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


Posted:
Tape qualities:

Leather: Scratchy (painful) but very grippy. Hard to get. I use the suede side, the leather side might be alright too. Fire resistant.

Shammy Leather: (Sports grip) Looks exciting, might be fragile.

Hockey grip: Good, easy to get, long, but after it absorbs a lot of sweat/fuel/moisture, becomes less grippy. Not as fire resistant as leather.

Squash/Tennis/Racquet Grip: Shorter than hockey grip and of varying kinds. Thin over grips are long but designed for only a few uses before they become slippy. Fail.

Towel grip: a towel cut into strips. I think this will be more awesome than it sounds. Always grippy and probably hardwearing. Easy to get. Probably burns easily. (All the loose bits)

Bike Handlebar grip: Easy to get, very long. Moderately Grippy, and long lasting. Can be expensive.

Rubber housing insulation tape. P or E section: Sometimes easy to get. Fragile, but with more grip than hockey grip. Probably good for a cushiony undergrip. Expensive.

Carpet underlay / non slid matting. Weak rubber with silicon coating.: Okay to begin with, fragile and will shed. Not long lasting. Gets less grippy with more use. Can apparently be made grippy again with washing.

Pure Silicon Tubing (devilistick handstick style): Good, very grippy, but no geometric grippy ness. Can pull out hairs from your arms and such. Doesn't allow sliding very easily. Hard to get, hard to apply. Very very durable thou.

Fabric tape: Fail. Not grippy, occassionally painful.

Electrical Tape: SUPER FAIL.

Rubber Inner Tube from bikes: Grippyness changes over time. Application of water and heat to the rubber changes it's grippyness. Goes from slidy to so grippy it sticks to you. Free from bike shops so easy to get. No cushioning at all from inner tube. At the grippy end of the cycle it will mark you and your clothes with blackness. (Rubber coming off on you.)

Neoprene: Hardish to get. Comes in bulk usually. (An entire wetsuit) some has good durability, other stuff is more fragile and will shed. Very grippy. My favourate.

Heatshrink: Can be hard to get in a large fire proof diameter. Check online stores. No cushioning. Don't know about durability, only moderate grippyness thou. Better with foam underneath.

Other:

Bare metal: Almost okay on the bare skin. Super slidey. Not grippy at all. Very fire resistant thou.

Metal with ridges cut into it, barbell style: Pain I should think. Probably very grippy.

Spray on rubber: Needs multiple coats, not super grippy. Very hazardous to spray. Bad chemicals.

Spray on grip: Like tacky spray on glue. No cushioning. Very grippy. Probably will wear off quickly. Bad chemicals in this one too.

Double Sided Carpet Tape: Very grippy. Maybe with flour added to take away from of the grip it would be alright. No cushioning.

Surfboard wax: Works alright as a grip. Not super grippy, comes off on clothing and skin. Cheap, no cushioning and doesn't last well. Usually slightly yellow.

Magnets implanted in your body: Cushioning zero. Only grippy over the magnets. Takes many operations and the hope that the magnets don't go out of alignments. Requires an iron staff.


Where to get grips:

Sports Shops, Bike Shops, Boat Chandlers (Boat Supplies), DIY shops, Leather Crafting Shops, Charity Shops... etc etc.


Final thought: Smoothness vs Geometric Grip [Ridges] – which is better?

EDITED_BY: mcp (1223871817)

"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.


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


Posted:
super great summary - there's alot of experience in there!

lol @ electrical tape summary.

does neoprene act funny in the potential scenario of exposure to naked flame? sounds like a nice material to use.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


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


Posted:
Bluecat says it's fire retardent and isn't degraded by the fuel.

I have not tried it on a fire staff yet, only on a real staff. wink

"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.


simtaBRONZE Member
compfuzzled
1,182 posts
Location: hastings, England (UK)


Posted:
Originally Posted By: mcp
Shammy Leather: (Sports grip) Looks exciting, might be fragile.


can turn to mush if it gets too wet but if kept dry can work quite well. find its better for grip on doubles rather than on a single contact staff, it has good balance between comfort in the hands aswell as grip on the body.

"the geeks have got you" - Gayle


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


Posted:
Originally Posted By: mcpFinal thought: Smoothness vs Geometric Grip [Ridges] – which is better?


The tennis grip I use is smooth, but it has an adhesive strip down the back that doesnt go all the way across. This leads to a smooth grip with bumps.


I think im gonna get me an iron staff next....

O.B.E.S.E.

Owned by Mynci!


MynciBRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom


Posted:
You can get small amounts of neoprene in the form of bottle coolers. A 2 litre neoprene bottle cooler should have just enough for a staff. I'm not sure on neoprene wasn't my favourite, how about neoprene with a spiral silicon strip?

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.


squidBRONZE Member
sanguine
382 posts
Location: sur, USA


Posted:
Are you talking about wrapping the neoprene flush, side by side, and then sealing the seam line with a thin silicone tape?

Im having problems with the idea of thick neoprene overlapping like other tapes I've seen or used.

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow


happyinmotionSILVER Member
newbie
42 posts
Location: New Zealand


Posted:
I've been using heatshrink, no problems getting it up to 25 mm diameter, just browse your local Farnell/RS Components/Rapid Electronics/large electronics wholesaler of choice and order online. Over 25 mm diameter can be a pain, I had to order 5 metres for a 28 mm staff.

Also, am I correct in saying that for those using glowstaffs, heatshrink is the only clear grip? So yeah, best learn to like it.

Mother_Natures_SonSILVER Member
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!


Posted:
A silicone grip on a glow staff would surely only diffuse the light.

hug


happyinmotionSILVER Member
newbie
42 posts
Location: New Zealand


Posted:
True, though I've yet to find anywhere in NZ that stocks suitable sizes of clear silicone tubing. I could order from overseas, but that gets scary pricy, especially as I'm after big stuff, id of 28 mm or more.

Clear heatshrink works for me.

ScienceofOMmember
1 post

Posted:
If you are looking for a source of silicone tubing McMaster Carr has a good selection here: https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-silicone-rubber-tubing/=nvo0mu

If you want to use silicone tubing I've found that getting it a bit small and using a compressor to expand it over your staff works better than getting it exactly the right diameter because you will run into problems over time with it slipping.

Also if you are interested in Neoprene, foamorder.com has full sheets.


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