Forums > Technical Discussion > Moonblaze vs. Monkey Fist comparison

Posted: 21st Sep 2010
The moonblaze to me are like the isis, annoying for stalls and stuff, but lighter and bigger flame.

Posted: 22nd Sep 2010
First and foremost congrats! I know I always love breaking in new heads...that first burn always seems to last forever and a day.

As for stalls, I don't know what kind of stalls you're trying, but I've never had a problem stalling with moonblazes. They're no different from any other heads in this regard.

I'll confess I myself am not a big fan of monkeyfists (they waste a lot of material in manufacture and there is the weight issue outlined above), but fundamentally moonblazes and monkeyfists operate on a similar theory that by using a narrower wicking material and knotting it over itself that you can get greater surface area and thus A) more absorbancy = longer burn time b) bigger flames. If you're already used to monkeyfist I doubt the flames you get with moonblazes will be a big surprise to you.

One side-effect of moonblazes that I've found is that they tend to be more efficient in how they use their material than, say cathedral heads. Old cathedrals can be given new life by unfolding them and then refolding them backwards--you inevitably will find yellow kevlar left in the material at its center that is more or less fresh. The only time I ever tried this with a moonblaze it was so used through and through that not only was there no yellow left, the kevlar disintegrated when I tried to refold it.

Peace,
Drex

Posted: 22nd Sep 2010
Thanks Drex, I'm pretty syked! I just got them yesterday in the mail and it looks like they're longer than I expected. They're almost 4 inches of wicking, but way slender compared to my monkey fists, do you know how the flame size and drag might differ?

I love the lighter weight and have been working with them unlit for 2 days and it is lessening up the fatigue I was getting from the monkey fists so goal #1 accomplished. I'm very use to my fists and it took that much weight and drag for me to comfortably spin fire, this very well could be the happy medium I have been looking for. I'll be posting video/pics after Saturday's burn, my torch poi are moonblaze as well and will be getting their inaugural run too.

So far I do like them quite a bit! Bet they'll soak better too...

~Rock on!~

"As the pattern gets more intricate and subtle, being swept along is no longer enough"-Waking Life

(All you RLers this is epitome_of_lame *waves hello*)

Posted: 23rd Sep 2010
@Drex

I mean, the head is more wobbly on the stalls, not that they don't stop. I think the closer poi are to a point mass the better they're going to be for stalls. Monkey fist are closer to that model than moonblaze who spread the mass over a longer weight. Yes? No?