Safety Flex Spines

Well, this product has been a long time coming. When we developed the fire hoop back in 2000, I never thought I'd see it get so big. Only a few people seemed interested in it, and the person who originally commissioned it never really got into fire. So, it seemed a bust. But now, There's dozens of fire hoop makers out there, most using our original design, or some variant of it.

Once we lost Kandice as a product tester, she started selling flexible spine hoops based on springs. Holistic hooping did okay but never really took a command of the market. I think the real problem was weight. Her hoops were pretty heavy, and most of the hoopers were still struggling with the idea of a larger hoop with wicks, never mind extra hardware. Still I was content to let her have that market: she was adding to the art, not just photocopying someone else's design.

And despite her angst, I felt the same way about Brandon's contribution (now sold through TC). At least the rubber flex spines were novel. My problem with that design was in safety. Rubber is flammable, usually more so than the hoop material. But that turned out to be the least of the worries. Once these things pervaded the market, we started seeing the real issues: mysterious cracks would appear in the rubber parts and release at unpredictable times, and the rubber was vulnerable to concentrated exposure to petrol fumes. Granted, you'd have to dip the wicks, then put them in a plastic bag to get this kind of exposure, but it could, and did, happen.

That's when I started looking into a solution. Clearly the rubberized spines were more popular than the springs, and probably more popular than the cables (which do not come out). So, the trick was to create a rubber, flexible spine, that connected the wick to the hoop with an all-metal connection. I tried and vetoed several designs until we came up with this one.

Like the image above, we add a loop of metal to each half of the wick. The loops are connected and welded so that the base is "hard connected" to the wick spine. We cover this joint in high heat, silicon rubber. This way, even if you tear the rubber completely off, or otherwise managed to destroy it, the wick stays attached to the hoop. But this silicon rubber is the shiznat. We tried it out for the dodats and it has far surpassed our wildest expectations.

We tested them for over a year and made one significant change: the base material. Originally, the wick spine and the base were both aluminum (for weight reasons). But we found the bases were bending and taking damage. So, we grabbed a cup o' Get Over Yourself and hit the drawing board. Eventually it was decided that the high carbon steel we offer as the super spines was the best choice. This took the weight of an individual spine up to 1.75 ounces, putting it nicely between our all aluminum spines at 1.3 oz, and our high carbon steel spines at 1.9oz.

See the spines here.

The floating wand

The floating wand is a very different tool than the floating sword. This little guy has a specifically placed, balanced and length of string that allows a talented user to make this appear to "float" in mid-air.

My first first version was built years ago for a friend who saw someone use it on the Playa. I ended up building it completely to specs (based only on his rather vague description). But he never liked it until he bought a non-fire version from Flow Toys. Well I spent a little time with Sean and Prizna at Fire Drums, and they were happy to have me knock out fire versions of this tool.

The really odd part was that my original version was all brass with one wick. But I wanted more out of the tool and started prototyping the one above. The idea is that you can use it for both fire eating/fleshing shows AND as a solo tool that "floats" on it's own. In the final stages, someone pointed out that a swedish site (salza), already had a version like it. Now, salsa is a bit infamous for stealing designs from other fire tool sites (including Bear.... well, including just about everyone). So, when it looked that it was going to appear that we stole a design from them, my usual first instincts to change the tool were swept aside. Let 'em think that we're not above stealing a few designs back. Maybe it'll slow them down a bit.
:)

So, The double perfect has been a back-burner tool for some time. Just never got around to making them. The idea is to have one wick that you light up, and the other one for a fuel reserve. This allows contact (or "fleshing") artists to facilitate their shows down to just one tool. Two of these bad boys would make for an awesome fleshing show. But add in the floating aspect, and you can appear to let go of the tool completely, even have it 'dance' around behind your head. Some folks can't manage the floating aspects, and for them, the string can be clipped and replaced later (standard black kevlar thread).

The Fire Flogger

Everyone looks at this piece and says something different. Floggers evoke such incredible feelings in people from lust to bile, fond memories to nightmares. They're definitely the tool that gets right to the root of the watcher. This particular flogger is not particularly good at spanking. You see, every flogger has it's own character. Masonry cord produces a flogger that feels like soft hair, leather is snappy and stingy, rubber is rippy or thuddy, stingy and slappy. Kevlar is a bit of a whiff and not particularly good alone, but the addition of hybrid wicks changes everything.

The intended use of the Bearclaw fire flogger is a two-fold show. The hybrid wicks burn amazingly with white gas and these will produce a big, bright fairly-long show. But the real fun begins when they're used for "fire play" or painting fire on the sub's body. You can get two kinds of strike out of these: a thud and a whisk. The thud will usually transfer fuel, but bounce off without lighting it. The whisk will transfer flame and heat without spreading fuel. Naturally, you should be well versed in the tool and how it expresses and lights fuel before trying on a partner.

The 5" finger hybrids are a complete seal of kevlar around cotton. The 12" falls give a lot of play between the fingers and the handle. The aluminum handle has a torch ball at the top for good grip in either sword or torch holds. But the back of the whip has a ring that can have chains attached for longer, poi-like shows. This option is better with white gas burns. Not intended for beginners, this makes a great step up from either basic torch/poi shows, or unlit flogging scenes.

3 Part Staves

Shortly after we introduced our basic staves, people started asking for something that would fit in their trunk, or in a backpack, or in a toolkit. The requests kept coming, so we had to innovate a new kind of tool. The multi-part staff was introduced. We went through several models but the first to make it to the website was our 3-part staff.

The simple design of the 3-part staff has made it a very popular tool since it's introduction. Essentially, it's 3 pieces of equal length, with wicks and connectors. For the connectors, we went through a large variety of types: screw-in, crutch, quick release, slide and click, progressive tension, rotational tension, gravity grip ... I could go on. But, in the end, we chose the "crutch" style.

Each connector has it's problems and strengths. Pool cue connectors pull out of the wood, and form the weak point of the stick, anything that depends on friction will fail, quick release eventually release too quickly, etc. And the "crutch" style connectors are no different. First they're directional: if you push one direction they're secure, but go the other way, and they can release. In actual crutches, they make sure the secure direction is the one you depend on. Same with these, we wanted to make sure that in normal spinning, the connectors would be most secure. The down side is that you can't use these staves for vaulting, or jabbing motions.

On the flip side, the 6" overlap we install makes the joints stronger than the main tubes alone. This overlap allows for a certain amount of "rattle" if you shake it right, but such noises rarely occur during spinning. They are based on the tolerance of the telescoping tubes and can generally be prevented with a single wrap of scotch tape.

Following the 3-part staff, came the Great Staves. Scaled up tubes and wick options, the great staff introduced variable length staves. The great staff can be assembled and shifted from 6 feet to 8 feet in 6 inch increments. Otherwise, it has all the strengths and features of the 3-part staff.

Next, we introduced the All in One kits and wanted a staff that could fit inside one of those cases. Unfortunately, a 3-part staff that would fit in an 18" toolbox would only be 3.5 feet long. More of a baton, really. So, we added another level of connectors (which looked a lot like one of the original prototypes), and came up with the 5-part staff. Again, same strengths and features of the 3-part, just 18" pieces and a 5.5 foot length.

Grand finale' in this line of staves is the Instructor staff. No real innovations, but we finally embrace the "crutch" heritage of the connector. Unlike the rest of the multipart staves, the middle tube is a bit longer (see picture). What this allows is a staff that can be any length from 4 feet to 6 feet in increments of 3 inches. So, a staff instructor, or spin jam operator with this stick can hand it over to someone who's interested in staffing and adjust it until their perfect length is found. Then, the newbie can order their preferred size staff with confidence.

Hybrid wick fire poi

Hybrid wick fire poi are one of the very first tools we introduced to the fire world. To be fair, we didn't really invent the thing. Even the Seattle fire codes as late as 1990 indicated that cotton wicks should be covered with kevlar. Doubtlessly, news of this trickled down to LA to influence the design. However, the specific construction methods were pretty much new.

First, instead of wrapping a denim cathedral stack in kevlar to keep the cotton embers from flying willy-nilly, we started with a sealed cube of kevlar, then filled it with cotton. Plus the cotton used isn't a woven variety so these wicks are super absorbent. This makes them perfect for spinning alcohol based fuels. Unlike pure kevlar, alcohol burns beautifully on these wicks, even the colored fuel variants.

Unfortunately, cotton has a weakness for heavily oils, so kerosene and lamp oil are contraindicated. It seems that the extra time burning these oils will cause the cellulose to break down and start a low oxygen burn, kinda like charcoal when it's just red and glowing. This makes them less than ideal for beginners and travelers, who might not have as many choices in fuel.

The kevlar grips are another thing we introduced at the request of many teachers. Most people used leather when these were introduced. Now leather has two real problems. First, they have a break-in period before they become comfortable, then, they stay exactly that way until they break. So, no real indication that they're about to fail. Next, they're usually quite stiff. In fact the better they're made the more stiff they are. This stiffness reduces a lot of the pull from the wicks. Reduced pull means that you have to spin faster to feel where the wick is. Faster spinning makes it harder to hit the timing on new moves, and sharpens the learning curve.

So, with kevlar, both problems are solved. The lighter, yet stronger, material transfers most of the weight to the wearer, so they can spin slower and still feel where the wick is. And kevlar gives a long, slow clear indication that failure is imminent. The strands stretch, they may even fray a bit, and generally they look like ratty jeans. This allows even the most inexperienced spinner know that it's time to replace the wicks.

The rest of the hardware is all steel, rated at 150 pounds or more. The parts are selected for their modularity, the chain is all spinners, so no kinking. Also the nice round ball chain is generally preferred for comfort among those who do chain wraps on the skin.
Tedward
Bearclaw Manufacturing

Welded Fire Swords

The Bearclaw Welded Fire Swords may not have been the first fire tool we ever made, but they're still our trademark. The process of developing the "right" sword lead to studies in metallurgy, alchemy, thermochemistry, jewelry, Bushido, and ultimately lead to opening Bearclaw.

Our founder started doing tool-based fire performance in the late 1990s. And though his first tool was a variable wick staff, the sword was in development immediately after his first burn. Initial sword designs were very rough, with bolts sticking out and dubious metals. But the beginnings of this design could be already seen. Slowly this primitive design gave way to dozens more as he made more for himself and other admirers. How the idea for the welded edge came about, no one is completely certain. But it proved to be the right idea. That very first welded sword is still in use after years of solid use.

The welded edge, unlike a folded edge, is a different metallic structure. This allows the thin aluminum sides to heat up without the edge getting heated as much or as fast. This transfers much of the flame heat back into the wick, yet allows the edge to be used for cutting and raking motions along the body with relative safety. The wick on the back edge of the sword is always more than an inch away from the edge, so dramatic rakes along the back, legs, body, etc are more possible with this sword than any other.

The wick design involves a complicated mix of metals (aluminum, stainless and copper), cotton, and kevlar. The kevlar is stitched to the aluminum body with copper wire. Each of these materials were specifically chosen for their specific properties. But the real wicking potential comes from the cotton and stainless. The internal cotton core is at least twice as absorbent as kevlar, and many times more absorbent than fiberglass or other high heat materials. This is where the prodigious amount of fuel is stored making this one of the longest lasting burns of any fire tool.

The Tsuba and handle of this sword and it's cousins, the Twin Welded Fire Swords differ pretty severely. The single sword has a full round tsuba (cross guard). This gives the 'katana look' to the sword. The tsuba gives better flame protection to the hand than western cross guards, and better mobility than fencing dishes. The handle is beefed up with hardwood covering to give some protection from the heat, but the edge is exposed all the way through.

The continuous edge is an important safety factor in this sword. As mentioned above, it doesn't take as much heat as the body, but is does take heat, and it's slowly transmitted up to the handle. Typically, this means the sword is quite warm by the end of the show. However, This heat is a beautiful indicator of the overall heat of the sword. If the handle is too hot to hold, then the rest of the sword is too hot to re-fuel. This prevents accidental auto-ignition problems. Also, this gives the wielder a clear, obvious, blind indication of the orientation of the sword, allowing rakes and such to be performed in the heat of the moment without stopping to verify where the wick is.
Tedward
Bearclaw Manufacturing

Welcome

I never thought I'd get "into" blogging, but I found that I keep other blogs like a public journal. So, when I was looking for a little writing inspiration, I thought about blogging the things that have become my life: Bearclaw fire tools.

I've been working Bearclaw full time since 2000. It is, in fact, the longest running job I've ever had (take that, Army). What a long strange trip it's been too. When we first started, there were two distinct pressures: people needing something other than Poi, Staff, or clubs. Really, that's all you could find online. The other pressure was the concern that a local tool maker in LA would cause a "wave of bad poi spinners like in San Francisco." I'm not sure I see how that could be the case, I think people are gonna do things whether or not they're facilitated. If people are going to do fire, they'll build fire tools themselves, even if done badly. Or, they'll find someone (like me) to make tools for them. Why not me?

Okay, so, I responded to both in approximately the same way. I sat down and honed out several designs. When we opened, we offered Torches (swinging, not juggling), eating torches, countach torches, a variety of staves, hybrid poi, triple poi, swords, naganata, fire hoops, fire fingers, and even a rudimentary folding fan. Most of these designs had never been seen in the fire community, some completely new. Local spinners went crazy for the new tools, and other tool makers fell over themselves to knock off the designs.

To this day, we still set the standards in innovation. But bearclaw isn't just about the tools. We were also the first company to distribute safety information with each order. Then we became the primary financial support for the North American Fire Arts Association. We started the Los Angeles Fire Conclave and found it's home, Burn Club. The safety methods there carried to Burning man, and became the de-facto standard of safety for the community.

Most recently, Bearclaw members joined together to start up Red Swan Entertainment. The theory behind Red Swan is not to be just another performance troupe, but to be more of a talent agency. Red Swan gathers data on fire performers, helps get them training, photographs, video, costumes, etc. Then, presents the information to performance venues that are generally out of reach to individuals, and small troupes. With hundreds of people to choose from Movie casting agents, party planners, etc can really zero in on what they want, and be assured that they're dealing with a professional.
*sigh*

Yup, we've come a long way. And with the new website we put up last April, I noticed that the text was a little thin. So, I decided to take my blogging habit and put it to use. About once a week, I'll be discussing the history, the specifics, or just blather about one tool at a time. Maybe this text will return to the site to help bolster the content of the main site, maybe it will stay here, alone. I don't know. But I imagine this being like a little secret corner of the web. So, curl up, drink some cocoa, and listen to some [hopefully] interesting stories....

Tedward
Bearclaw Manufacturing