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I know this has been discussed in part on other threads, but I'm looking for some specific opinions on what most people use and why.
I've been ignorant and stubbornly using 1" steel conduit from the home depot to construct contact staffs for a year now, thinking that the extra weight would help slow down the spin and make feeling the staff easier when in contact. After several knots on my head, bruises on the wrists and hands, learning curve due to fear of loosing teeth, and a very bent/warped staff I finally gained some wisdom and decided to lighten it up and go with what most seem to recommend, 6061 T6 Aluminum. However I goofed and somehow assumed i had been using 3/4" outside wall tubing all this time, and ordered 5 feet of 3/4", 0.125 walled 6061 then when it arrived I realized I'm completely accustomed to using a 1" diameter staff.
It looks funny to me, being 1/4" thinner, but I'm sure it's much less prone to bending and warping than the 1" steel conduit was. And I'm debating on scraping it and going back for some 1 inch outside wall instead. I haven't bothered to take it to the workbench and start building yet. I've never used something this thin, I'd imagine it will speed up the spin rate on rolling moves such as Steves and the like, and not sure to what extent adjusting to it will require.
Before I scrap it or wick it, I wanted to get some opinions on the pros and cons of both diameters. Any experience with both anyone?
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St. Louis
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Fri, April 10, 2009 - 7:45 AMI use 7/8" and love it. I use to use 1", but once you make the conversion and get use to it, I think you will like it thinner. Do take the time to weight the ends with at least 1oz per end I would recomend 1.5 oz. Raised tennis grip v/s the flat stuff... it is like cheating. Good luck and have fun. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Tue, April 14, 2009 - 10:08 AM7/8 is just perfect
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Tue, April 14, 2009 - 10:32 AMsomething i took away from firedrums last year..
the thinner the diameter of the staff , the less distance it will travel with each rotation...
i remember playing with some titanium staves that were around 1/2" diameter and they felt incredible.
but yeah , its all personal preference
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Tue, April 14, 2009 - 1:41 PMI'm just learning, but my 1-1/4" tube makes me the happiest. I tried other sizes, butt the larger diameter, longer length and extra tip weight made the most sense to me as a beginner. Slower motions to help learn the timing and the larger diameter rolls more predictably across bumps on the body. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Tue, April 14, 2009 - 11:39 PMTedward is right. Larger diameter and more weight will compensate for imperfections in the staff or in your body, particularly for horizontal contact. You don't even need a straight or end weighted stick if its heavy enough! Vertical contact is a bit different, having all the weight at the ends lets you work with the momentum and centripetal force. Thin sticks also seem to work really well for leg contact, ask Lily! She's able to do some pretty amazing stuff with her big ass cutips. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Thu, April 16, 2009 - 4:36 PMSo each type has its benefits and faults. Overall, Im curious as to what people prefer individually: a heavier staff or a lighter one (lets say its for a balance of both contact and spinning work). Im asking because I was not expecting to find how heavy the Trick Concept break-down staff was when I got to try one out. The one I use from Fire Mecca is much, much lighter. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Fri, April 17, 2009 - 11:08 PMLarger diameter can be equated to a car tire rolling over a pothole. Taller tires roll smoother.
It's completely personal and arbitrary, but thicker staves also look better to me. (Cue the size jokes...) -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Fri, April 17, 2009 - 11:09 PMOh, and recently i started using 2 1/2 fet of kev wicking instead of 3' feet. Loving the lighter feel. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Sat, April 18, 2009 - 5:39 PMI've used 1/2", 3/4", 7/8", and 1" staves and it's all really a matter of personal preference. Most of my experience is with 1" staves (what I started with) and 3/4" staves (what I currently use) . I've found that 1" staves require a little less movement because of their size, you don't have to move as far to get to your staff. Thiner staves are nice for hand stalls and other fine manipulations where the staff needs to lock in place between your forearm and hand, etc. I like the way thiner staves roll, they make more rotations from point a to point b. Also they fit nicely into the natural grooves of your body. If you really want to tell the difference: try a steve and an angel roll with each diameter. It all depends on what feels best to you and your body size.
As far as heavy and light staves go, I've used both. I think a good measure of weight is a nice feeling, and helps you really feel where the staff is in relation to your body. I use a really heavy 3/4" staff because it forces me to pay attention, if I don't I will get thrashed in the face. Sometimes I like to switch to my lighter fire staff (my practice is heavier) because it's easier (in some ways) and I don't have to apply as much force. Then again I mostly just practice contact staff, not spinning, so having a heavier staff that I can't whip around as fast isn't a big deal.
My 2 cents. -
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Re: 1" or 3/4" tube staff, what's your preference?
Wed, April 22, 2009 - 10:15 PMThanks allot for the input everyone. I'm going to go ahead weight and wick and grip the 3/4, and then order a 7/8 to try out too. Won't be burning either for a few more months so i can always switch before the first burn.
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