Staff Care and Best Practices Sheet!

Storage:

• Store in a well ventilated area.
• Store in a dark dry environment. Exposure to sun can harm and harden the kevlar over time due to UV exposure.

Pre-spinning:

• Always check your props before a performance. Note any wear and tear, in the event of any significant wear and tear do not risk a performance with broken wicks or props.
• If using a dragonstaff, ensure your wicks are securely fastened by 1. Ensuring the spoke is all the way down the hole before tightening. 2. Tightening the nut securely. 3. Lightly pulling on the wick (do NOT twist the corndog wicks, just pull laterally) 4. Doing a practice spin. This is to ensure the nut has securely fastened the spokes in place and minimize the chances it may come loose.
• As mentioned in the earlier point, under no circumstance should you "twist" corndog wicks. The wicks are built to handle drops and grazes, but twists do not occur naturally through spinning, and the wicks are not built to withstand that. Twisting the wicks in the opposite direction of the weave could loosen the wick and deteriorate it prematurely. 

Fueling:

• Dip only for a max of 3 seconds (absolutely no longer than 5 seconds). Any longer is unnecessary and will result in excess fuel spraying which could make your dragon slippery.
• Preferably use a low temp burning fuel like pure lamp oil, or kerosene (if in the middle east) and White Gas (if in the US or UK). Try to stay away from charcoal fluid unless you are stuck in a pinch and thats the only option available for a one time performance. Definitely never spin car gasoline, it is way too hot and will double the speed of the degradation of your wicks (especially if using a wick that is made of a single layer of kevlar such as corndog wicks, or bo fire staff).

Spinning:

• Do not leave the staff wicks lit on the ground while you get ready for your performance. The more stationary a prop > more heat it absorbs > the faster it degrades. Always light up and get to spinning straight away.
• Avoid spinning on rough terrain like gravel roads, asphalt, or any that may cause unnecessary abrasive damage to your wicks if dropped. 
• If spinning your fire staff for practice, cover the wicks with socks to avoid unnecessary exposure to sun and offer a little protection against falls. 
• To keep your kevlar long lasting try to avoid spinning the fire till the last second, instead practice ending your performance when the fire starts to dwindle and turn blue, as at that point theres almost no fuel left and the fire is essentially eating away at and drying the kevlar fibers.
• To extinguish your staff use a damp (damp.. not soaking wet) cloth and tap dry for a second to suffocate the fire. And then let the prop sit in a ventilated area. Do not leave it in the wet towel to soak up water.
• Never extinguish your prop in a bucket of water.

Inspection:

• Always inspect your prop before and after every performance to be aware of the health of all of the components. All props break and deteriorate over time, however being aware of the state of the prop at all times helps you apply preventative maintenance when needed and also avoid catastrophic failure.

Feel free to reach out to us on instagram or through email with any questions, and happy flowing!