Help! Homemade Practice Poi causing blisters?

Ok, new new newbie here, as in I just made my first practice Poi today from shoe strings and bags of rice.

I was out MAYBE 30 mins today spinning and i have a blister on my left index finger. Was shoestring a bad choice? Should I make a finger gaurd? Is it just part of the process?

I am STOKED to find this board!
TIA

For my first poi I went over to target and got some panty hose, they're a little bit stretchy but they are more forgiving than shoe string. If you want to stick with shoe strings maybe make a finger guard out of something soft that doesnt hurt when you hold onto it for a long time, at the very least wrapped up in tape so you don't get horrible blisters.

I'm somewhat of a newbie too but that's what I've had from experience so far.

Happy Spinning!

-Honii

When I started I was fond of knee high socks, with whatever kinda weight you please. This takes you away from the string though like the pantyhose idea, but I have heard of them breaking in time and having to use multiple pairs per weight. I have no real idea though cuz I have never used pantyhose Girls knee high or bigger work well though and tend to hold out for quite a while. I still have my very first socks with 3 tennis balls in each and they are still holding up XD. Not without holes of course nowadays. Hope this helps

Pantyhose stretch unbelievably much....

Stick to socks.

It may get better with time, but probably not much.

If you want to stick with the shoe string either give your fingers time to get used to it or try a different kind of string. I glowstring and found some soft ones with a tiny bit of stretch to them that work awesome.

If you want to try something else I suggest socks. As aston said they have much less stretch. Knee highs with a knot at the end work well.

Thanks for all the awesome ideas! I tried making a fleece wrap for the loop on my shoestring Poi and even though it helped at first, now its causing issues with it being too wide for me to hold between my fingers comfortably.

I actually collect stripped knee high socks, lol! I will try two of those with tennis balls in them next.

I hope to fins a solution soon as I want to spin every minute I can and having inadequate equipment is causing issues with that!

I'm considering buying or making some practice Poi with tennis balls on the end of a chain with a loop handle.
Any hints ,tips, or ideas on how to do or where to purchase this?
Also, can some one take a close up pic of their fire Poi where the loop meets the chain so I can see how it's made?
TIA

well if you were buying them, I'd have to say here at HoP. I recent bought these with some fluffy poi heads for practice and I love them to pieces. I especially like the part where hitting myself doesn't result in bruises

As for making them and the fabric loops, I've considered cutting a length of tube sock, folding it to get a good thickness, and sewing it together, but haven't tried it.

Straight tennis balls are a bit light for most people. Just as an aside. Slightly heavier (120-160g) poi are helpful in that they allow you to feel them more.

To attach a loop, just use a D shaped metal link in the loop (look in the shop for ideas) and clip that onto your chain via a quicklink.

Of all the handles I've used the ones I find easiest on my fingers are the leather loops (I like single) HOP sells. The leather is much better than the synthetic suede ones on the pro series - I've hand them on my hands, spinning most of the time, for up to 8 hours at a stretch at a festival.

The leather is also better IMO than the webbing loops flowtoys sell, or than any I've made myself of various tapes, ribbons and fabric.

In my part of the world some sewing shops (Spotlight) sell bags of leather offcuts with some bits long enough to cut loop strips.

My camera needs charging (and once again I have to go to work), I'll try and take some photos later.

Jameth the HoP pro series handles arent made out of that material anymore. I have a couple pair of those old ones but the new ones are nylon. There a lot nicer on the hands but the only downside I have found is how slick they can be. Just holding onto them without looping them up somehow has proven a bad idea for me before. When it comes to comfort there great.

wow! Thank you!
I now have stripped knee sock/Tennis ball Poi and I LOOOOOVE IT! Way better on the hands! I was using rice filled baggies and man , were they heavy!
The tennis balls do feel a bit light to me, not sure how I could adjust it though.

I'm off to go check out some of the products here, if my connection will hang (for future reference I am on dial-up, so if I seem to disappear for a few days, it's just that I can't get it to load! LOL)

You guys prob already know this, but you rock!
Thanks Again!

recommend replacing the tennis balls with bags of rice, about 130-150g per head should do it depending on your preference. If I may also add, if you use 2 sets of socks(like one inside the other) then they feel much better, the double thickness reduces their stretch and bounce. If you like you can also add a counterweight to the handle end, another 30g of rice in each handle does the job for throws

As for the homemade tennis ball and chain set, I actually made a pair this last summer to build up my strength. I got 2 tennis balls, hand full of pennies, 2 eye-bolts w/ nuts and washers long enough to just pass through the ball and something to cut the tennis balls and some duct tape.

I cut a slit on one side of the ball just large enough to fit a penny through then made a small "x" shaped cut on the opposite. Fill the balls w/ desired amount of pennies and then slip the eye-bolt through. I then covered the ball w/ duct tape so the bolt would be less likely to slide through the larger hole. Screw on the washer and nut and you're off. I just used a set of chains I got from here w/ leather handles.

Here are a couple of photos of my leather single loop handles - to get the leather through the swivel I made that bit slightly narrower. My sewing machine isn't up to sewing leather so I did it by hand, using a back stitch and upholstery thread. I keep a eye on it but it seems fine so far.

I have a swivel and quick link on the other end for led poi / glow lights. I also have a set of cone poi (non stretchy fabric) with rice in them, attached to a similar loop, because I like single loop handles much more than just holding knots - I can relax my hand completely much of the time.

The photos are fairly big, to allow for detail showing up:

I use similar handles to jameth on most of my flowtoys rigs except i make my single loops out of wide ribbon (about 2inches, nylon) folded over a few times then handstitched, SUPER comfy, the material is really soft and surprisingly strong (to the extent that I've even made a rope dart with it and it glides across the skin- no rope burns )

I'll try the rice bags and double sock today and let ya know how it feels. The tennis balls are deff too light and it seems to be messing with my planes, or maybe that would be the fact that I'm a total noob, lol.

I did go shopping and found exactly what I was looking for! There are chains with fluffy poi that I can exchange for fire poi when I'm ready. I really like the idea of practicing with the same chains I will be performing with. I also like the idea of having a couple different toys on hand so I remain flexible and can adjust in a split second to weight changes.
SO, what have we learned so far boys n girls?
1. we love rice!
2. Stripey socks can be used for more than just makin my legs look cool!
3. Rice bags and the back of my head are best friends!
4. Shoe laces make blisters!
5. HOP has some of the best info from some of the coolest peeps!

Much gratitude for the pics Jameth, and the links and information from you all!

rice bags and double sock def make a difference, the only issue i seem to be having now is that the socks are really thick and seem to be screwing with me, but again, it could just be that its something new and I need to get used to it.

TA

Once you get used to them, socks are lovely to spin with.

Give them a chance.

I hated sock poi until I played with aston's grass green ones... They do take time to get used to, but now I love them

Grass green? Those were grey school socks.

This folks, is why you should never only meet at night, by firelight.

*hides*

Dry summer?

socks are great but i only like them as a double thickness, single thickness does my head in. As a side note try to find 100% cotton socks, lots of socks these days have lycra in them and stretch like hell

yeah i started out using tennis balls and string and they did the same thing to me,but now if i use em i put handles on them,the double finger loops with swivles from HOP.i recently got sock poi,also from HOP and i found the tennis balls were too light so i cut a hole into the ball squeezed it open(its a straight cut that closes when you stop squeezing) and put a funnel into he cut and put coffee(we were out of rice,yes fail) in there,your can adjust the rice to your weight liking.id send you a picture,but my cameras charging,i will later though

My poi when I started always gave me blisters, but that just kinda stopped after a while. Along with blisters from the eyebolts on my ball handles when I hold them between my index and middle finger instead of thumb and forefinger. Also single loops cutting off circulation stopped. Pretty much everything stopped for me. But it does also have to do with your hardware. And what type of shoestrings? The kind I use with my glowsticks are the super thin flat black laces that go on my track spikes and they're really nice and comfy for me. I like better than colecord actually. But Flowtoy's new ultrasoft cord definitely takes the trophy for comfy.