The Juggling Equipment Blog

This review was first posted on the diabolo.ca forum

I sometimes help out Butterfingers at festivals and conventions, I sometimes get the chance to play with some equipment before it makes it onto the market. I haven’t been over to Butterfingers since last year but today I received a package of handsticks in the post and a request to test them and report back. I thought I might as well tell the forum about them as well.

Steph (from Butterfingers) kindly sent me 2 sets of sticks, 1 set of aluminiums (Alu ST 50) and a set of carbons. Here are my initial thoughts.

I’m an ally man at heart so I’ll start with these. They are very similar to the Henrys Aluminiums (that I have used for 5+ years) with a few tweaks.

Mr. Babache Aluminium Sticks

They come in the usual Babache packaging of a plastic sleeve with an instruction sheet and 1 length of Babache coloured string.
They seem to be improving the instructions these days, they have some handy little hints on what knots to use, how to deal with the excess string and a hint about what to do about knicks. All fairly obvious stuff really but still not a bad idea if you realise that it’s not allways hardcore diaboloists buying these products. I might slightly disagree with the lengths of string advised for different numbers of diabolos but it’s nice to point out that diaboloists do use different lengths of strings (no more 4′ high kids with 6′ long strings )

When I first saw a picture of these sticks I was a bit worried by the look of the handles, they looked pretty chunky but now I’ve tried them they’re not that huge. The handles feel a touch chunkier than the Henrys allys but feel better and smoother than the Babache ‘classic’ foam grips. (IMHO)
The grips sat in my hands well, I hold sticks pretty lightly and these contoured grips lock into my palm and the skinny bit feels like it will stop slippages and prove useful when catching an inverted stick (suicides etc). The ends of the grips extend further than the internal metal bit so no more ‘donk’ when the end hits the ground.
The Mr B line on the grips is ‘Ergonomic handle for little and big hands’ – I’m looking at them more as a grown up and someone who looks at props in detail but the 10/11 year old beginners who used these sticks at todays workshops seemed to find them comfortable enough.

The method of string adjustment is similar to the Henrys method. Where as Henrys have an angled hole to insert the string the Babache ones have the hole drilled in at 90 deg with a secondary slot at an angle. It’s a small change in the design but a useful one. I like to have my string rotating if possible. It usually takes some messing about with a lighter or a worry about a slim knot pulling through but I got spinning string first go with these (with chubby Mr B string). The slot also makes getting the string out again nice and handy.

For those that care about these kind of things, the balance and grip size etc. feel pretty nice for flipping and twiddling

I didn’t have any Henrys allys with me to compare in general use today at work but to me they felt pretty similar. I haven’t done a side by side check for size/weight etc but here are the stats from the packaging.

Length 32cm
dia 7mm
weight 30 grms/pce

(online non Henrys stats for Henrys Allys = 33cm long 86g/set)

Colours, silver with white or black handles
anodised to be released later(?)

Pretty cool sticks, Think I’ll be using these a lot.

Mr. Babache Carbon Sticks

I first tried these at the EJC. They seemed nice enough to me then although I’m only an occasional user on plastic sticks.
I think Mr B has done a long run of testing with these so hopefully they come to market with the kinks worked out.
I don’t own any Henrys Carbons so I’m comparing these with Henrys Fibres and Sundia Carbons.

The grips are the same as you find on their Alu ST so no real problems there,
they are a touch shorter than Henrys shorts and the tubing is to my eyes a touch thinner.

The 2 main ways in which these sticks differ from other carbons is the use of a screw end cap to attach the string and the the use of a solid carbon rod thru the length of the stick within a protective sleeve. I’m hoping the use of a solid carbon rod reduces the chance of snapping. The sleeve appears to be a touch harder than the sleeve on my fibres.

Attaching the string was a doddle, I got nice rotating string and the end caps appear to be an improvement on the energy/xtreme versions.
I thought I might get some string hangups but so far I haven’t really.

On a flex front, they are less flexy than the fibres but not as stiff as the Sundias. I’m guessing they might be between Henrys Carbon and fibres for stiffness.

They play nice enough. Sit well in my hand and behave like other plastic sticks of a similar size. The cheap part of me likes the fact that I won’t be wasting the extra string other sticks have running thru the middle. Also I won’t be worrying about having the knot pulling thru into the tubing.
Time will tell about how they last lonterm but I haven’t felt like I should be nursing them. I’l see about finding somebody at the juggling club who might have some thoughts about how they measure up to the old school sticks and report back.

They grind really nice and smoothly for those who like that kind of thing.

They come with a length of Mr. Babache string and decent instructions with tips for which knots to use, use of teflon tape if you get loose ends with protacted use, advice on string length etc.

From the packaging
Length 34cm
Dia (shaft) 7mm, tip 9.5mm
Weight 30 grms/pce

(online non Henrys stats for Henrys carbon short = 35cm long 62g/set)

Colours
Classic: all black, all white.
Contrast: white and black, black and white.
Color Classic: orange or yellow shaft, black or white handles
(white, yellow and orange shafts UV reactant)

Progress report – written a couple of months after the initial review

No real news on the durability. I haven’t broke them yet but tbh I tend to use ally sticks most of the time so I haven’t given them an intense workout.

I brought them to the BJC and let people have a go of both sets.
People all seem a bit weary of the carbons but seemed happy enough about the feel. Carbon users sometimes commented on the light feel. One or two didn’t like the idea of the tip compared to the more in line Henrys version but to be fair they are different sticks and some people might prefer to have the lip for certain moves.

The Alu’s seemed to go down better. people seemed to like the idea of the string slot and liked the lighter feel. No one has bent them yet but that’s because we are so good in England
I can’t see an obvious reason for them being any more or less liable to bend than Henrys.

I got a slight knick in the end but nothing that wouldn’t have happened with other aluminium sticks, easy fix plus the packaging explains what to do in this case anyway (which is a good thing).

Name: Matthias Romir
Country: Germany
Age: 29
Favorite prop: Clubs/Balls
Started Juggling: 1992
Currently working on: many different things. It was always hard for me to focus on something specific. Recently I´ve been juggling more balls than clubs.
Website: www.ballmaschine.de

Short Bio:
I was born in 1980 in Nuremberg, Germany. When I was around 8, my mom bought my brother a unicycle, so he would strengthen his back. So this was my first contact to circus skills. A few years later, my mom attended a juggling course and brought home all the balls and clubs. In 1992 we went to see the gala show of a juggling convention with my family and that was when said I want to be on stage. So my first solo performance was around 1993. It was a 2min 3 ball juggling peace and I performed in school in front of 1000 people. I had around 10 drops in 2 minutes, but I didn´t give up.
In 1996 I went to live and go to school in Bolivia for a year. My first big solo travel experience. It was a great year.
After school during my civil service I decided to become a teacher for handicapped people and went to university for more than six years. I studied in Germany and Hungary and it was cool, but somehow juggling became more and more important to me, so I finished my studies and became a professional juggler. That was in 2007. Since that I travel around, presenting my shows.
Defining moment in my juggling history: I presented my act Pinball Paranoia for the first time in 2007 on the open stage of a Juggling Festival in Poland. Beforehand I really couldn´t imagine, if people would like it or not. People´s reactions made me cry.

Spoiler! »

Favorite Cereal: Nougat Bits
3 things you didn’t know about me:
- I play the pan flute.
- I started unicycling before juggling.
- I can whistle two tones in the same time. But it sounds horrible.
If I weren’t a juggler, I would be: probably a teacher
Time it took me to learn 5 balls: I don´t remember. Usually this kind of stuff takes me a lot of time.
Is juggling sport or art? For me it is art. That doesn´t necessarily mean, that I don´t like sport juggling.
If I were a juggling equipment, I would be: a paranoid pinball
Jugglers in my family: my mom juggles a little bit.
Juggling equipment that has not been invented yet: fire kendama
Famous juggler i’d love to pass with: I´m not a big passer.
after the invention of a time machine – what advice would you give to your younger self?
don´t listen to your older self. He ain´t any better.

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A gaming, natural and spiritual diabolo journey by Chris Garcia (aka Draco Dragon).

Great locations and great new tricks with no diabolo sticks!

I wonder what these kids find out next….. maybe invisible diaboloing…….?

Enjoy!

Name: Mathieu Moustache
Country: France
Age: 29
Favorite prop: Body
Started Juggling: 1997
Currently working on: Strange things with strange objects
Website: www.mathieumoustache.fr

Short Bio:
In order of appearance : milk, fruits, school, piano, circus, love, cheese, love, shows, computers, shows, love
Defining moment in my juggling history: Learning “3 balls eyes closed” in WC.

Spoiler! »

Favorite Cereal: Spelt
3 things you didnt know about me:
the color of my mind, the shape of my life, the texture of my smile
If I werent a juggler, I would be: A trout
Time it took me to learn 5 balls: 730 days
Is juggling sport or art? Juggling is a spart
If I were a juggling equipment, I would be: An eggplant
Jugglers in my family: Cousins
Juggling equipment that has not been invented yet: The plartquirzee
Famous juggler i’d love to pass with: God.
after the invention of a time machine – what advice would you give to your younger self?
Cut your hair.

From the makers of “FULL POWER“,  “Ship Of Juggling” and “Juggling 13” comes the next big hit!
For me it’s one of the best videos of the year for sure. The editing with the music is just amazing, and most of the tricks are very creative. It also has a nice message!
ENJOY!

This week we wanted to show you what happens when the world of yoyo-ing and diabolo-ing meet. The offstring yoyo is a variation to the regular yoyo – it is bigger, to make it easier to catch, and usually is made from a material that can withstand the test of repeated drops.

The Yoyo in this movie is new to the market, developed by YoyoJam and Bryan Figueroa, and released to the market just a few days ago.

Fiesta – Bryan Figueroa from Gabriel Lozano on Vimeo.

Once there was combat, each player with his 3 clubs trying to fight the world and stay alive to tell the story of his glory.
Please welcome what might become a small revolution in combat history: Major League Combat (MLC).
You might have guessed that this is coming form the US of A, they do tend to take civilized games from the old continent and turn them into something else.

Are those combat games here to stay? My guess is that they are. they are pushed by the WJF, and there will be a tournament at the next WJF. Since combat games are quite popular in conventions, my guess is that you should see people starting to play zombie combats at your next convention. The good thing is that you can play with a relatively small group of player, while the traditional combat need a crowd to be fun.

let us know what you think!

under MLC there are a few combat gameplay modes that you can play, to make it easier for you we bring you the complete rulebook and game modes from the MLCPRO web site.

MLC RULES

To stay in the game

All competitors must maintain a 3 club juggling pattern. A competitor can have more than one club in the air at one time, but one is the minimum.

When You’re Out

A competitor is out when they either collect all three clubs (stop juggling), when one of their clubs hits the floor, or when one or more of their clubs is stolen by another competitor and they are unable to resume a 3 club juggling pattern.

Stealing

Competitors may steal other competitors clubs and abandon their own, provided they take control of their opponent’s club before their own hits the ground or is caught by another competitor. You may only steal clubs that are airborne and not in the hands of your opponent. If two players grab the same club at the same time, a struggle for the club may ensue and in that case both competitors may wrestle for the club provided they maintain control over two additional clubs in a one handed juggling pattern. The competitor who loses grip of the club being fought for instantly loses or whoever drops first must immediately and without sabotage, release the club being fought for.

Fouls

A foul occurs when a competitor hits another competitor with either their club or any part of their body. The competitor who fouled will have their team penalized by a 1 point deduction. Referees may opt not to call fouls if the contact is light and not debilitating.

Strikes

Most strikes should be executed with clubs and against opponent’s clubs. If a competitor manages to throw two or all three of his clubs in the air, freeing his hands, he may use his hands to grab, slap, or punch other competitor’s clubs to the ground. He may also grab one or two clubs and then only have to catch one of his own original clubs. However he must be in control of three clubs before any one of his original clubs either hits the ground or is stolen by another competitor. For example, if he manages to steal one club while all three of his original clubs are still in the air, he may let his first original club hit the ground but must then catch his remaining two or steal another club before his second original club hits the ground. Same applies toward his third original club.

Throwing Clubs

If you manage to gain control of 4 or more clubs, you can use any of the clubs you’re juggling in excess of three to throw at other competitor’s patterns. However, it must only strike their pattern and not their face. Light torso, arm and hand contact may be permissible. Hard body contact may result in a 1 point deduction. You may not throw a club at another competitor if you’re only juggling three clubs.

Suicide Bombers

If it is clear that your intention was to take out yourself and the other competitor, you or your team will be deducted one point.

Not Allowed

Kicking, tripping, spitting, head butting, puking, or any body contact other than arm to arm.

GAMEPLAY

THREE ON THREE

Each team must strategize to take out the other team while maintaining at least one active player. Teams may exchange the other two members of their team in between games. Best four out of seven games wins the match and each match win earns one point for the winning team.

ZOMBIE COMBAT

Zombie Combat starts off identical to three on three only with five on five. However if you drop (either from an attack or unforced error), and you maintain control over 2 clubs, you become a zombie. A zombie cannot move but can use the clubs in his hands to attack nearby active players. A zombie can become an active player again if one of his teammates throws him a club and the zombie resumes control over 3 clubs. The team member who threw him the club will then become a zombie (since he will only be left with two clubs) once the club he passed is either caught or hits the floor. Up until that point, he may continue to move and attack. If you drop (either from an attack or unforced error) and only maintain control over one club, you become a paralyzed zombie. A paralyzed zombie cannot move or attack. A paralyzed zombie can be turned into a zombie if one of his teammates throws him one club. When that happens, he will be upgraded to zombie status. If a paralyzed zombie receives two clubs from one of his active team members, he will become an active player again. A zombie can throw one club to another teammate zombie to reactivate that player or to a teammate who already has three clubs to use for four club attacks. if player drops (either from an attack or unforced error) and loses control of all three clubs, they become a decapitated zombie. A decapitated zombie must pick up his clubs and leave the playing area. A team loses when all of his team members are reduced to paralyzed zombies or decapitated zombies. Best four out of seven games wins the match and each match win earns one point for the winning team.

KILL THE KING

Each five member team must choose one team member to be the king. All five players per team are in play and must defend their king while trying to take out the opposing team’s king. The team that disables the juggling pattern of the opposing team’s king first wins. It is not necessary to disable the juggling patterns of any other team members to win. Only the king needs to be taken out. Best five out of seven games wins the match and each match win earns one point for the winning team.

SUMO COMBAT

SUMO Combat is a one-on-one rotating team member format where the competitors must each keep at least one foot inside a 6 ft diameter circle. Competitors may use all acceptable attack methods plus they may also use their bodies to push the opponent out of the circle. A competitor wins one point for their team when he either destroys the pattern of his opponent or knocks him out of the circle. Teams will rotate in as their team members lose. Competitors who win will continue to play until they are beaten and then move to the back of their team line. Sumo combat is played in one, five minute round.

360s COMBAT

360s Combat is a one-on-one competition with a one-minute time limit. During the one-minute round, each competitor may choose to either attempt a three up 360, or to attack their opponent. The goal is to end the round having completed more 360s than the other team member. Multiple spins under all three clubs will count as one 360 per spin provided the clubs are caught after the final 360. Each win will add one point to the team’s overall score.

here is a first video showing little bits of the zombie combat.

head over to the MLCPRO site if you want to read more about it