Fireswords or Firesword-like poi stuff

[Sage]

So after lakes of fire I am totally stoked for the firespinning aspect of burns. And since I have a good martial arts backing in swords and since I regularly engage in all forms of sword combat I thought it would be cool to pursue a flaming sword act. Now I have seen that most idiots on the internet use gasoline or lighterfluid but that almost always ends with disaster. I was looking at a sterno dipped sword that worked well enough in some video but still am not convinced to it working well. So with more searching I found that in the show Krod Mandoon the flaming sword effect was done via a pump system that constantly fed a lighter fluid over the tip of the sword... So I need thoughts on how I should pursue this. Also last note is that in my presentation I would still like to cut through soft items to show that this is a flaming sword show and not a flaming stick show. So the sword still needs a slight edge to it.

[Token]

White Gas aka Coleman stove fuel is the fuel of choice.

Stay away from reservoirs, pumps and the like.

No thrusting moves or your hand burns.

Two ways to do this.

Take existing sword and add Kevlar whick. This generally looks ugly but sword cuts.

Build sword by welding, forging etc and hide whick by sandwiching between the steel. Much harder to do and cutting ability nit guaranteed.

[trystanthegypsy]

Just get a piece of Kevlar about 2" wide and as long as the sword, and either drill bolts through the sword or wrap with wire, dip in your fire fuel of choice (kerosene burns bright and long, but smoky and hot, white gas burns dimmer and shorter but it's a little safer).

Ta-Da!

[AntiM]

Our conclave uses white gas, most Wallys carry it when everyone else runs out.

[Fire_Moose]

Kerosene is best.

[Token]

Common fuels:

White Gas (Naphta) - burns very bright, burns hot, very low flash point, rapid evaporation, ignites easy with just a spark. Vapors can explode.

Lamp Oil (Petrolium based paraffin) - burns bright, burns less hot than White Gas, produces some minor smoke (white smoke), high flash point, slow evaporation, hard to light ( usually needs a torch lighter ), vapors not as explosive but are heavier than air so can ignite via hot tool being dipped in a fueling can. May continue to smolder inside whicks destroying them.

Kerosene - burns bright but more yellow than white, heat similar to lamp oil, produces black sut filed smoke and noxious smelling fumes, medium flash point, medium evaporation rate, can be lit with a regular lighter but usually not just a spark, vapors may ignite but rare, may continue to smolder in whicks.

Ethanol/Methanol/Isopropyl - must be 99% for best results, burns relatively dim bluish-white, dimms with rapid spinning, low heat burn (good for contact fire), smokeless, low flash point, fast evaporation, can be lit by any open flame, vapors dissipate rapidly and hard to ignite, dissolves most flame coloring agents for colored fire gimmicks.

There are other fuels but these are the most popular and available fuels.

[Fire_Moose]

Add to "White Gas" - Most easily transferred to body when you hit yerself

Lamp oil is least likely to transfer with Kero being the medium.

[kman]

I'll bet the good folks over at Bear Claw Mfg might have some ideas that could help, and they do custom work.

http://www.bearclawmfg.com/

[Token]

Tedward at bearclaw makes a decent sword but it is aluminum and has no edge for cutting. Good whick though and long burn.

Trick Concepts makes a few swords, scimitar for belydancing stuff with minimal whick but does cut. Fire knives for Polynesian style competition. The rest are shinai and boken based with no cutting edge.

Everything else would be custom and expensive, unless you have the craft to build yourself.

[trystanthegypsy]

I DRAWED YOO A PIKTURE