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