Forums > Social Chat > veggie firepoi

Posted: 25th Feb 2001
My dear...there are so many materials you can use to replace leather, hemp, flax, any natural materials...just have a look. We live in a world that is very diverse with many many things to make out of and do...it is not hard to find something that is not made of animal. Use yur head and yu will find what yu seek...take care and look hard...yu will not find trouble but yu will find success. Try to look for sustainable materials and stuff that grows from the ground...make an effort my dear and always be peaceful.Matt HippyPeace and Love

Posted: 25th Feb 2001
hey - while i've got nothing against leather per se, i don't use leather handles. we use webbing, which is wonderfully strong. here's the gig:get some not-too-thick webbing from your local mountaineering store. also get some rope (preferably not cotton) that is just the right diameter so that you can barely get it into the webbing. the more tightly it fits, the better."measure" the rope so that it fits comfortably around your finger and meets at the bottom. then "measure" out enough webbing so that it's longer than the rope by a couple inches. you'll want to end up with something like a number 6 - then thread that "tail" through your chain attachment of choice (i don't recommend split rings. we're using swivel clips), and fold the "tail" over, so that you have a closed tear drop (or you could think of it as an immensely misshapen 8, with the swivel clip in one loop and your finger to go through the other), and you've got three layers of the webbing that you can now stitch through. the rope inside stops before these stitch-throughable layers. get some good strong thread, or dental floss, and stitch it up tight. remember to seal all the edges of the webbing along the way. hope this makes sense!the downside is that the webbing is going to rub blisters until you break it in. the upside is you can break it in wearing thin gloves and that should do the trick. i've had some insanely nasty blisters, but only after 2 or 3 hours of practice. i'm thinking about switching to the noose-style leather handles cause i'm starting to do a lot more hand-open stuff, and i'm worried about the one-finger handle flying off...but other than that it's very comfy.

Posted: 25th Feb 2001
hear hear Ykaterina,I reakon that webbing is the only way to go.I use a double looped handle that fits very snug around my middle 2 fingers. ive found the snugger the fit, the smaller the chance of getting blisters. Another alternative for very sensitive hands is very thick cotton material. I used it loads when i was first learning to prevent blisters, and if 2 or 3 layers are folded or sewn together when making the handles, it provides loads of support.Cained-and-Unable

Posted: 25th Feb 2001
As others have said there are heaps of non-animal materials you can use for handles/grips... just watch that if you are using something that isn't as fire resistant as leather that you spray it with some fire retardant...The other night in a performance I had a problem with my costume (being that my top fell down mid-performance), and (as gracefully as possible considering the circumstances) I rounded off the set and dropped my still burning poi - and the handles (being made from animal-friendly strong cotton weave) were damaged beyond use so I have to replace them... no big deal, but worth learning from...

Posted: 26th Feb 2001
my poi handles are made from big rubber O rings....no animals in that, but they do guve you blisters till you develope a callus... ------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

Posted: 26th Feb 2001
When i was making my first set of firepoi i bought (naively) some bog standard 1-inch paraffin wick, which immediately burnt to cinders. i then bought some kevlar wick, and used the old paraffin wicks (which i hadnt used) and made handles out of them. They break in nice, and are solid as you like. i've since used them for my other set of comets, well recommended - but only if you have some lying around.(pricey just for handles!)I'm making a new set at the moment - for the veggie handles i went to a charity shop and rummaged through the basket full of old belts. - they were mostly leather, but luckily i found a couple of canvas style belts --dirt cheap, very solid, just need decent stiching - sorted. 1 happy veggie poiboy

Posted: 26th Feb 2001
My boyf made me a set of poi ...(which are still not finished yet..hmpf!)and he made the handles out of a sythetic shammy leather type matierial. It's soft and does not go hard if they get wet (parrafin, water etc) and is not made out of bits of animal. Chloe

Chloe.
-I'm dancing through the fire just to catch a flame-
Paul Weller

Posted: 28th Feb 2001
Just remember of a set of poi one of my mates had a while back. They didnt have finger loops but a big toggle that looked like it came off the front of a duffle coat.The string was connectedto the middle of the toggle, which went between your middle fingers while u held the toggle in a clenched fist. A bit restrictive and wholey uncomfortable,(which, come to think of it is probably why sh threw them away), but did for me while i made a new properset. they can be ok as long as the session is'nt too long.

Posted: 5th Mar 2001
Good on you for making your own poi,its half the fun. I've just cut the excess length of straps from my backpack.Just measure enough to loop around your fingers snugly and double both ends internally. I'ts quite a chore to stitch but they are very solid and fireproof, hope this helps, love peace and understanding to a fellow veggie dancer John.