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PROP SHOP The Essential Beanbag (Part 1) by Eric Bagai
Every juggler has at least one set of beanbags. You probably learned to juggle with beanbags, like those square ones from Jugglebug, or the other square ones from the Klutz book. If your beanbags were a gift, they might have been a set of Flying Penguinis (the ones I learned with) or a boxed vinyl set from Gump's or I. Magnin's. And no matter what props you've mastered since then, at the bottom of your prop bag is almost certainly a set of beanbags.
Since juggling started to become popular, some 30 years ago, many of us have been struck by the idea of making a living by making beanbags. In almost every instance this was a bad idea. As competition increased, and especially with the introduction of inexpensive beanbag toys from Asia, beanbag manufacturing became a great way to starve to death. The work is also tedious and exacting. Still, a few bag makers have survived long enough to develop a reputation and following, and to become recognized masters at their craft. More typical are the manufacturers of sporting goods or extensive lines of juggling equipment, who also make beanbags.
Beanbags fall into one of several broad and sometimes overlapping categories: General Purpose, Numbers, Ball-bags, Lighted, and Novelty. Today I'll just talk about the first two categories.
Numbers jugglers tend to focus on accuracy of throws, while beginning and experienced trick-jugglers are usually more focused on the act of catching. Very soft beanbags are easiest to catch but harder to throw accurately. Likewise, the bright vinyl coverings' grip the fingers best, but corduroy and sueded cloth grip almost as well, and unlike vinyl, release cleanly.
General Purpose (G.P.) bags range from 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter, and are relatively soft and loosely filled. It is not unusual for G.P. bags to vary by more than 5 grams or 1/8-inch within a set. Numbers bags usually range from 2 to 2.5 inches, are relatively firm, and have specific weights to within 2 grams. The precision of weight, size, and firmness found in numbers bags are usually irrelevant to the trick specialist, who mostly wants a bright and visible beanbag; and they are invisible to the beginner. -Numbers bags are technical tools designed for jugglers and passers who require the same high precision and uniformity of their equipment as they do of themselves.
In the U.S., Fergie Bags are legendary. Michael Ferguson (who was never called "Fergie" when he was a software programmer) has been making numbers beanbags since 1985. He is able to match size, weight and firmness from one batch to the next, year after year. Because they are packed firm and stay firm, Fergies wear for a long time. I've known people to get a new set of Fergie bags, and within a month (having lost their initial newness) be unable to distinguish them from their old set. Sizes range from 2.2 inches to 2.5 inches by tenths of an inch, and are available in cotton, :UV polyester, corduroy, and synthetic leather. All except the cotton bags are also available in 3 inch diameter.
Another outstanding numbers bag manufacturer is the Juggler's Prop Shop. Owners Ruby Brown and David Kelley have been making beanbags for about 10 years now, and have a very loyal following. The Prop Shop makes both round and square numbers bags. The square bags come in 1.5, 1.75, and 2 inches and seem to have been originally designed as G.P. bags for children, but have since become popular with some numbers jugglers, despite being square. The round numbers bags come in 1/8-inch increments from 2 to 2.5 inches. The Prop Shop also makes a line of G.P. learning bags, called Ruby's Cubes.
About 10 years ago, unicyclist extraordinaire Sem Abrahams introduced the Squeez-lt. The distinguishing characteristic of this beanbag is its vinyl-clad nylon cover. This makes for a very bright, easy to catch bag that is both firm and extremely squishy. This is a winning combination for the novice and for the trick specialist. Like many good ideas, it was quickly adopted by manufacturers the world over.
Another vinyl beanbag (though not quite so squishy) is co-produced by Spotlight and Renegade. This bag has an inner lining and strong stitching, which distinguishes it from many otherwise identical-appearing beachball-style vinyl beanbags. That and the use of inorganic filler (plastic pellets) makes for an extremely durable beanbag.
In England, Oddballs make several types of beanbag, and like the Renegades, they make several other juggling products, too. Also like the Renegades, Oddball is their family name. I spent a delightful half-hour talking long-distance to Suzy Oddball, who had a giggling fit when told that there really was such a thing as a Fergie Bag. The Oddballs make three brands of beanbags: Thuds, Ballistic Suede, and Tri-its. The Thud is a soft numbers-like G.P. bag, and comes in a variety of colors and sizes. The Ballistic Suede is a firmly packed, cloth beanbag, and the Tri-it is their low-priced, machine-washable bag. (Suzy was shocked at the suggestion that her "suede" bags might be covered with leather, rather than a peach-fuzzy cloth.)
Jonglerie Diffusion (Mr. Babache) is one of the few beanbag makers to use automatic sewing and filling equipment. They produce suede- cloth bags and vinyl bags in many sizes. All are definitely G.P. bags, yet they have the precision of size and weight more typical of numbers bags.
In the early days, all beanbags were filled with birdseed, millet, crushed walnut shells, what-have-you. They were prone to sprouting and mold, and often became softer as the filler broke into finer particles. Later, some began using plastic pellets for fill (occasionally even offering to recycle your old pellets). Today the trend is toward inorganic filler, and Euro-market safety requirements strongly encourage this.
No list of outstanding bag manufacturers would be complete without Flying Clipper. The company name comes from a footbag move, and footbags are its primary product. Flying Clips makes the most beautifully finished leather beanbags I've ever seen. With up to 16 precisely sewn panels: the phrase "fine Corinthian leather" comes to mind. Flying Clipper juggling beanbags come in several size finishes, and colors, and are guaranteed for life This manufacturer believes that their guarantee may be severely understated: no one has ever asked for a replacement. Recently, Flying Clipper donated a factory to a small village in Guatemala that was no longer able to support itself by making boots. Now the village is financially secure and Flying Clipper can meet the increasing demand for its leather bags and still maintain the quality they are known for. Most of Flying Clipper's beanbags are still made in the U.S., and all of its bags are made the old fashioned way: one at a time, by hand.
There are many prop makers, particularly those outside the U.S., with which I am not familiar. This is my fault, not theirs. So, if I've neglected to mention your favorite bag maker i is absolutely no reflection on them. Tell me about the prop makers that you do business with, and why you like them.
Beanbag manufacturers: (Call or write to find a distributor in your area.)
Chasley, U.S.: Seattle WA Fergie Props, U.S.: St. Joseph MI Flying Clipper, U.S.: Eugene OR Mister Babache - Jonglerie Diffusion, Geneva, Switzerland Jugglebug (a division of Sportime), U.S.: Atlanta GA Juggler's Prop Shop, U.S.: Tulsa OK Klutz, U.S.: Staunton Ct.; Palo Alto, CA Oddballs, U.K.: Harwich, Essex also Brighton, Camdon, London, & Oxford; Renegade Juggling Equipment, U.S.: Santa Cruz CA Semcycle, U.S.: Redford MI; Holland: Maarssen; Spotlight Circusproducts, Holland: Amsterdam; |