Forums > Technical Discussion > monkey fist poi...any good???

Posted: 19th Jun 2009
Monkeyfists are nice, they'd be my choice if I wasn't using the isis heads. The isis heads aren't really a beginner head however. How heavy are the poi that you currently use?

Posted: 19th Jun 2009
One major advantage over regular heads is that there is no exposed metal on the base (although some catherdral heads also have that feature now).

I have never used them, but others have and they seem to like them....

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted: 19th Jun 2009
Yeah, I had cathedrals, they were nice. I've used monkeyfists before, but only once. The weight seems to be the key factor between which ones you'd prefer, I feel. I'd rather the monkeyfists, but the cathedrals did me nicely til I upgraded.

Posted: 21st Jun 2009
I started with cathedral wicks, and now I have monkeyfists. They burn a lot longer, and its a more controlled, even burn. I strongly reccomend them!!

Posted: 21st Jun 2009
I've seen and used different types and monkeyfists are my favorite by a long shot. There's no exposed metal, they burn even, they look good while on fire, the shape of them just translates well to the audience, and they're good for particular tricks, like rolling one's wicks along the ground.

I also recommend the HoP monkeyfists, I've used others and these ones are simply the most consistent.

Posted: 21st Jun 2009
Jo - monkey fists are great

they are not as fickle when it's windy and they teach you to stick to the planes - your twirling definitely gets more "clean"

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 22nd Jun 2009
I've got them all, tubeecores, monkey fists, cathedrals, a pair of monster sized moonblazes ( 6 inch, 235 grams of kevlar..each ) and my preference is with the cathedrals.

Sure monkey fists look like little hand held comets but it's not really a noticeable effect when the poi are being spun at a "regular' speed and I'll take the extra weight in the form of more wick and fuel over a wooden ball any day.

I've spun isis a couple of times, I liked them, but given the cost, I feel I could do better for the money.

Posted: 23rd Jun 2009
here is my take on the wicks I've figured out how to make.

Tubeecores (as Stout called 'em): the original fire poi wick design as far as I know. They are constructed in much the same way that staff wicks are still most commonly made. The way I see them put together they have a lot of exposed metal.


homeofpoi.com/shop/productDetails/Pair-of-25inch-tube-core-fire-heads

cathedrals: Each layer is secured by whatever the attachment hardware is, making them the most durable wick. I have friends who roll and hit these on the ground nearly every time they burn and the little buggers still hold up. There is usually a washer and a bolt sticking out the bottom which is not so good.
luxotica.com/education/howtomake/poi.php
8stars.org/a/firemaking/wicks/

monkeyfists: No exposed metal on the wick itself. They have a nice cube/sphere shape. More surface area (bigger flame) and more material (hold more fuel) then the first two designs. Will unravel after abuse and if not made tightly enough. The end is secured by the knot.
firemecca.com/t-tutmf.aspx


renegadejuggling.com/Web_store/rev3k/index.html

flat wick lanyards: holds more fuel then the first three. Secured the same way as cathedrals. Less surfaces area then the cathedrals (I think).
laneyards.com/
firemecca.com/p-887-moonblaze-fire-poi-set.aspx

rope wick lanyards: I have found these to be the most versatile design out of all the knots used for wicks. The way Salza secures their ends is to thread them back through the loops of the lanyard. Also no exposed metal on the wick itself. These have the most surface area (because of all the bumps) and generally use the most material for the same weights as the others (so hold lots of fuel). I've also heard the flame size remains fairly consistent throughout the burn.
laneyards.com/
salza.se/product.php?p=106
[Old link]
scoubiguide.co.uk/circle.html

Posted: 23rd Jun 2009
The HoP cathedrals have no exposed metal. You can also get double cathedrals that can hold more fuel, not sure how they compare to the monkeyfists, but I'd say its likely they hold more.

The reason I got Isis heads is because they're the perfect weight for me and I like them muchly for that very reason.

Posted: 23rd Jun 2009
dynamiTK - that's a beautiful post

munkyfists (as the name indicates) can also teach you some painful lessons - especially if they have a wodden core

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 24th Jun 2009
thanks heaps guys..

spin like your free..

Posted: 26th Jun 2009
thanks for all the help guys

poivideos.com

Posted: 26th Jun 2009
A lot of cathedrals now cover the exposed metal at the base.

At least most online shops I looked at offer this....

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted: 26th Jun 2009
Tubeecores.......

Why do I have this feeling I'm going to be calling them by that name for the rest of time ?

Anyways.

After seeing Fire Mecca's construction of monkey fists, I take back what I said about them because I have no experience with the kevlar core version and I highly suspect I'd like 'em.

As an aside, I was spinning an old pair of cathedrals a couple of nights ago and the bottom flap that was glued over the washer and bolt came unglued on one wick. "no problem" I thought, so I have one *death star* version of the wick for the evening.

Well, that flap burned right off and hit me in the chest. I've never had anything like that happen before and it serves as further proof that white gas and fast spinning are hostile to the life of wick material.

Posted: 8th Jul 2009
I have 2.5 monkey fist wicks that I bought here 15 months ago. I use them every sunday, without fail, at least once.

They are still in great shape, a few hairs are starting to stick up here and there. They still burn very well, and i'm impressed with their durability. I expect I will be able to use them for a while to come. Score another point for HOP quality.

While I have used tube core and cathedral style wicks, the monkey fist feels and flows way better in my opinion. The symmetry of it gives me more freedom to go where I want when I want. I don't like the other shapes for stalls.