Fire poi straps and handles oh my?

i've searched endlessly today for straps for my fire chains. i want leather straps that use finger holes and wrist wraps. i've spun once or twice with the wrist straps and from what i can remember i really enjoyed the extra anti-fly away protection. i've only found one pair at firegear.com but the site will not allow any kind of contact with Brian Rice who runs the sight. $40 a pair though? anyone have any suggestions on where to find some? wrist straps verses non?
tanks a million
sara

fire-gear.com is run by Adam Rice and he is a member here on HOP. Chances are he will see your message...

-ahem-cough-adam got that design from us and i could maybe hook you up with some for a little bit cheaper (sorry adam, you know how it is ) but i need to know how big your hand is and stuff. they won't be much cheaper but they are well worth the money. you can email me but i'll be out of town for about a week. the wrist straps combined with the finger loops are good because they ease the long term wear and tear on all your joints, if made correctly you can change the chain load from fingers to wrist by changing the shape of your hand. after a few years your fingers will hurt with the regular handles. when we get our site up in like a billion years (firecircus.com) they will be for sale on the "mass market" complete with fitting instructions and techniques for ergonomic use. plus we've got even more cool designs for handles.

Colors--
Yeah, fire-gear is me. I am a little puzzled as to why you are unable to contact me through that site--clicking the "contact" link should create a new e-mail message addressed to me. I am using anti-spambot measures on that site that your browser might be choking on, especially if you have javascript turned off. Anyhow, I'm here.

I much prefer the combination of wrist and finger loops, not just for the extra security, but also because it lets me use a different style: my hands are completely slack. I don't use my fingers--my hands become extensions of my wrists.

Arashi--
You might say my design was inspired by what I've seen Sage wearing, but the construction is much different. I don't mind if you can sell them cheaper than me--business is business.

One question for those of you who use the finger & wrist strap combo....

how do you accomplish doing one handed moves? Or do you just strike them from your performance when using the wrist/finger straps...?

I don't do one-handed moves. It takes about 5 seconds to get a harness on/off, so it just wouldn't work. It's a tradeoff.

Adam it kept telling me something about the client i was trying to contact or what ever didn't have something installed.(secretly i'm a computor genious!)
anyway my fingers are plum used to the straps of poi. kind of like when you play guitar that part gets worn tough. right now i'm using the chain itself as handles and that squeeeeeeeeeeeezes sumting nasty. anything would be better. i refuse to use nylon though and i can't seem to make a hole in leather and let me tell you about me and grommit kits. for being a crafty gal its pretty sad!
so thanks for the replies in another paycheck i'll get back to ya'll
peas and carrots
mich

oh yeah! crazy raver dude. i want the wrist straps bc i think they're safer way less chance for the fly away. its never happened to me but a bunny friend of mine had two cops walking up to her during a peformance and instead of using the towel i laid out to extinguish her poi with she decided to spinn them like a maniac to put em out. anyway one went airborn. not good. all of us wound up looking like damn fools that night and it was unecissarily dangerous.
i also like to open my hands up during a spin and accentuate the dance with some fancy fingers its more exotic looking and feeling.
i've always thaught about using fire fingers with the poi. no experience with fingers really though. so on top of the other reply to your question i hope that gives some insight. rave on raver dude rave on.
ps please excuse possible spelling mishaps in both replies everyone. tanks a million.
a mich is a mich
is a mich

I find as a good alternative to wrist straps a leather loop that is split in the middle, this allows you to bend the 2 loops that are formed back and insert your index and middle finger.

This kind of strap tightens as the poi put more force on it and I have never had a problem with a poi 'spinning off' whilst using these straps

Mark P

I just want to note that I found that anti-fly-away protection is all well and good, but so is the ability to drop the poi when your safety tells you to. My friend's poi are so one with his fingers that he can't drop them and if he catches on fire, it's a real pain to put him out without lighting myself on fire.

I put on my straps facing toward my palm and then turn them over so that they face towards the back of my hand. Gives me a bit more anti-fly-away protection, but lets me drop the poi in a second if I need to.

Good point mike,

I tend to live with the fact that if I set myself on fire it will go out with a quick brush of my hand, if not then I drop and roll and if that dosent work thewn I get put out with a minging old wet towel *ewww* (never got to this stage or the drop and roll as yet)

I feel more secure when there is a large crowd if I am happy that I am going to have to go really badly wrong to let go of a poi, I tend to hit myself a lot less than I used to now (except when doing wraps!!) and I find that as long as you spin off the excess paraffin properly there isnt really much chance of setting yourself on fire anyway

Mark P

The only times I've had to have my safety person put me out is when my chains actually wind up knotted around my wrists, and I can't get free (this has happened to me 3 times). I'm not sure if being able to let go of my grips would make much difference in that case. My safety people have always been able to jump in and extinguish the flames before I get any bad burns.

My only case of tangling and near-safety interventions is when the poi also got tangled around my wrists. Fortunately I was able to let go of one of my straps and pulled my hand free, just picked the poi up and kept going. (=

I've never been on fire that was not able to be "Blown" out..