Human beings seemingly really enjoy getting creative with their cruelty, as these (mostly) out of fashion methods of execution illustrate, including the Spanish Tickler:
Warning: the articlemay be is disturbing. Link
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by redsfaithful.
Used to tear open the victim's skin, this weapon could rip through anything, including muscle and bone. The victim was tied up naked, sometimes in public, and then the torturers begin mutilating them. Usually starting on the limbs and working inward, the neck and face were always saved for last.
Warning: the article
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by redsfaithful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphism