We have listed each prop in alphabetical order. We have included details on each one to help you find what is right for you.
Almost all of our products are made in our shop in Los Angeles, California, so some are customizable.
Dragon Staff
The first question is, how long do you want your Dragon staff. With a regular staff, it is most common to go with a staff that is somewhere in length between your chin and nose. However, with Dragon staff, it is often preferred to go a few inches longer. A Dragon staff is essentially a contact staff, with protruding spines that are usually set in a few inches from the ends. This puts the wicks closer to your body than a normal contact staff. These couple extra inches can give you a little more room to play with.
Premium Dragon Staff: Trick concepts offers several options for Dragon staffs. Our most popular, is our Premium Dragon Staff. This staff has spring-loaded spines. This gives you the best of both worlds. The spines stay rigid while in use, but flexible when they hit the ground to prevent damage. This is the most stable Dragon Staff you can get. It is our most expensive yet still reasonably model, and it's well worth it if you like a staff that is slightly heavier than our other options.
Cable Dragon Staff: The cable spines on this Dragon staff are flexible to prevent damage when they hit the ground. Overall, this is a good durable design that we can offer at a very competitive price. Because of the flex, they are not quite as stable as a premium dragon staffs, but provide an overall good performance. This design is preferred by some people who like a lighter weight dragon staff. We offer these in 8 and 10 wick configurations. Generally, the 10 wick is preferred because it provides more fire. However, the eight wick design pushes all the fire out to the ends giving you more room on the staff to work with.
Clamp On Cable Dragon Spines: These are a simple and durable option for the cost-conscious spinner. If you already have a 1 inch, or 25 mm staff, you can just clamp these on to the ends wherever you want. These are also useful for people who want to purchase a regular staff and a Dragon staff, but can't afford both. These easily come on and off with an included hex key wrench. These are available in our standard four spine karma style, and our eight spine spider version for those who need a ton of fire. By purchasing multiple sets of spines, you can make any crazy configuration you can think of.
Breakdown, Vs. Non-Breakdown: Trick Concepts offers our staffs in a solid and a breakdown design. We have 10 years of development in the breakdown design and have perfected it. It screws together to create a solid staff that is indistinguishable from a non-breakdown in rigidity. That being said, you really need to look at how you will be using the staff. If you don't need a breakdown design, it is cheaper to go with a standard staff. Also, even though our breakdowns are extremely durable, they do have additional parts. While they shouldn't require any maintenance, everything will wear out eventually. This is a minor concern, as it should last for years. Also, the breakdown mechanism does add a little bit of weight. If you have determined that you need the portability of a breakdown staff, take confidence in knowing that we have the best on the market. The Fire Staff and Dragon Staff breakdown parts are interchangable. Also, there are some locations that we can't send a full-length staff to. We most notably have this problem with Australia.
Fans
For most people, fans come in two styles, dancing and tech. All of our fans, are capable of both, however, we will explain the strength of each design.
Also, many people prefer to use Nomex gloves while spinning. This can be especially helpful for the smaller hotter fans.
Many of our fans are available in black powder coat and chrome. We don't offer colored powder coat, because after a few burns the top half of the fan tends to turn black anyhow. The chrome finish, is more durable and is definitely flashier looking. The black color tends to hide the fan more, accentuating the fire. The choice really comes down to how much you want to see the fan while performing.
Poison: This classic design is a staple for belly dancers and those looking to accentuate the flowing body. Because these fans are slightly larger, the wicks are a little further away from your hands. Because less heat is transferred to your hands with this design, slower performances are possible early in the burn. Smaller designs require more rapid movement at the beginning of the burn to displace some of the heat. Poison fans also work quite well for tech spinning, however, their larger size does limit their mobility for some moves. Mastering a larger size fan can add a dramatic effect to your performance.
Khaos: This is our most popular tech fan, and has been for years. This fan has been integral in the development of the tech fan spinning culture. Tried-and-true, this durable design provides a comfortable grip and great spinning dynamics. This is one of the most common fans found in tech spinning classes. Many of the popular fan moves have been invented using this fan. Because this fan is on the smaller side, and has larger wicks than another fans, it is hot. You need to keep this fan moving for the first minute or two of the burn. This fan is also great for flowing dance moves, but keep in mind you will not want to be holding them still until the flame burns down.
Hyper Lite: The Hyper Lite design has a similar grip to the Khaos, but his lighter weight and less expensive. The simpler design and slightly smaller wicks make this one of the best bang for the buck tech fans. Because of the slightly smaller wicks, these are a little cooler than the khaos. This fan is also available in a practice version that has fur instead of wicks.
Menace: The menace design is a tech fan with a special pistol grip. This grip the choice for those preferring this unique grip.
Manta: The Manta fire fan is a tech spinning fan with similar dynamics to the wicked fire fan. Being simpler in design, it is more durable and cheaper than the discontinued wicked design. This fan has the weight concentrated lower towards the handle than the Khaos. Because of this, it can be slightly harder for beginners, but is highly preferred by many intermediate and advanced spinners because it requires less momentum to keep in motion.
Light Weight Khaos: The lightweight Khaos design is similar to regular chaos fan, but is made from thinner Rod and has a different grip. This is not a very durable design, and we don't recommend it unless you have a way to weld steel. We only keep this design because some people with wrist injuries are not able to use a regular weight fans. Please keep this in mind before ordering it.
Diablo: Diablo is a unique aluminum tubing fire fan. It is lightweight and very stable. This design is limited well supplies last.
Dark Angel: This fan is huge, and could actually be considered more of a prop than a fan. When you want a dramatic effect with the most fire, this fan is for you. Because of its size, the wicks are further away from your hands, making it a little easier to hold onto.
Fire Fingers
From elegant to macabre, this straightforward prop attaches to your fingertips to make fire an extension of your body. A favorite for dancers and theater, fire fingers complement your performance without learning new skills. The 10 inch long fingers attach snugly to your hands and are perfect for faster movements and performances. The 15 inch fingers can be a little more cumbersome because of the additional length and weight, however, they provide the most dramatic effect.
Hoop
We offer hoops in 5/8", 3/4", and 1" tubing. Generally, more advanced hoopers prefer smaller hoops made from smaller tubing.
1" MDPE tubing: (medium density polyethylene) This is a softer more forgiving tubing ideal for our heavy hoops. These hoops are generally preferred by beginner hoopers who want to do "on body" (Regular) hooping. The fire spines are longer to get the fire away from your body and are available with more wick. This is a slower, more stable, hoop. These hoops are available in a three-piece breakdown design also.
3/4" PolyPro: (Polypropolyene) This is the most popular hoop tubing. It is available in finished fire hoops and in day hoops of various colors. Polypropylene has a stiffer and springier feel than HDPE making it more responsive. PolyPro is more prone to cracking than HDPE and cold weather, but less prone to kinking when warm. Polypropylene is slightly lighter than HDPE, but the difference is fairly insignificant. It is also the most preferred hoop for off body hoopers of all skill level.
3/4" HDPE: (high density polyethylene) This tubing is available in finished fire hoops and White Day hoops. It has a softer, slightly more forgiving feel, but is less responsive. It tends to be a little more durable than polypropylene, but is more prone to kinking in hot weather. This is the preferred hoop for most intermediate and advanced hoopers.
5/8" PolyPro: (Polypropolyene) this is our smallest and lightest weight tubing. This tubing is available in finished fire hoops and White Day hoops. This tubing is ideal for smaller hoops and mini hoops.
Hoop Spines: All of our hoops, except for our heavyweights, use a stainless steel cables spine. All of our spines are removable and interchangeable with all of our other cable spines. This includes our clamp-on hyper wicks. This allows you to switch spines from hoop to hoop, reducing how many you have to buy. Additionally, if you damage of hoop or decide to change sizes, you can keep the wicks you have and just buy new hoop, saving a ton of money.
Hyper Wicks: While a dedicated fire hoop with threaded inserts will give you the best performance, clamp on hyper wicks offer the ultimate in versatility. Our hyper wicks system, utilizes a stainless steel hose clamp with a tig welded threaded insert attached to it. The hose clamps are available for hoops of tubing size 5/8", 3/4", 7/8" and 1". You can buy additional clamps at a reduce cost, so you can use one set of spines for many hoops. Even better, if you already own a Trick Concepts fire hoop with cable spines, you can just buy the clamps and use the spines you have.
Nunchaku
Our chucks are available in a standard 12" length, or a custom 14" or 16" length. Most people prefer the 12" length because it is easier to maneuver. Some people with really long arms preferred the 14". The longer chucks are available with double wicks. This makes them a bit more difficult to use, but can make for a much more dramatic performance.
Palm Torches
We offer our Palm torches in two styles. We have the more traditional Tibetan singing bowls, and a more modern palm torch that straps to your hand. For more elegant performances, the bowls can't be beat. However, the bowls can get warm, making it difficult to use in any direction, but upright position. Pushing the wick further down in the tube will reduce the flame size, and therefore the heat. Our liquid Palm torches strap to your hands, allowing for faster and more aggressive dancing. Many of the motions from glow-sticking translate well to these torches.
Parasols
One of our most unique and dramatic props, parasols add a huge wow factor to any performance. These parasols are custom-made in our shop from an extra sturdy frame specifically as a performance prop. These are available in three styles. The full spiral wick produces a huge flame for about a minute, and then the end wicks provide a smaller flame for a couple more minutes. Our individually wicked parasol has smaller, easier to manage fire and can be used closer to the body because the heat is less. We also offer a bare frame parasol that you can add your own wicks, LEDs, fabric, etc.
Poi
For poi's simplicity, there are a lot of options to consider.
Head Choice: There is a lot of debate about which poi heads are better than others. However, the differences are usually not that great. The key factors are wick volume, and surface area. The more wick you have, the more fuel you will hold, and the longer your poi will burn. Conversely, the more surface area your poi has, the bigger the flame, and the shorter the burn. This means a long skinny poi will give you a bigger flame in a shorter burn, where a short, fat poi will give you a smaller flame and a longer burn.
Beginner Poi: As the name implies, these poi are ideal for beginners or people who need a small, inexpensive set of poi. These are of the same quality as the rest of our products but are simpler in their construction and use less Kevlar. These are a breakeven product for us because the like to see the community grow.
Cathedral poi: This is where most people start. These poi are simple durable and functional. These are the don't leave home without it staple prop that every fire performer either owns or owned at one point. These are a step up from the beginning poi.
Monkey fist poi: These are the standard for intermediate and advanced spinners. With their large wick volume and moderate surface area, they provide a long burn with a decent sized flame. Many people prefer the round fireball shape of these poi above all others. These are great step up from the Cathedral poi.
Infinity poi: Available in different sizes, infinity poi have an attractive fold pattern and a nice even flame. The larger sizes are nice when a big flame is desired. These are not the best poi for beginners who are going to hit the ground with their poi or not take precautions to preserve their wicks, because a damaged wick can come unraveled.
Ball Bearing Poi: Ball bearing poi give you the best bang for the buck when you want a lot of fire. Their simple construction means your pay for Kevlar, not labor. With a large ball bearing on the end, these poi have for a nice smooth flow.
Chain: The type of chain used tends to be a hotly debated topic, but there's no correct answer. The two main types of chains are ball chain and twisted link chain. Ball chain has the benefit of being difficult to tangle which is why it is often preferred by beginners. Note that we only use American-made stainless steel ball chain for fire poi. This is the only ball chain we have found that is durable enough for fire poi. Twisted link chain on the other hand tangles more easily. However, many of the popular advanced poi moves require the tangling feature making it more the most popular. Do not intentionally tangle ball chain, because it can overstress and cause it to fail.
Grips: There are two main styles of poi grips, fabric loops and ball handles. The fabric style loops around your fingers to give you a good grip. The ball handles style is less secure, but allows for moves like tosses. Most beginners prefer a loop style grip. We prefer a single loop over the double loop for beginners because it can be cinched onto the fingers, making it less likely you will lose control of the poi.
Zip Poi: While, not really poi, the zip poi is a unique prop that allows you to manipulate a fireball around your body as it slides along the cable. You hold onto the rings on each end of the cable to manipulate it.
S-Staff
Bridging the gap between fans and staff, the s-staff is a unique prop that can be manipulated like Buugeng, or spun on the rings like a fan. The triple and quad styles make a great theatrical prop.
Samoan Fire Knife
Originating from a traditional Samoan machete wrapped in towels and lit on fire for competitions, the modern fire knife keeps this tradition alive using modern materials and a prop blade. Our fire knives are designed to specification for fire knife competitions. These props have a huge flame and are definitely not for beginners. We offer them in custom lengths for noncompetition purposes.
Staff
Staffs come in three main styles:
Spinning: This is your traditional style staff that borrows from martial arts for its moves. This staff is typically spun fairly quickly and is manipulated by hand and often tossed. Most people prefer a staff that comes up to their chin or nose, but it is really a preference. Too short of staff can get the flame closer to your body than preferred, and too long of staff increases the risk of hitting the ground. It is feasible to add multiple wicks to a spinning staff because your body will only be in contact with the center grip section. Excessive amounts of wick can make for an overly heavy staff which can tire you out quickly. It is more common for people to start with a spinning staff and then go to contact later, but people starting with contact is becoming more common. We offer clamp on staff weights that you can add to a spinning staff at a later point if you want to use it for contact.
Contact Staff: A newer form of staff spinning, a contact staff is manipulated around the body primarily without the use of your hands. Contact Staff is not really spinning, but a form of "object manipulation" using mostly the arms and shoulders. Typically, a staff with weight added to the end is preferred. This slows down the staff motion, making it easier to control. All of our contact staffs come with weight. The more weight you add, the slower and more controllable the staff will be, however, a heavy staff will increase fatigue. Three oz of weight is a good starting point for most people. Also, keep in mind that longer staff will naturally be slower than a short staff. Because a contact staff is typically rolled over the shoulders, your body will be closer to the end of the staff meaning that you need more distance from the center of the staff to the wicks. Typically when someone wants more fire on a contact staff, they will opt for one large wick on each, as opposed to several smaller wicks along the length. Also keep in mind, more wick will affect the dynamics in the same way as adding weight. Most people prefer a staff that is between chin and nose height, but it is really a preference.
Double staffs: Shorter and lighter and made with smaller tubing, double staffs are typically used two at a time. This is a more advanced skill and is typically only done after a certain level of mastery with a single staff is achieved. Sometimes a double staff will be used as a single staff for smaller performers. Most people prefer a staff that is the longest length that will easily swing under your arm when held from the center.
Batons: A very short staff, our batons are a fire version of a standard twirling baton use for rhythmic gymnastics or color guard. These are typically only purchased by people who have baton twirling background.
Breakdown, Vs. Non-Breakdown: Trick Concepts offers our staffs in a solid and a breakdown design. We have 10 years of development in the breakdown design and have perfected it. It screws together to create a solid staff that is indistinguishable from a non-breakdown in rigidity. That being said, you really need to look at how you will be using the staff. If you don't need a breakdown design, it is cheaper to go with a standard staff. Also, even though our breakdowns are extremely durable, they do have additional parts. While they shouldn't require any maintenance, everything will wear out eventually. This is a minor concern, as it should last for years. Also, the breakdown mechanism does add a little bit of weight. If you have determined that you need the portability of a breakdown staff, take confidence in knowing that we have the best on the market. The Fire Staff and Dragon Staff breakdown parts are interchangable. Also, there are some locations that we can't send a full-length staff to. We most notably have this problem with Australia.
Swords
We offer three types of swords which all have very different purposes.
Bokken: Starting with an oak sword and wrapping it with Nomex felt and a layer of Kevlar, this practice Katana is designed for staged combat. They are durable and designed to be hit together.
Floating Sword: While shaped like a sword, this prop is designed to be used more like a contact staff. Heavily weighted on the ball end, the balance point is only a few inches up the shaft. This sword can be maneuvered around the arms and shoulders without your hands. This provides some amazingly dramatic effects, but requires a high level of skill to master. We offer these swords in standard and a tapered model. The standard model moves a little slower, while the tapered model provides a larger diameter handle that rolls over bumpy surfaces of the body more easily. The larger diameter also makes it move faster and can get away from you a little easier. The non-tapered design is more popular.
Moorish Scimitar: This is a prop sword designed for belly dancing use. This is not a combat sword and is not meant to be held by the handle. It is designed purely to be balanced on the head while dancing.
Torches
We offer a selection of torches for various needs. Our smallest torches are used for fire eating and fleshing (fire play). Our larger torches are used for fire breathing. Torch size is a preference, however the 18 inch torch is the most popular among fire breathers. Our larger torches are typically used for ceremonial purposes.
Wands
Known as a fire floating wand, fire flow wand, fire magicians wand, or just a fire wand, this prop can be incorporated into dance or technical performances as it floats around the body. This prop is designed to be slightly bottom heavy so it stays upright. This is available in a single wick (traditional) style with adjustable weights in the bottom to fine tune the balance. It is also available in a double wicked version for more fire. Additionally, these are available in a short and long string version. The short string version puts the finger loop just above the top wick, and the long string version gives you a string about twice the length. The long string version is more versatile, but requires more skill. The string can be changed on any of them to go from short string to long string or vice versa.
We have done our best to give everyone a general overview of what will work best for them. Everyone will have their preferences, and there is no definitive right answer. Trends and popularity are always changing. If you believe you have some input that can be valuable to our customers, feel free to contact us and let us know. We would love to hear from you.