My friend posted this thread a while ago (about 2 years), and I thought I should remake it because I recently got into it.
A "set" of devil sticks is made up of three pieces - the baton and two control sticks - but it will often be called a "pair of sticks".
Typically if a center stick is not tapered (i.e. a straight dowel or rod) and possesses tassels at its end, then it is known as a 'Flower Stick'(as the tassels, when the stick is spun, will twirl outwards and resemble an open flower). This term is also now used to describe a straight center stick with any weights (not just tassels) at its end and sometimes refers to hybrid sticks which are both tapered and have weights. Tapered sticks without end weights are known simply as Devil Sticks. Flower sticks can also be properly called "Devil Sticks" as that is the more general term.
A set of devil sticks consists of one Baton (twirling)—usually about 60-120 cm (2-4 feet) long—and two control sticks—generally about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick and 30-50 cm (12-20 inches) long—which are used to manipulate the baton. The baton (often called "the center stick" or simply "the stick") is in some instances tapered from the end to the center, typically about 3 cm (1.2 inch) in diameter at the ends and 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) in the middle. Designs and measurements vary quite widely, in the extreme case the center stick may be as short as 1ft or so, ranging to the extreme length of slightly more than twice that of the juggler's height, in which case the juggler has to stand on a table or pedestal. Most commonly, though, control sticks will be about as long as the combined length of the juggler's hand and forearm, the baton being slightly longer than the width of the juggler's upper body.
Basic manipulation
A devil stick baton is lifted/struck/stroked alternately by the two control sticks ('handsticks', or 'sidesticks'). The handsticks, and sometimes the baton as well, are often covered with a material to provide good 'grip' or friction when in contact with the devil stick. Often this material consists of silicon or rubber, but homemade sets may utilize materials such as various tapes, skateboard grip, sandpaper with a sticky back, or cloth. However, some sets are made of slippery polished, bare hardwood. In one basic stick maneuver, known as the Pendulum, the Idle or Tick-tock (sometimes called "tick-tack"), the center stick is lifted alternately with the left and right handsticks touching the baton at a point about halfway between the center of gravity and each end, causing the ends to swing to either side while the center of the baton remains at a somewhat constant height
The pendulum is an important move to learn, because to a great extent, every other trick is a variation on it.
The 'helicopter' spin is a variation in which a horizontal rotational force is applied as the baton 'pendulums' in the vertical plane, causing a continuous rotation in a nearly horizontal plane. Advanced twirlers can twirl the stick with one stick only (called the propeller), with an arm, knee or other limb and are able to manipulate the baton in any plane above below or in front of or behind the performer's body while walking, unicycling or tightrope balancing. Some can even twirl two batons simultaneously.
History
Juggling Sticks have continuously evolved as they were passed down through the centuries.
Whether they were reinvented in, or traveled to, China, there is no doubt that by 2000 B.C.E. the Chinese were using juggling sticks. It is commonly believed that Marco Polo then brought juggling sticks to Europe from the Orient. Juggling sticks have been used in Europe since the Renaissance.
With the hippie phenomenon, the advent of huge outdoor music festivals, the invention of modern variants on stick design, and the post-sixties increase in popularity of juggling as recreation or as a hobby, stick juggling has become increasingly popular as an activity even among people who would not consider themselves to be 'performers'.
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Basically, Flower\Devil sticks are two handles and a center stick.
Flower Stick:
[img]http://www.seriousjuggling.com/images/devil-sticks-flower-sticks/CrystalStixStandard.jpg[/img]
Devil Stick:
[img]http://www.lsi.upc.edu/~jpoveda/images/devil_sticks.jpg[/img]
Devil Sticks are much harder to use because they are weighted completely differently.
If anybody is interested in them, my friend actually sells them on Etsy and said that if the buyer is from FP that he'll give a discount, so if you want a pair just buy it and send him a message saying that you're from FP.
[url]http://www.etsy.com/listing/46720876/handmade-flower-sticks[/url]
And here's a video of me using my fire pair a few days ago.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XYbD2qDfRo[/media]
I can juggle.
I used to be able to do some neat tricks. Haven't used them in years though.
In Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, didn't a guy try to sell Obi-Wan Kenobi Devil Sticks? Or was it Death Sticks? I forgot. Haven't watched it in 6 or so years.
[QUOTE=ashxu;21959253]In Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, didn't a guy try to sell Obi-Wan Kenobi Devil Sticks? Or was it Death Sticks? I forgot. Haven't watched it in 6 or so years.[/QUOTE]
Death sticks.
Alright. Move along, nothing to see here.
Those looks fun
Nice jacket.
For some reason I was expecting these to be some sort of drug.
I think I've seen these before, but I can't recall when and where.
They look hard to use.
I've got a couple, lunastix where so awesome.
[QUOTE=green bandit;21963308]I've got a couple, lunastix where so awesome.[/QUOTE]
I hate lunas, they feel too rubbery to me. I have a pair that I think are Wizards that my neighbor gave me and those are pretty nice, but the basic ones just feel like they bend too much.
[QUOTE=coco911231;21959760]Nice jacket.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, my grandpa got it as a gift in Vegas because he's a diamond player, and he never uses the shit they give him so he gives it to us.
[QUOTE=Phycosymo;21959835]For some reason I was expecting these to be some sort of drug.
I think I've seen these before, but I can't recall when and where.[/QUOTE]
Most likely at a Renaissance Fair, they're very popular there, but no matter what they say they didn't originate there.
[QUOTE=d3450;21961745]They look hard to use.[/QUOTE]
Well, I've been juggling for 3 years now and with fire for 1. It takes a lot of time to get the hang of them, but once you learn how to do one trick they all seem to come pretty easy for me.
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