The Project

Much of what has been achieved in penis prosthetics in the past 25 years, is directly from this work.

The project has been active since 2002. People all over the world have been involved.

If you're interested, or want to share feedback and ideas, this information is for you:

• Past
• Present
• Future
• Motivation
• Process

In 2002, I tested the one penis prosthesis everyone had been talking about…. it was much better than everything else available at the time, but it wasn't close to what I’d imagined.*

I thought: Making the prosthesis we want, can’t be all that complicated.

That started years of experiments, research, and finding the medical industry insiders who would help. (Very hard to do at that time - many professionals - medical, lawyers, to tax advisors hung up, closed doors, asked me to leave - wanting nothing to do with 'this sort of thing’.)

Knowing what we need in terms of transparency, agency, privacy, and respect, I began collaborating with trans+ people all over the world.

People sent me their support, ideas and insights, and placed orders. Each individual prosthesis good enough for purchase, was sent out for feedback. I’d take the comments and notes and re-design and alter my various forms and build the next prosthesis good enough to send out for feedback.

Often changes failed, and I’d need to replace a prosthesis. People would wait for months while I figured things out before being able to repair or replace their prosthesis. Some gave up, others continued to give feedback and placed follow-up orders when it was time for a new one.

That went on for over 2 decades.

I joined the softness of the basic packer, the professional materials and health care attention of anaplastology with the knowledge of what is wanted and needed for comfort and daily wear.

2005, I began offering the Phase1: A flaccid only prosthesis. The first ever packer that could be attached to the body with adhesive, stay in place and was comfortable to wear. (At the time, the other things avaialbe were basic sticky soft packers that couldn't be glued and the firm epithesis that couldn't stay glued.)

Soon I was able to ad the erection function.

I designed the pump system based on that used in phalloplasty (ie. pump in scrotum connected to a fill-able shaft in penis)**. Because its made of soft silicone and not grafted skin, unlike surgery, the skin of the prosthesis could stretch at erection and shrink back to shape when flaccid.

2007, I introduced the Phase2 - the first penis prosthesis worldwide to include an erection pump.

Later, I added internal lubrication - so the entire skin slides free and safe over the balls and penis core. After years of experimentation with various substances, a collaborator suggested we use coconut oil***.

I got deeper into materials, form, sculpture and colour to bring in details for aesthetics.

I consistently re-designed and refined to make the flaccid smaller and softer, the erection easier and more reliable, and everything more durable.

Then, for ease of mind and longevity, I altered everything again to allow for simple to replace parts.

And we now have the Phase5 prosthesis.

A more consistent design - simpler to use - with easy to replace parts.

The Phase5 is still far from perfect!! The project has lots to do.

*The prosthesis made in the 90's by a prosthesticist was good compared to what we had available. This project owes a lot to his design. At the time, we also had the very basic packer; so sticky it needed to be powdered, quickly rubbed down and old looking, no detail - penis and balls-like in basic shape only, and couldn't be attached to the body. And those packers were a new thing - a big step up from the hair gel in a condom packed in a nylon stocking we all used just before. Before that was the sock... and whatever methods people used prior.

**I got the idea of a prosthesis with a pump from the first person to greet me at my first ever info/ support meeting for trans+. He talked of the possibility of making a prosthesis with something like the phaloplasty pump system.

***Coconut oil has since become the standard internal lubricant used by many packer/prosthesis companies.

I’m satisfied with the overall design.

This means I’m no longer changing the prostheses every few weeks…. things are more certain…. and I can offer replacement parts.

I no longer need to spend so much time on design work, so I'm now able to lower the price.

BUT

Just when I thought I could relax ... came new hurdles. To adjust, I've made some changes

What's changeing?

• Lower price for the t2 Phase5 (also for replacement skins for the Phase5). But with a
• Removal of the garantee system. see terms and conditions section 1. project concept.
• The website in English only (for now) - this makes public communication faster, less expensive, much easier (until now I've had the German and French versions as well as English, everyone else has used a translator).
• I'm re-introducing a (new) t2 Simple (flaccid only with a hole to connect an STP) version of the prosthesis.

What happened?

1. Medical certification removed

The prosthesis are no longer "medical devices". I saw no indicaiton that this is about quality or safety, my official qualifications, or even about penises for trans+, it seems to be about EU-wide regulations making it harder to be a certified medical device company, unless very large. I imagine it could also have something to do with the current all-round cuts to medical insurance in Germany. Whatever it is - it feels like a large brick wall.

What does this mean?

Far higher tax rate : The prostheses can no longer be taxed at the reduced rate for medical devices.

No payment coverage by medical insurance companies. Everyone has to pay out of pocket now, all the people who are used to having their prosthesis paid for by their insurance, no longer have that possibility.

One positive is that international shipment should be easier. Sending as a medical device was always complicated.

for details, see medical insurance

2. Cheap versions, pretending to be something like this project

I've tried to ignore it as scams come and go.... but this one is not going away.

For details, see Peecock

3. Changes to import, USA

This project has more supporters and people who order from the USA than from all other countries together. Customs controls and tarrifs for import to the USA, has had an impact.

see the last section of Postage

4. and this has been a steady change for awhile now, and having a big effect on the project...

Commercialisation of online spaces

Expectations

Many many companies make prosthesis and packers now. Where we once had individuals sharing reviews, we now have larger platform influencers who are businesses. While I have my 'no hype' policy, "hype" is used for sales - be it clicks or products.

Expectations are way too high. Because so many people believe the ads.

While ... there's a general expectation that everything's a scam, because people don't really believe ads.

It seems that many people believe the perfect prostheses already exists, that they just need to find out which company sells it.

Truth is, I've found no indication of anyone or any company out there seriousy investing time and money - except this project.

Critique

I'm ok with needing a thick skin. What makes this project harder and harder though, is that less people contact me to work out problems.

One of my most active supporters ever, was someone who I asked to please not order because there is no way that I can deliver what he's hoping for. He ordered anyway - and then continued to order and share ideas throughout many years until he eventually had surgery. (He's the one who suggested coconut oil as internal lubricant - so - all the companies using coconut oil now - it's thanks to him.)

This project needs communication and collaboration - I've read several random online posts over the years - from high praise to deep criticism - often pure fiction from people who I know never ordered from me. This project needs direct personal communication.

see no hype policy

Making prostheses is my job, and I know there's no comparable prostheses out there, and very few people with the knowledge and skills I've gained. I'm not closing shop. I'm adjusting, re-focussing.

I take notes with each individual prosthesis I make, and I still need feedback.

When parts break down I’m figuring out what to change to make it more durable. And I have a whole list of ideas waiting to be sorted and solved. When something big and new comes out - it'll be on this website.

Please tell people about this project - you don't need to order to be a supporter. Contact me, share ideas, spread the word.

The project is about creating something that some people* need in order to be able to relax and feel good with their bodies.

I make the prostheses for anyone on the trans+ spectrum who orders one. But,

All the years of work and stress and trouble are for a need, not for a nice to have or a fun to have.**

A penis is not a necessary part of being a man or male, and transition does not require a penis. But - some people do feel really weird in their bodies without one.

Most people can't relate to that of course, and find it too strange to imagine. Fact is, it’s real, and playing it down, or suggesting the person is somehow deluded, conformist or weak, is insulting.

That's the motivation for this work - to Not play it down.

The tough part is -that so few people understand the motivation.

If I were making sex toys - people would react differently - that's casual and fun and brings in cash.

If I were making knees - people would react differently - that's recognised as important work.

When I say I make noses etc, missing body parts - people show immediate concern for the people I make them for and relate to my feelings of urgency.

But when I say I make penises - people go quiet - uncomfortable, or they immediately move on to sex toys and assume my work is light, maybe just a bit funny.

I've live-tested this for years, with each "... and what do you do?".

t2 prosthetics is a design project to create the best possible prosthesis, not a product to sell for profits. The project is time consuming, expensive, and requires thought, skills, dedication, and communication with the people who test them.

*I use words like "people" and "they" as a generic. This is not to de-sex or de-gender anyone. It is to be universal. I for one am male, a man, and he, and find it annoying and ignorant when someone refers to me as "they" because I'm trans.

Many people who this project is for, identify as men or guys, many don't - Which is why I use generic terms.

**If you're looking for a packer/ prosthesis for play, or for wearing sometimes, this may not be for you

There are other options, less comfortable to wear or practical to live with, but for a short look, have more detailing and precise colouring and cost a lot less than what I make.

There are also not so "real" feeling erections, that function with less parts/ less potential problems, but are good for play. For that, many modern dildos are good, as well as several prostheses with rod systems.

see Red flags to watch out for for some tips and information on prosthesis and packers in general.

I'm trans, male, grew up in Canada, live in Berlin Germany. Here I go by 'tyron', the project's name, for a level of professional distance in a very public world. I transitioned close to 30 years ago, have lived through various waves of acceptance and exclusion. Personal choice around discretion and privacy is something I value, very few of us actually exist - or fit- in a bubble.

How did I get into this work?

Through some tough transition years, I landed in another country, and soon spiralled into precarious existence and survival mode. With no work permit, no way to study or receive official training, and no way to leave .. I found myself in the unique position of having time and the drive to figure out how to create the prosthesis that so many I cared about were dreaming of.

I’ve always been good at making things and interested in how things work.

My 25+ years of education and training specifically for these prosthetics is self-coordinated through books, articles, videos, courses and instruction from individual experts, paired with dedicated - possibly obsessive- experimentation with materials and design, all in communication with the many people around the world who have been involved in and supporting this project, in varying intensities, some since the start.

I make each prosthesis myself by hand, and I designed each individual part of each prosthesis. I design and produce each form, and a lot of the tools and methods I use to make each part. I work in a small workshop.

For years I had a 10 month wait-list of orders that I would close and open just to re-fill the 10 months. I never once took one of the many offers of more payment for a faster order. I'm painfully aware that there's a belief out there that these prostheses are priced high... This project is not a money fame or status maker! But - I've felt very creative and free and love that I've been able to do it full time.

Ironically, this work is thanks to internet. Internet was communication, connection for people who were once isolated. It's morphed into a place where "community collaboration" is understood as an advertising slogan, "dedication to a goal" is understood as a background story for branding. It's not currently a space I feel comfortable in, but I'm pushing through for whatever's coming next.

When you write, it’s me who reads and responds.

Language

My first language is English, I’ve lived primarily in German for many years. My French is limited. When I write in French, I often use an online translator to help me be as clear as I can.

Name

The projects name ‚tyron‘ comes from a plastic dinosaur I’ve had for a long time - a tyrannosaurus rex, nothing more than that.

Terms

When I say I am male and trans what I mean is:

I identify with the term "trans" due to my sex being different than that what was assigned to me at birth, my life being greatly influenced by that fact, and feeling kin to others who experience similar. My transition was about relationship to body. Female didn't "fit", male does.

'No hype' has always been central to this project.

Searching for this kind of prosthesis can be a very emotional. I see it as my responsibility to NOT take advantage of that.

To complicate impulse buying :

• The order process is via e-mail not a simple click.
• Communication is encouraged at every step.
• For the Phase_ prosthesis, there's the deposit, but then a wait period before full payment.
• I don't show 'on the body' photos/videos because it's just way too easy to make that look too good, while knowing that other lighting /other angles look less good.
• Influencers don't contact me lately, but they did for years - and I always declined. Because - I don't want to "influence" anyone. Also, I didn't - and don't - have the capacity to fullfill a lot of orders. This is a design project, not a product production company. I keep it small on purpose.
• I keep this website basic - a place for information.

I want people to know what they are ordering, be glad they did, be involved by giving me updates on function and durability, and I want them to spread the word.

Please contact me with your questions. I answer e-mails thoroughly and honestly.

Please read Section 1 of 'Terms and Conditions' : Project Concept.

The project has changed a lot over the years. The prosthesis has changed. Terminology I use has changed. Even my attitudes to all sorts of issues have changed. The goals and values of this work have been consistent. If you want to know that for sure, check a way back machine / online archive. You should find this website going back to 2005.