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Old 01-16-2008, 02:27 PM   #1576
BigV
Goon Squad Leader
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
Update:

Punchline first: I didn't die, since there's no internet in hell. Sorry guys.

Now for the more useful observations. It *is* hot. It's a freakin ball of fire, people. I have a tiny first degree burn on my left thumb where I held it first and longest. It does burn just like in the video with a candle-like flame about six inches in length. It needs to be smothered to go out. Or dropped in the snow. They both work. It can be tossed or juggled easily. It is very distracting to watch the flame part and not be focused on the ball; that's how I dropped it (and lost it) in the snow last night. It's very easy to light but now you have two burning things in your two hands, whatcha gonna do? That's how I (barely) hurt my thumb.

If you keep moving, and don't get distracted, they're quite easy to handle. For more tender hands it could be painful, perhaps even a small second degree burn. For tougher hands, higher pain and heat tolerance, they're not much of a problem. There is the counterintuitive problem of how to get away from the heat. Your first instinct is to drop it. And that will work, but unless you're standing in a snowbank, now the fire is on the floor. The graceful and dramatic way to get away from the heat is to smother it in your fist. It definitely feels weird to clench a fireball in your fist in self defense, but once it's out, the ball is barely warm. It is not singed at all, not smoking, not hot, easy to handle.

I had the most trouble lighting it and then managing to close and put away the lighter quickly and smoothly while I was ... getting burned on my other hand. Well... that's what practice is for.

It was fun, easy, dramatic and only slightly dangerous. Recommended for fully tamed and domesticated pyros.
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