiences with fingertip magnets, my experience with mine, and the fact that I'm an electrician and do a lot of work with my hands, a fingertip install was simply not a good choice for me. Given that, I ruled out the DT Titan due to its smaller size. With reduced nerve density, having more magnet in there is important. I also expect a much longer lifespan with them in a more protected location.

The implant procedure was extremely straightforward, and if you're considering going to a professional I can't recommend that highly enough. Self installs are rough, there's no sense beating around that bush. Even with anaesthetic (which introduces its own dangers and complications) that hurdle of cutting into your own skin is just not something I wanted to do again, and I'm glad there was a pro close enough to me. I wouldn't describe myself as squeamish, but being able to look away and breathe deeply is an underrated benefit. Plus he had both hands free!

Russ is extremely friendly, professional, and clearly knows his shit. I'm not personally interested in cosmetic body mods, but him having horns seemed like a good sign! He's very knowledgeable and is working on some very interesting projects that should be out soon.

The implant procedure involves making a tunnel with a needle the same size as the magnet, then pushing the magnet into that pocket. Unlike the xG3 implant, the Samppa one does not pass through the needle. While it adds a couple seconds to the process, it means the pocket is not oversized, minimizing local trauma and making healing faster. There should be a lower chance of it moving around during the healing process as well. From needle touching skin to the gauze being applied was *maybe* 15 seconds. We did one right after the other and I had no apprehension or need to take a break in between. I really can't overstate how quick and easy it was from my side of the table.

I'm just over 24 hours post-implant and my hand feels a little sore in those spots but otherwise fine. No issues with range of motion or anything like that. The tape and gauze pads were more uncomfortable than the implant sites by the time I got home, but I kept them on overnight to be safe, and swapped them for small bandaids this morning.

I think that pretty well covers everything, but I'm happy to answer any questions. Overall I'd give the implant process a solid 10/10, and I'll definitely be going back to Russ for any future implants.

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