Page:
Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
I've been thinking about constructing a Samoan Fire Knife using modern methods and trying it out as opposed to normal long staff.



Original:


Non-Https Image Link




New:


Non-Https Image Link




Does anyone here have experience with Samoan Fire Knife? What length is recommended for the staff, and is my idea accurate?



Thanks.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
Yeah, I aw the 2007 world championships in hawaii. Don't bother using a pole if you want it to be a fire knife. Get a peice of sheet metal about 5mm thick, that should be pretty sturdy. (Yeah, nobody said they were light.) Shape it into a rough machete shape... with a hook on one end... in fact just buy a book about freddy letuli, the father of fireknife and one of the back pages has the specs you need. In fact the only secs I think are to do with the knifey ness, the length of the blade and handle, and it having a hook, and that is it. It can be weighted however you want.

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
https://polynesia.com/fireknife/fireknife_gallery.html

click '2007'

click 'World Fireknife Championship Final, Winners and Prizes'

click picture 13

gawp at big scary hooked knife thingy smile

Blinded by Hyperlights, please donate generously grin


mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
ah here we go:



* Senior Knife Specs: 50 Points
* Single knife must be 37.5 inches long from tip of hook to end of handle Double knives must be 34 inches longSingle knife blade must be 14.5 inches longDouble knife blade must be 13 inches longFire wick for single must be 10 inches long and 2 inches wide
* For doubles - must be 7.5 long and 1.5 wide


https://fireknifeofsamoa.com/fkInfoForms/fireKnifeCriteria.html

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
Oh, the knife is an actual knife. Stupid me. It's hard to tell these things on Google Images and Cirque Du Soleil.



This just made this a ton more complicated.



BTW how much air resistance do you think that knife would have? Would it be like spinning oars?

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
i doubt it, my guess is you try to keep the blade cutting thru the air.

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
it's got a ton of fire on it, but apart from that...

the good thing is, as long as it's those specs, the size, is contrained but everything else isn't. So as long as it meets them, you could enter the fireknife competition with your homemade knife! Win!

also, it's not an actual knife, in that it's not sharp... otherwise accidents would be fatal, not just metal burney.

the specs are the specs, there's no rule that says it has to be sharp. biggrin

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
but if it IS sharp and you dont decapitate yourself during your preformance. and you dont happen to win, you have a HUGE advantage when you start a fight with the judges

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
This is my new idea:




Non-Https Image Link




And no, I'm not going to make it sharp. It's just going to be cut sheet metal.



The grip is off, so I may have to alter the original design to get it centered.



This is where I got the idea and was confused as to what the knife itself looked like. Actually, this is my original fire influence:



https://youtube.com/watch?v=C4RfDw3IGkM



BTW anyone able to figure out what he might be using for fuel or how he ignited the other wick with his hand and his leg? Or if he's even using Kevlar, because that didn't look like Kevlar to me?

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Antti_EverythingGOLD Member
addict
446 posts
Location: Järvenpää, Finland


Posted:
Here's a pic of the fireknives https://www.homeofpoi.com/gallery/showpho...=500&page=2

I met with Karl Maui who's performing in Alegria and he is the guy from the video. The Alegria act at the moment is a duo with the other guy Maui. If I remember correctly they used "Coleman" for fuel. The staff has kevlar wick in the other end but the bigger end has a certain type of wood that they soak in fuel. It needs to be replaced quite often.

Point your toes.


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
-I posted my reply to you Antti under the picture-



Anyways, I'm going to get to building it so I'll post it here when I finish.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


ShionFire monkey
72 posts
Location: Yokohama


Posted:
You guys will love this!

The force is strong with you


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
 Written by: Masked52



BTW anyone able to figure out what he might be using for fuel or how he ignited the other wick with his hand and his leg?



It's called a body transfer or bpdy pass. i just did my first one the other night.

Light one end of it and grab the unlit end with your hand and squeeze it, this get gas on your hand, now grab the lit wick and you are holding fire, move it over and your other wick will spark up.

I did it with white gas and worked very well because it lights easily. You feel the heat but it didnt hurt.

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
 Written by: poje


 Written by: Masked52



BTW anyone able to figure out what he might be using for fuel or how he ignited the other wick with his hand and his leg?



It's called a body transfer or bpdy pass. i just did my first one the other night.

Light one end of it and grab the unlit end with your hand and squeeze it, this get gas on your hand, now grab the lit wick and you are holding fire, move it over and your other wick will spark up.

I did it with white gas and worked very well because it lights easily. You feel the heat but it didnt hurt.



Oh wow, cool. I'm definitely going to try this. Let's hope I don't destroy my hands. ubblol

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
just be sure you put the fire in your hand out after lighting that other end, simply make a fist to eliminate O2 and you should be good.

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
 Written by: poje


just be sure you put the fire in your hand out after lighting that other end, simply make a fist to eliminate O2 and you should be good.



Probably could wipe on my denim too. It doesn't light easily. But that might leave fuel on my denim, so maybe that's a bad idea lol.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
ya i was gonna say a wipe should do it but then i thought everyone would get mad at me for telling you to put fuel on your clothes

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
Have you tried any other types, like leg lights, etc?

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Fire_MooseSILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA


Posted:
no, but i use a 5.5 foot staff so its not really practical, i barley got my hand over to the other side before that flame died out

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
 Written by: poje



no, but i use a 5.5 foot staff so its not really practical, i barley got my hand over to the other side before that flame died out





My staff's about the same size. Doesn't sound good for me. ubblol Oh well, I shall wait until my fire knife is constructed then.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
Well, I finished it:



https://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3871/sfkip6.jpg



I had to make the wick smaller in number of times wrapped around and length because it was just too much flame. I didn't find it hard to spin at all, it was quite fun. My only problem is my sheet metal blade is too thin and bends when dropped and the heat naturally bends it. So I'm going to go get myself cut a professionally cut blade with much thicker sheet metal.



BTW I don't know if anyone noticed, but the blade is actually cut wrong, stupid me. ubblol



BTW ignore the "Samoan Fire Knife" it's cut from another picture.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


fdragon21newbie
1 post

Posted:
Wow... I've been trying to find more information about Fire Knives on the internet and there really isn't much out there except for online shopping and fireknife videos. Trying to find a place that will sell practice fire knives... or something that you can easily make at home......
I did find a website with practice knives for sale but they dont look like the actual ones that you would use with fire.....

HoffSILVER Member
stranger
11 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
I believe a pair of those is on the agenda. what weight did they come out at?

If you dive into a bathtub of boiling water with a mirror in the bottom, be careful not to panic or you may forget which way is up and drown


FireTomStargazer
6,650 posts

Posted:
@ masked52: could you please edit the length of the last picture provided? It's kind-a nnoying to scroll right and left to read the entire posts...

I do like your fire knife, would suggest to cover the exposed metal on the right and that hook (to me) seems very dangerous to inflict bad scars. Do I understand it correctly that this hook is used to merge two knives or is it merely for "scarring"? umm

BTW how thick is your blade?

The vid I ubblove L.O.V.E. - thanks for posting Shion, you were right wink

the best smiles are the ones you lead to wink


newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
I just found out today we will have a Samoan Fire Knife dancer at 2uberOz! And he's even from Samoa smile

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
 Written by: FireTom



@ masked52: could you please edit the length of the last picture provided? It's kind-a nnoying to scroll right and left to read the entire posts...



I do like your fire knife, would suggest to cover the exposed metal on the right and that hook (to me) seems very dangerous to inflict bad scars. Do I understand it correctly that this hook is used to merge two knives or is it merely for "scarring"? umm



BTW how thick is your blade?



The vid I ubblove L.O.V.E. - thanks for posting Shion, you were right wink





Hmm, didn't have the problem myself, but will do. smile



The hook I know nothing about, all I know is it's mandatory, would be cool if that was its use. But I don't seem to really ever have a problem with it, never notice it through the flames nor has it ever hit me in practice or performance. But I'm just a novice, so maybe it will become more dangerous as I advance.



The thickness of the knife in the picture was .8 in. It bent easily from the heat and the point where it connects into the pole became so severed by dropping and performing that eventually it broke off entirely. Now I'm going to have cut a professional blade using a laser that's going to be tried on .18 in steal because aluminum is too expensive. I'll tell you how it goes when I get it.

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


ShionFire monkey
72 posts
Location: Yokohama


Posted:
that wil be awsome gabe!

The force is strong with you


gwenzelnewbie
1 post

Posted:
Just found your post.
I have been fire knife dancing for 12 years. Have competed etc. The best knife material is actually carbon steel from a Machete blade. Not all machete's are equal, it is best to test them in the store by Stepping on them and trying to bend it. If it bends, straighten it and put it back on the shelf. Carbo steel will spring back every time.

The hook is only necessary for doubles and competition. The knife will be a little more balanced, and easier to cut and find suitable machete's without it. Look for a "Cane Knife" if you want a machete big enough to cut a hook also.

The board you use for the knife end is "sound board" you can get it from Home Depot for like $16 for an 8 foot by 4 foot piece. It is painted white on one side and soft/rough on the other side. This is the best stuff to use. To replace it less, put the blade end out BEFORE it goes out. When the fire firs starts buring, it is just buring the white gas (coleman fuel). However, the longer it burns the more it starts to burn the boards. If you double up on the boards, when the outside one is charred, you just add another to the inside, and move the inside one to the outside.

Hope this helps.

Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
Oh wow, that helps incredibly! Thanks so much! ubbrollsmile



So this carbon steal, it's just like stainless steal?



How would one go about connecting this sound board to the blade?

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


Masked52member
83 posts
Location: Kiwi land sounds great!


Posted:
I got the blades (2):

https://img510.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sfkbladext8.png

And here's the knife, sans the wick on the blade end, which I think I'll just make Kevlar since this sound board stuff looks hard to find.

https://img119.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sfksfkgn3.png

Fire eaters are the most conceited people. Especially when they're on fire. "Help me, save me, put me out, me, me, me..."

-Paolo the Fire Eater


DragnBRONZE Member
newbie
4 posts
Location: Japan


Posted:
Hi, I've been using fireknives for a few years now.
I got mine from this site:
https://www.flamingsword.net/

Beware though the blades are very real! Samoan fireknife dancing is not for the feint hearted.
I dont compete in comps, so usually I use a short staff constructed to the same specs as a fire knife. Its not so dangerous.
And the spectators cant see the blades cause of the huge flame anyway, so I dont see the need to add to the risk. just managing those big flames is enough of a challenge without having to worry about loosing a toe or a finger!
But sometimes I do shows where fire isn't allowed, so I use the live blades.
Some dancers use blunted blades. I've also seen some where the main middle section of the blade has been removed leaving just the top edge as a base to connect the wicks to.
Kinda hard to explain, and I dont have a picture, sorry.
Either way fireknives are very challenging and a whole lotta fun.
I used to do poi and staff but once I switched to fireknives there was just no turning back.
If you can get a hold of a video of the PCC world fireknife comp, then do it.
Those guys are just awesome. Better yet go see it live if you can.
I did, and loved it.

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