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fireboyAn angry young man with a passon for metal
252 posts
Location: Wagga Wagga, N.S.W, Australia


Posted:
as much as like fire whips and seen them performed before i must advise everyone but these things a F-!-C-K-I-N-G DANGEROUS.
sure you can pull in a crowd with these but they have a tendecy of actually spraing a kerosene fuel mist on you and ignoighting you, whits a guy in NT was performing with these he had two guys with estingishers real close to him and his back caught on fire they immeadatly put him out.

there is the whole law of motion in this in volved with whips so for those who just bought one o these start using a regular whip before hand, same rule as applyed with starting of with any fire equipment.

[ 05. May 2003, 22:03: Message edited by: fireboy ]

Fireboy

<<SINister miNISister>>
remeber kids jesus slaves


Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
wow that much mist? that's insane!
i bet it'd keep the murray mozzies away though...

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


PukSILVER Member
Sweet talented nutter
2,615 posts
Location: Brisbane Oz, Australia


Posted:
I looove fire whip's if used properly there great and give a whole different angle to your twirling style.

that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Good Fellow ; are you not he that is frighten of the maidens of the villagery - fairy

I am the merry wander of the night -puk


poiaholic22member
531 posts

Posted:
I was watching a special on bullwhip hobbyists a couple of months ago and even a dry leather bullwhip can be extremely dangerous because of the course of motion that it follows.

Don't get me wrong fire whips are cool but an extreme level of care needs to be exercised with any kind of whip so as not to injure yourself badly with them.

I think David at fireninja speaks also about the dangers of fire whips.

Fire By Riz tmmember
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa


Posted:
fireboy
you are right about whips being dangerous but then again so is crossing the street if you dont know how to do it.
1st off anyone who uses kero or lamp oil as fuel on a whip should really think twice .those types of fuels fling off the whip and still burn for a long time .the beauty of the whip is to flick the fuel off the whip to make the killer fire balls
colemans is all i use cause it burns out before it hits the ground and wont fly through the air while still on fire.
I have been using reg bullwhips as a performer for years so i understand how a whip moves and reacts that is were most people mess up with a whip they throw it out without thinking were it is going to end up.
as far as being more or less dangerous than any other fire tool i am not so sure about that i have suffered more burns and pants on fire with poi than i have with whips.and trust me I have hit myself many times with the whips on fire. hell i even wrapped two 5 fters around my head (what a rush ) .but i have yet to have one of my safety people step in to put me out .
the biggest danger from a whip for me is not the fire but putting an eye out with the popper,The fire whips i make and sell are real bullwhips made from a blend of kevlar products insted of leather .when you hear the crack that a whip makes what does that is the popper(end of whip ) is breaking the sound bearier (aprox 750 mph). getting hit with anything going that fast is going to hurt.My best advise to anyone who plans to try one is wear some eye protection(saftey or sunglasses).
and learn how a whip works BEFORE you light it up.
as far as adding a new twist to your spinning style boy they sure can i do a bullwhip routine
until they stop throwing off fireballs then I finish the set off spinning them like poi.i use duel 5 ft whips and doing alternating cracks which spits out a fire ball on eveycrack will stop any crowd and when you finsh off your set with a btb weave with two 5 ft fire whips they all will just be there staring at you ..

Please dont put down something labelng it as
"F-!-C-K-I-N-G DANGEROUS." just because you saw them used in an un safe manner.I have taught many people how to use fire whips in a safe manner with very good results.

I was hoping to get a video in for col4 of me using the whips but it wont be back from editing by the dead line maybe next year

[ 06. May 2003, 11:15: Message edited by: Fire By Riz tm ]

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all


brainstormaBRONZE Member
old hand
1,184 posts
Location: under the fairie wheel, Australia


Posted:
have been using whips for years now and have resently moved on to fire whips

the one thing i will say about them is practice practice practice and when you feel your realy good at it practice more before you finaly light them up. they are beutiful to work whith but they are more uncontrolable than your normal fire toys

also remember that a fire whip moves in a difrent manner to a reg whip. it is almost identical but it is difrent because if the difrent matirial used to make them

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, and screaming "WOO-HOO What a ride!"


fireboyAn angry young man with a passon for metal
252 posts
Location: Wagga Wagga, N.S.W, Australia


Posted:
yea i will label it F!cking dangerous due to the guy who burnt himself has been doing fire whips 2 years and has been doing whips tricks forr ate leaste 10 years, no thats a pro dude.

Fireboy

<<SINister miNISister>>
remeber kids jesus slaves


PukSILVER Member
Sweet talented nutter
2,615 posts
Location: Brisbane Oz, Australia


Posted:
As riz said Anyone who uses kero or lamp oil should think twice?. There great fun to use sounds like i do some similar stuff to Riz.

that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Good Fellow ; are you not he that is frighten of the maidens of the villagery - fairy

I am the merry wander of the night -puk


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Now play nice with Fireboy everyone...constructive criticism is much nicer and more effective than pure sarcasm (looks out for C@ntus)

However, he's brought up a quite serious point (ultra long safety rant approaching).

ANYTHING using fire is dangerous! It doesn't matter how many times you've done it without any problems, or how many years you've been practicing.

Fire is more like an animal than a tool, it has a mind of it's own. Always have an appropriate fire extinguisher on hand, no matter how 'safe' you feel you are.

I've used fire whips several times now, and the ones I've used are scary, but don't seem any more dangerous than other toys with tons of wicking.

Perhaps the biggest issue is they have a tendency to relight themselves if they get put out with a whiplash motion, as there is still lots of fuel on the wick and it's evaporating very quickly.

As for the spray of fuel getting on the fire artist/performer/athlete, the crack of the whip shouldn't be anywhere near them. I think the person's technique perhaps didn't match the whip he had, or maybe it was just one of those times when something goes wrong.

Don't knock it, sometimes the best rehearsed, safest thing you've ever done will go horribly wrong for no reason whatsoever, just amke sure that guy with the fire extinguisher is keeping an eye on you!

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


Fire By Riz tmmember
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa


Posted:
quote:
;;;fireboy ;;;yea i will label it F!cking dangerous due to the guy who burnt himself has been doing fire whips 2 years and has been doing whips tricks forr ate leaste 10 years, no thats a pro dude.
I wont say anymore after this but it seems fireboy has made my own case for me . 2 yrs with one mistake. hmmmmmmmmmmmm and not a fire tool mistake but a poor fuel choice.is it the tool or the operater that was dangerous?

Like I awlays say no matter how good you are or think you are you will make a mistake.I know I sure have but being a "pro" we were ready for it to happen.

brainstorma I think you might get shocked on how My fire whips handle true they dont handle as well as a aussie roo hide whip but they are damn close.I use the same fomrula to braid my whips as most of the better aussie whip makers do
I even did a small internship with a well known whip maker here in the states to learn how to make whips.Trust me I am very picky on how my whips feel and it took me a little over a year to get the fire whips to handle the way i wanted them too .

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all


Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
This thread reminds me I can't wait to have enough money to buy a nylon whip from the guy who makes your whips and then one of your fire whips.

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
quote:
Originally posted by Charles (INFERNO):
Don't knock it, sometimes the best rehearsed, safest thing you've ever done will go horribly wrong for no reason whatsoever, just amke sure that guy with the fire extinguisher is keeping an eye on you!
I am living proof of that theory!

Nothing is "safe" in what we do. Even non-fire whips can be dangerous (and leave interesting welts).
There are MANY factors into what goes into making a tool safe or unsafe. There are several variables that can not really be accounted for per show/session.
A few years ago a well known and respected performer on this board known as Dangerboy (I miss him!) had made a set of fire whips. He had been using them fairly frequently with no rammifications. One night, and last I knew he still doesn't know what happened, something went wrong and he ended up with 3rd degree burns on his hands. He was experienced and an accident happened. Not for the sake of nothing but...what we do is not an IF but a WHEN situation....

Now, this does not mean that fire whips should be avoided like a SARS patient. Nor does it mean that it is safe for everyone. Just like Poi and Staff and juggling and everything else....whips take time, practice and skill especially before lighting up. For some people this skill can be picked up fairly easily, for others it is something elusive but anything worthwhile is worth the time it takes to learn it and anything worth setting on fire is worth patience.
IMHO

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


PukSILVER Member
Sweet talented nutter
2,615 posts
Location: Brisbane Oz, Australia


Posted:
Oh Riz cass told i shold check out your gear .
Where do you get your kevlar . I just got a book on whip makeing (Pele Advice Whip makeing by Ron Edwards i looked it up on the search engine ).


I hope you have taken in everything that was said .

Of course there dangerous so is anyothere fire toy .

that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Good Fellow ; are you not he that is frighten of the maidens of the villagery - fairy

I am the merry wander of the night -puk


kenrgordonmember
3 posts
Location: =


Posted:
i have given a fire whip a go once and found it not much to my liking.

personally if i was in an audience watching someone with a fire whip i wound stand quite some way back from the ring. simply because i myself wouldn't feel comfortable twirling near someone who was playing lassoo nearby.

it's only an opinion no doubt though it does look impressive.

ken

=


fireninjamember
34 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA


Posted:
quote:
I think David at fireninja speaks also about the dangers of fire whips.
I guess I don't check these boards often enough -- I would have liked to get in on this discussion earlier.

1) a firewhip is f*cking dangerous. Duh. Most everything discussed on these boards is f*cking dangerous. Our moderators shouldn't have to remind us of that.

With all of these arts the danger is inversely related to ones skill level -- i.e. the better you are the safer you are. But keep in mind that no matter how good you are there is still danger.

2) I agree w/ Riz: kerosene is not the best fuel to use with a firewhip. Try white gas [a.k.a. coleman fuel].

Fire is a beautiful thing, and all of us who preform with it are obsessed by it at some level. But no matter how much we love it, it will burn us when we **** up. Never forget this.

Anyway,

have fun and play safe,

-david
david@fireninja.com
www.fireninja.com

PS. while we're on the topic check out some of the new firewhip movies and pictures I put up on my website a couple of days ago.

Fire By Riz tmmember
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa


Posted:
puk
That is a good book I made my 1st whip from the instructions given in it.after about a year of trial and error and a alot of help from a local whipmaker I have gotten a good formula down for the whips design.

I am in the process of making a educational whip video right now mainly focused on the fire whips but still teaching basic whip cracking moves and some of the do's and donts of whip handling .Along with fuel, fuel safety and some of the things you might run across using fire whips. it is pretty much designed for someone who doesnt know how to use to whip to learn how to use one .
I am hoping it will be back from the editors and ready for release by mid june.

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all


PukSILVER Member
Sweet talented nutter
2,615 posts
Location: Brisbane Oz, Australia


Posted:
Sounds good thank's for the info .

that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Good Fellow ; are you not he that is frighten of the maidens of the villagery - fairy

I am the merry wander of the night -puk


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
FireNinja I'd like to respectfully disagree with the following statement
quote:
i.e. the better you are the safer you are.
The safer you are the safer you are, is my own take. Proficiency quite often leads to comlplacency, and it is complacency that is more dangerous to fire performers than anything else.

Someone who is not yet as skilled (and no, im not getting in the who is skilled and who isn't arguement) as another is more likely to have more healthy regard for the fire, and to have appropriate measures at hand.

I've seen very accomplished spinners get themselves into lots of trouble becaus ethey thought they were too good for anything to go wrong. Just like the person who can handle a car at 200 K's an hour is more dangerous than the person who can't and sticks to or below the speed limit.

With safety, it's all about attitude, not skill. It's also about being aware that at any point, something may go wrong and having as many ways of dealing with it on hand and practiced as possible.

Sorry for the rant guys, continue on with the whip stuff!

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


fireninjamember
34 posts
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA


Posted:
I Would like to respond, briefly, to Charles (INFERNO)..

Your issue seems to spring from my prior statement:
quote:
With all of these arts the danger is inversely related to ones skill level -- i.e. the better you are the safer you are. But keep in mind that no matter how good you are there is still danger.
I believe that a more experienced fire performer has the physical skills and abilities to be a safe performer. Lesser skilled performers are still developing these skills -- they do not have as much physical control over their implements.

What I think you are talking about is a mental state:
quote:
Proficiency quite often leads to comlplacency, and it is complacency that is more dangerous to fire performers than anything else.

I agree that a mental state of complacency is incredibly dangerous to a fire performer. A skilled fire performer should be especially cognizant of this.

However, any additional dangers due to complacency cannot be seen as arising from having advanced skills. And I have to disagree when you say that:
quote:
Someone who is not yet as skilled (and no, im not getting in the who is skilled and who isn't arguement) as another is more likely to have more healthy regard for the fire, and to have appropriate measures at hand.
The more time one spends in and around fire performance and fire performers, the more times one sees horrific accidents and life threatening f*ckups. I have smothered enough burning hair, treated enough serious burns, and been on enough frantic trips to the emergency room to have never lost a healthy regard for the dangers that come of doing what we do. Every time I light up I know that I am risking my well being (This is especially true with a firewhip).

At base, I believe that the more advanced performer has the skills to be safer. Whether they choose to exercise them, or are lazy and/or complacent is another story. All fire performers should have a healthy regard for the fire. Thus I almost agree with you when you say:
quote:
With safety, it's all about attitude, not skill. It's also about being aware that at any point, something may go wrong and having as many ways of dealing with it on hand and practiced as possible.
I only differ in thinking that due to their technical skills, a more advanced performer should be safer yet, as they have more refined physical control of their devices.

anyway,

have fun and play safe,

-david
david@fireninja.com
www.fireninja.com

KyleG4uSILVER Member
KyleG4u
68 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
I wish I had bought two decent whips when I had the $ for them. I bought 2 "professionally made 5 ft fire whips" and the things I did were phenomenal.... for about 10 minutes. Then the whips broke on me. I also wish I had caught those 10 minutes on tape.... Any body know where I can get some inexpensive *not cheap, the last 2 broke on me* fire whips from? I wanna get some stuff on tape, but my funding's short at the moment. Can anybody help me out on this one?

It's like when you can't remember something you get.... short term.... kidney failure, that's gotta be it, something wrong with your kidneys...
---------------------------------
Love Peace Chicken Grease, Live Laugh Love



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