Old Fire Heads

What do you do with old wick heads?
I had a ton of them laying around, ended up throwing them away but thinking they might have been better if I had have used them to experiment with new things. I replace my wicks head when they are no longer "show worthy". They get down graded to practice sets, but even after awhile they can't even qualify as that. Yet they are still burnable.

So how long, ratty do you let your wicks get? Do you retire them or use them for something else?

That and have any of you gone back and looked at your original sets? I did and had a great giggle. All I could say was "AWWWW, my baby poi are were soooo cute!" just because they are so damn small! lol

You know, it's never come up. I must have the Uber kevlar or something as I haven't even had to refold my wicks in the last two years, let alone retire them.

I have used the same wicks for 2 years too SP, but am retiring them as they are beat. But before then I had retired several sets...but this time I don't want to just let them sit around. So I am trying to figure a few alternatives out. Funny how this doesn't come up on here though aye? lol

I've made cathedrals out of my old poi heads - unravelled the kevlar and folded it together - even small peices can be stuck together with the eyebolt construction method.

Otherwise, the old heads help contribute to fire sculpture components, small stage wicks or even wicking for smaller toys like fire fingers an sometimes small torches.

Just think little...

I use my non show quailty wicks as loaners or give aways to newbies. we get alot of people out at the beach who have never done fire poi before if they ask I let them use a old set of mine under a light of a red full moon I have even been crazed enough to give a set away to someone who couldnt afford them.or if she was real cute :::laughs:::::::::

Seeing I make fire tool I retire a wick from our show as soon as there is any sign of fraying.But I am sure if i didnt buy the kevlar in the amount I do I wouldnt be so anal about it.

Thanks for the ideas!
This is the first time my Kevlar wicks have worn out. All my previous ones were not Kevlar, so thanks for the ideas. When dismantling the wick does anyone know if it can be cut down (say in half) and the edges sewn or hemmed? I use glue on all my tools anyway but...what will keep them from fraying if I cut them more? Or are they just too crunchy to do that?
I wear my wicks out to the point where I don't think they are safe enough to give to a newbie, to tell you the truth. Even kevlar, when it frays, burns apart. I wouldn't curse anyone with those! lol

I don't worry about glue or hemming - I just tuck lose ends under and never have a problem so long as the wrap remains tight.

I also do as Fire by Riz and keep my old wicks around for newbees. It is good for them because the flame is smaller and doesn't last as long that way.

I loan the old ones out without really expecting them to be returned, yet they always get returned for some reason. whenever I loan something out and expect it back, it rarely does. But tell people it is no big deal if it comes back and it usually does - Go figure...

One other thing, I usually put a box wrap around a catherdal fold. That way, you get about 50 or more burns before the fire starts to eat away at the actual core of the cathedral wick. Once the box fold gets too ratty, I cut it off, and presto magico, underneath there happens to be a perfectly good wick still! Yeay!

Pele, I've used squares of kevlar an inch round to effectively make cathedrals (or probably more just like layers of squares of kevlar, with the occassional one long enough to fold twice ) <---------- hope that makes sense.

I usually ispect my wicks before a burn and trim any frayed bits with a pair of scissors. They're not the prettiest of heads, but they do work... you just keep a bit more of an eye on them - and of course, only use them for practice - not shows.

Adding on to Vanize's bit about box folds...and a general note to my crazy friend in South Africa
(waves to da vanize dude)

Box folds work better with a slightly thicker wick.

The 1/8th inch stuff I purchased from Dubee? I've already lost one side of one of the box folds.

The 1/8th seem to soak up more fuel, but...they don't seem to last as long as thicker wicking.