Tricks Concepts Fire Nunchakuhttp://www.trickconcepts.com/Fire-Nunchaku-P6C58.aspxPrice: $60-$85 each
Length: 12" - 16"
Colors: Black, Red & Black, Yellow & Black
I'm a fan of extremes. I like chucks that have some sort of sharply defined character. Even the rattan chucks, which I used to laugh at, I've found the strength lies with it's ability to switch directions and momentum in a very fast paced (ie. very suitable for hyper style). Today, I'd like to review Trick Concepts' Fire Nunchaku.
Stylistic Pros:I purchased these chucks about 10 months ago, and for 6/10 months that I owned these chucks - I never even lit them on fire.
Believe me, they were used quite often. The weighted tips gave me a better understanding of momentum,and I discovered almost a dozen Soulwire Lab moves from the exploration of these chucks. The 360 shoulder rolls, shoulder pops, aerial pops, waist rolls, and sym-x's are among the list of moves that I discovered using these. The wicks at the tip add a really great flow-- it allows you to understand and feel out what moves chain well together.
Funny note: After I realized how awesome the weight was, I taped nickels and quarters to my non-firey chucks, to simulate the weight that these fire chucks have.
Design:
You all know that once I lit these on fire, the rest was history. I became absolutely hooked. From the roar of the fire, to the circular patterns... I highly recommend that everyone try to spin fire once (read the safety rules first). One thing I love about this chuck, it has a very solid grip. When you are standing in front of a crowd, hands and hot and sweaty, there is a soft, rubberlike grip that keeps the chuck from slipping out of your hand. Also, if you noticed, they have colors that you can choose from. That is awesome, because once these things are lit...having some sort of way to distinguish where the chuck is-- very important.
Chain:
Everyone has a different preference to chain length. I like shorter..but it's not too hard to adjust...just a *snip* of a link, and it was perfect. Ok, one thing I do want to mention is that these chucks come in 2 pieces, with a link that connects them together. I recommend the stainless link. When I bought mine, I had the zinc link - and occasionally, the edge would roll against the back of my hand wrong with wrist rolls.
http://www.trickconcepts.com/18-Quicklinks-P119C60.aspxLength:
I have 12" chucks. I really like these, however, my eyes are set on the 16" next (double wicks, *drool*). My goal is to start throwing 10' aerials when I perform, and the larger the chuck (and fire), the better! The 12" length allows for a fast and furious display...tight circles. I've noticed a great response with circular spins and antispins.
Customer Service:
Shipping was fast, and I am really happy with their customer service. I've ordered several chucks from all around, and, by far, my favorite companies has got to be Trick Concepts and Flowtoys. I had noted the link issue, and they opted to send me a stainless.. it was quick and easy, just like that.
Some companies, I've had some discrepancies with chucks, and it was like pulling teeth. When I visited their site, I asked if they had any longer chucks, and *poof* the next thing I knew, they had longer chucks available to purchase. That made me very happy.
All in all:
Upon returning to their website, I was *delighted* to see more colors, and larger sizes. I've done shopping around for fire chucks. Sometimes, I'd email other companies, and they didn't even respond back-- or took several weeks. I'm going to stick with these guys, for anything fire. Their professionalism and quality of design are excellent... I've never been happier spinning nunchaku, than when I am using these babies in front of a crowd. Their fire chucks come highly recommended. Even if you don't spin fire, the momentum exchanges that you can discover with the chucks makes it a very worthy investment.
