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coz pyros are inventing new kinds of firetoys every day, & adding extra fireheads or wicking strips along toys they already got!
try workin with fire & you'll be surprised how comfortable ya get real quick, it's not crazy-scary any more at all, though of course it's still dangerous. be sure to check out our Fuels section & Safety section for tips that are totally key for having a good time & keepin' everyone's hair on!
firetoy primer
color key:  = wicking,  = usually metal parts,  = usually leather parts
see, all fire toys are based on 3 parts:
- a WICK to soak in fuel, feed & carry the flame
- a wick MOUNT, usually a metal shield right under the wick to stand the heat
- a SUPPORT, lighter hollow metal, wood, bamboo, leather, a strong cable, or something to carry the wick & its mount as they move, & connect them safely to your hands
here are da most common firetoys:
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fire poi (pair)
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wrist -/ finger-grip handles, flexible cable ("chain") of ballchain, link chain, or twisted wire cable, firehead ("poi head") of folded/ rolled kevlar fabric or torn-up towels & T-shirts bound on temporarily with wire
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 how to play ~ hold a chain by the handle in each hand. extend your arms, use wrists then whole arms to spin fire-heads in circles around your hands. the trick is not to hit them together, hit yourself, or get them wrapped & stuck on something
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fire staff
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rod of hollow metal, wood, or bamboo, usually with metal wrapped at the ends to survive the heat of wicking ribbon rolled around the ends. center of rod may be wrapped or decorated
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 how to play ~ holding the rod in its balanced center in 1 or 2 hands, spin it around to make a wheel of fire with the fireheads at its ends
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fire-breathing
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a staff or single fire-headed baton, usually, held while lit, a safe distance in front of your mouth. you spit fuel out of your mouth into the top of the flame, enlarging & pushing it
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fire sword
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based on the many styles of traditional swords, with wicking either faced along the sides of the blade, on its edge, or along its spine
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 how to play ~ superhero powers were never so easy, dang, just use it like a regular sword, just be careful when it's behind your back!
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here are some rare ones:
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fire fans (pair)
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wicking on the edge of metal rod-or-wire fans held in your hands, Las Vegas show dancer style
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fire snakes
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snakes are like poi with extra wicking wrapped from the head (if there is one) way up the cable, making huge roadways of fire when spun
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meteors
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meteors, an Asian invention, are two metal half-domes which don't quite touch around wicking, so that the fire flares out in the gap between their rims, leaving a comet tail as they spin.
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fire devil sticks
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the largest devil stick is a 2-headed baton, like a miniature staff. instead of using your hands directly to juggled it, you use 2 other wands.
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fire whip
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wicking comes in rope form, too, & can be used in a firewhip which may crack off fireballs, or a flail with many tails
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fire fingers
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tight-fitting finger cuffs extend metal rods with mini fire-heads at their tips, don't get the urge to scratch your face!
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fire-eating
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a single baton with a firehead small enough to fit in your mouth gets briefly stuck in or nearby to torch alcohol in your mouth, & removed while it's still lit as well as you are
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fire mace
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like the medieval ground soldier or cavalry weapon used to crush skulls, but instead of a spiked metal ballhead, it's a humongous wick of huge flame
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fire hoop
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just like a hula hoop, but sturdier, with fireheads along the outside rim, mounted away from your body; gyrate it round ya waist, arms, legs, neck like a hula hoop
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coming soon
we'll have more examples of how to use firetoys. we'll show you torches, fire hackey sacks, & fire-juggling clubs (most are just like they sound, all fitted to burn!), non-flaming comets & electro poi & glow poi , & we'll have Anatomy of a Fire Poi, most common firetoy of all!
firetoy sources
check out our how-to's on making your own firetoys, & extensive sources for buying parts or whole sets, in our left sidebar.
you can also find many of them, & often new ones (let us know if they're good!), in Home of Poi's
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