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FireSpiritSILVER Member
Classic 90's Fire Dancer... Poi, Staff, Doubles, and Breathing
743 posts
Location: South Lake Tahoe, USA


Posted:
Have you ever bought anything from HOP, and how did you like your new stuff?

I am going to make an order here in the next few days, and want to know if I am doing / buying the right stuff.
I know I want the Sage flick, But do I want the combo with the COL3? How good is the 3rd COL? How many preformers are in it, and how is the quality of the spinning? Who won? Also How is the Art of Staff movie?
(I have the COL1, and really only learned from sage, and a few staff folks, I really liked the Art of poi Movie though, I used it in many classes)

The 3 part staff sounds like the best deal! (in buying my staff)But has any one bought the Core Staff? How did you like it?




Any one know about these products?
I want to send in my order soon

~Fire Spirit

FIRE IS ALIVE!
IT LIVES AND BREATHS!
IT CONSUMES, AND DISTROYS!
BUT WE CONTROL IT,
AND DANCE WITH FIRE!!


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Hey FireSpirit.

I've got 2 of the shorter Innercore Staffs, and they are the best breakdown staffs I've ever used.

The moulded grip is a bit annoying for my contact, but all the other benefits, including the fact it is almost impossible to bend, far outweigh any cons.

I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!

So who else on the site has bought poi's?

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


ZoltarBRONZE Member
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
I got my beloved electroglos here..... and ball chain handles, and the Art of Poi video, and extra LEDs.

The service is just fantatic, and the prices are cheap. I don't just mean the sales service either. The after sales customer service is just as high. One of the LEDs in my poi went dodgey after about 2 weeks. I emailed Malcom and he sent me a replacement unit the same day.

So much fire, so little body hair...


fluffy napalm fairyCarpal \'Tunnel
3,638 posts
Location: Brum / Dorset / Fairy Land


Posted:
I love the ballchain fire poi I bought from this site. They're just the right weight for me I made some cable to go on them too so I can use whichever I please depending on the mood of the spin.

I personally didn't enjoy the Sage flick as much as any of the COL Vids. I found there was much more inspiration spinning wise on all the COL vids (my favourite being the third as it has a lot of people I know doing some fantastic stuff. But Sage is without a doubt an inspiring person and if you want to buy it for that reason then go for it.

The HoP LED units rock (but then I'm biased - I can't stop making electroglo stuff )

Geologists do it in the dirt................ spank


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Let's see...I own all the vids and books.
One of each staff, I think. Close to one of each poi.

I love the innercore staff. At first it takes some getting used to, as Charles eluded to, but it is really very nicely weighted, comfortable in length and grip, smoothe, clean and professional looking.

Sage is very inspiring. The video is engaging.
She has a very unique approach to the tools she uses and, in fact, to life in general. The performance intermixed with the interviews is a very nice blend of seeing the style and the person behind it. It not only gave Sage a face, but humanity as well. (Ever see performers and never really associate them to be real, honest to god people?...this video makes it so you can not do that). It makes it easy to identify with her, which is always nice in a video.

The Art of Staff is a good beginning tool, exactly what it is meant to be. Charles is clear and concise in his presentation, and breaks things down easily. A good resource for a beginner, a teacher or someone double checking thier basic technique.

COL3 I think is the best of the 3 vids, for many reasons. The first being that Malcolm has really gotten the hang of this video and music production thing. THe transitions are nice from one to the other, the "effects" are fun and the music is good. The spinning has gotten more smoothe. On the first video there were alot of people that had that "constipated concentration" look, you know where you think "Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly...oops..gotta switch". And really, that is worth watching. But if you want to see smoothe style and people who have really come into thier own, then 3 is the way to go. Alot of the people on the first one have made it on all 3 and one of the tremendous things about these videos is watching the growth and progression from tape to tape. Anyway, 3 is very inspiring as well as being outright eye candy.
Shibaki won the poi and I can't remember who won the staff, can picture the moves but not the name.
THere are about 20 or so spinners of various styles, toys and forms on the video. Well worth it, as are all the videos, imho.

I have never had a complaint with ordering from Malcolm, FS. He is amiable and eager to help whatever needs you might have. Things always arrive timely and in one piece, which we all know is important when discussing shipping. Truly, you will be pleased.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


tonemanmember
195 posts

Posted:
I too, have the 3 piece Concentrate staff and I love it! get 3! I also have two electroglo staffs and a set of electroglo poi. They are awesome! I've treated them like crap, and they just keep on taking the beating! I also bought the Elke staff book which has some great tips for beginners.

All in all, I'd recommend the HOP SHOP to EVERYONE!

flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
Ok, here's everything i've bought and few words about each. Not all are relevant to you, but might be to someone else. It's a new year's resolution to stop buying so much poi/staff gear. Here goes:

2.5 inch Pure Flame poi

Really nice set, good handles (next best to leather which people such as I object to using) and swivels. Burn time isn't great, but it does mean that, if you are averagely good, you can do a full performance with a few beats of each move you know and they go out naturally before you hafta start repeating stuff which looks pants. I use these non lit as my practice set of choice

Cathedral head poi

Huge flame, great burn time. Heavy, so I don't practice with them (its winter and i only really practice indoors), hence I haven't used them lit much.

blue electroglo poi

Great fun for indoor/club use, and for when you are drunk and still want to play with something a bit more interesting than uv, without setting yourself on fire.

pure flame staff

Shoddy construction, after dropping a few times mine has gotten seriously rattly. The handle is nasty, and overall I wouldn't recomend it

concentrate staff

Much better than the pure flame version. Fixed length, but the quality of manufacture/design is on a whole new level to pure flame. If you buy a staff then its worth forking out the extra for a concentrate. A pleasure to use

beginners poi

Single finger loop, pretty nasty. Don't like em, hardly used since i got them 6 months ago.

art of staff video

If you're learning staff from scratch then its well worth buying. Doesn't go into too much detail on moves other than the basics, so if you can already do staff with fire you probably won't learn anything from it. It does however, at least on my copy, have the soundtrack to a japanese 2nd world war documentary at the end, very trippy. And remember: If you ever can't find your staff, just turn to your right and say "now, where's my staff?", and from the edge of the screen it will fly

art of poi+col2 dvd

The same to the art of poi applies to the art of staff. If you are new it's well worth the money. It covers about half the moves on the lessons part of this site thou, so if you look at it and you know them your money is best spent elsewhere.

15 watt UV lamp

A bit of fun, quite cheap, get. Not bright enough really to do poi to, but pretty trippy to relaxing to.

Glosticks

Really tiny with no way to attach to poi. I bought about 50 of these and when i saw the size gave them away. You'd need to stick together about 20 of them to make them the size of, and produce them amount of light of, a normal glow stick.

spare set of double loop handles

These are the same as the ones used on cathedral headed, not as good as the pure flame ones. Under heavier weights they seem to dig into your hands more.

Quicklinks

If you plan to buy some of these with a pair of cathedral heads, you should know that you need a strong pair of pliers to increase the appature of the quicklinks in order to get them over the width of the cathdral head poi hooks. They are about 2mm too small for them.

Of the 4 orders, all have come within a week to the UK, except for one which was over xmas when post isn't guaranteed. I only had one problem, and malcolm sent a replacement no questions asked and it arrived within 2 days. I've also never had to pay import duty, and the postage charges from NZ to the UK are cheaper than many places in the UK charge for shipping within a 40 mile radius!

[ 22. January 2003, 15:27: Message edited by: flid ]

poiaholic22member
531 posts

Posted:
WHAT?????

YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BEAMING POI

Shame on you.

No seriously,if you order anything from this site you have to get some beamers.

FireSpiritSILVER Member
Classic 90's Fire Dancer... Poi, Staff, Doubles, and Breathing
743 posts
Location: South Lake Tahoe, USA


Posted:
Thats really the only thing I have gotten from HOP is the Beaming Poi. (I also got some Kevlar and the COL1 flick though)The beaming poi was a gift from a student, she also gave me her Art of Poi Vidio. I like the flick, I must say I had been spinning for 3 years before I saw it and still learned some!

Flid That wa Great!! I made this Thread not only for myself but for all.

Keep it comming

FIRE IS ALIVE!
IT LIVES AND BREATHS!
IT CONSUMES, AND DISTROYS!
BUT WE CONTROL IT,
AND DANCE WITH FIRE!!


PoiDragonmember
33 posts

Posted:
I've bought some stuff from HOP and it always gets here before the 7-9 days that it says...i have never been disappointeed by the service or products.!!!

Thank you MALCOLM

The Dragon of The Poi


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
WHAT?????

YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BEAMING POI


nah, i like my groin how it is thanks

Magickal_Kaleidoscopemember
119 posts
Location: Newcastle, Australia


Posted:
you should really get all the vids.
there all good and i learnt alot from all of them.

can u order kevlar in really big rolls instead of getting 8 x 1ft rolls get 1 x 8ft rolls?

musashiistarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA


Posted:
many props for the turn-around time on orders, even for NZ..beamers skeer me tho, I like me nuts and me nose thnx....

First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica

" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."


poiaholic22member
531 posts

Posted:
NO WAY !!!

Beamers give you incentive to learn moves really fast.Trust me,I learned real quick to pay attention to what direction I was spinning when coming out of a continous turning weave with my beamers.And after only one concussion.

I've never gotten sack tapped with them (knock on wood) and pity the poor soul who has.

Ratatoskmember
3 posts
Location: Minnesota, USA


Posted:
Hiya,

I just got my beaming poi and although I am slightlry inebriated at this point I distinctly remember hitting myself three times since I got them... that was all I needed (crotch, front of head, back of head), and since then I haven't hit a single body part of my own unintentionaly while sober. Beaming Poi are great, everyone should get some... I can't imagine what would have happened had I been using fire... ouchies... and flash burning... ew...

Back to the subject, the only thing I have ordered to date have been the beaming poi, but I already love them. The service was fast and everything came packed very well.

I can only say the best things about the service from Malcolm... better then even a lot of companies state side.

Anyhowm, off to bed for me...
If there are any fire users in Saint Paul, MN, USA, reading this, drop me a note... same goes for people in Madison, WI... I'll be down for KOI and would love to hook up with someone for a chat...

-Misha

[edited for random errors/spelling]

[ 27. January 2003, 05:13: Message edited by: Ratatosk ]

--When someone mentions the gracefullnessof the nightsky, climb up on the roofand dance and say, Like this?


ZoltarBRONZE Member
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Can also add some Fire poi to my list (Ball chain with cathedral heads) that my wife got me for my birthday from here.

They are beautiful

So much fire, so little body hair...


FireSpiritSILVER Member
Classic 90's Fire Dancer... Poi, Staff, Doubles, and Breathing
743 posts
Location: South Lake Tahoe, USA


Posted:
I'm Bumbed!
I just went to order my stuff, and hop was out of stock, I guess if you snozz you lose!
I'll have to wait till March Now!!!
O-well I won't let it trash my day.

FIRE IS ALIVE!
IT LIVES AND BREATHS!
IT CONSUMES, AND DISTROYS!
BUT WE CONTROL IT,
AND DANCE WITH FIRE!!


poiaholic22member
531 posts

Posted:
Dude that really blows.
Non-Https Image Link

What were you trying to get?

NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Love the ball chain, love the straps.

Service is awesome and frighteningly fast.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


FireSpiritSILVER Member
Classic 90's Fire Dancer... Poi, Staff, Doubles, and Breathing
743 posts
Location: South Lake Tahoe, USA


Posted:
Its just a Staff that I should just make any way. I have had visions of a staff with a pivit ball in the center. I think I may try making one out of a redwood, or some hard wood.
Alhtough I do Like the staff i want!!

~Fire Spirit

FIRE IS ALIVE!
IT LIVES AND BREATHS!
IT CONSUMES, AND DISTROYS!
BUT WE CONTROL IT,
AND DANCE WITH FIRE!!


Kevmember
83 posts
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland


Posted:
quote:
beginners poi

Single finger loop, pretty nasty. Don't like em, hardly used since i got them 6 months ago.

I bought the beginners poi set with art of poi as my first purchase and I reckon they are pretty good for a complete beginner. The single finger loop really isn't a problem, just need to try different ways of holding them to find one that suits you. One thing I didn't like though was the comet tails, tails can be nice but I reckon it makes it a bit more difficult when you're just starting to learn, so tape them up/cut them off. Personally I think they'd be a whole lot better without the tails in the first place.

No faults with the HOP service though. Five stars, ten out of ten

- Honk if you love peace and quiet!


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,750 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
My elctroglow staff broke after about 2 months

delivery ect was good....

N?

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


KatBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)


Posted:
HOP shop rocks

Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

- W B Yeats


poiaholic22member
531 posts

Posted:
Yeah HoP does rock.

I don't know what I would do with my miserable existence without it.

[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,750 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
make yer own toys?

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,750 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
oh, it looks like im gonna getta replacement for my elctro glow broken bit! Yay Malcom!

N?

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,967 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
If you weren't so clumsy Nix? it would never have broked in the first place.

Meh


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Okay, how did you break that thing? I have had mine over a year and have flung it (unintentionally) on pavement and it is still in one working piece. I suspect it takes alot of talent Nix to break an electroglo!

Kev, the point of the tails other than looking pretty is that they are an excellent learning tool. If they tangle then there is something (unless there is wind) amiss with your angles. This lets you know there is something in the spinning that needs to be corrected. Tails do complicate things but in the end they will make you a better spinner, completely.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
There's not a lot to break on the electroglo light units, but from doing lots of wraps i seem to have busted one of mine. It flickers on and off, basically the switch has a loose contact in it. I'll probably just aquire a new switch when term starts again (the wonders of studying electronic engineering) and solder it on, rather than buying a new one (cheapskate).

In responce to WHAT! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BEAMING POI, i'll probably buy some soon, now that i haven't hit my nuts for a few months

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Flid, two of my LED units did that two. Two things helped with one of them..tightening the little screws down and changing the battery.
The other one is a very fickle switch. But since I have 8 of the little LED units, I am not so worried. However.....I smell another thread coming on!

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK



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