Chain Mail Footbags?

Magus86 · Post by **Magus86** » 08 Jul 2010 18:56

Has anybody out there ever tried playing with a chain mail footbag? It seems interesting, and I'd like to try one, but not if they're no good since they seem to be rather expensive. Here's one sold by WFA: http://worldfootbag.com/catalog2/show/916
At 16.50 USD that's not too bad, but I wonder if it's worth it or if it's any good at all...

And here's a site that makes them as well: http://bikiniduck.com/catalog2/index.ph ... 549828e296
They call them "dragon droppings." the cheapest one they have is 25 USD, and some are over 100 USD. So has anybody ever tried any of these? Are they any good? Are they worth it? If anybody actually has tried these, what did you like/dislike about them? I'm curious to try all different kinds of footbags. Because they're unique, and I can't make one myself, I could justify spending $16.50 or $25.00 on a chain mail bag unless it's complete junk. I wouldn't spend $30 like a lot of people are asking for handmade 32 panel footbags though, because I can make them myself for a hell of a lot less. Plus, I can fill it how I want with what I want and customize and tweak it to how I like it. If someone else makes the bag for me, I could certainly request certain things, but I can't see how it feels until I get it at my door. And I'm still perfectly capable of stitching my own. If I could make my own chainmail footbag, I probably would.

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 09 Jul 2010 07:22

As far as I know... the chainmail bags are mostly for swimming pool shred. I've done it before, and it's a lot of fun! For some reason, I think I remember trying to play with one like a normal footbag and it was slippery on the shoe surface.

Zeb Jackson · Post by **Zeb Jackson** » 09 Jul 2010 08:53

the search function is very helpful too

Magus86 · Post by **Magus86** » 09 Jul 2010 12:32

Actually it's not. I tried searching, but apparently chain, mail, and footbag are too common words for me to find any useful information without sifting thru hundreds of posts... I've been to many forums before, and I have not yet found one useful bit of information by searching. I try every time, but to no avail. The general idea behind telling others to use the search function is so that forum space is not wasted by asking the same question over and over, but it's just as wasteful to tell someone to search every time a question is asked at all.

EDIT: okay, so I tried searching again and actually found some possibly useful information this time. However, just as in forums past, the information is at least 5 years old. How am I to know for sure that NOTHING has changed in the way these footbags are made and therefore how they perform in the last FIVE years?

People used to think the earth is flat. If nobody bothered to try and find things out on their own and instead just "searched," we'd still think it's flat today. And we'd think tomatoes are poisonous.

DimitriFrazao · Post by **DimitriFrazao** » 10 Jul 2010 16:27

I agree... the search engine is horrible.
every time I want to look for a specific topic there's 300 post that have nothing related to what I'm looking for.

Post by **Zac Miley** » 10 Jul 2010 21:42

Hey, you're right. Search probably wouldn't help on this one.

Chainmail bags are not very good for freestyling (or kicking, really). Nick Landes, who is one of the best in the US, used to warm up with a chainmail bag I believe, and he could hit some really cool stuff with it. I'm sure if you pm him (sidekick on modified) he'd answer any questions about chain bags. He also stitches some killer 32's for pretty cheap, fyi.

Magus86 · Post by **Magus86** » 11 Jul 2010 06:25

Well, thanks to those that actually tried to give me information as opposed to just telling me to search. I appreciate it. I mentioned the wavy chain bag from WFA to my girlfriend, and she said she's gonna get it for me, and she wants me to make her a footbag. And she wants me to try and teach her how to play. So I guess I'm gonna find out firsthand how the chain mail bags are. That is the best way anyway, though.

I used to go to an airsoft forum back in the day called airsoft retreat. There was this one company from Taiwan called HFC that made spring and gas guns. For those of you who don't know, airsoft is a lot like paintball in the way you play it, except the guns are modeled after real ones(a lot more closely, I know they make some paintball guns that are now), and they shoot plastic or really lightweight metal BBs. Anyway, all over the forums, people bashed HFC left and right. You could have searched to find information about one of their guns, but you would always find the same bashing. And the funny thing is, most of the information was posted by people who have never even touched one of their guns. People said they would break, not shoot hard, not be accurate at all, any problem an airsoft gun could have, every one of HFC's guns supposedly had. I tried them out for myself and they had no such problems. I tripped over a rock once and fell in a way that I thought the gun would break for sure, but it didn't. And I'm no lightweight, by any means. Meanwhile, every time I'd bump into something while playing with another particular gun that everybody claimed to be a damn godsend, something would break off. The thing shot like ass, it wasn't accurate at all, stuff kept breaking off of it, and eventually it just decided it wasn't going to shoot anymore. That gun lasted a few months, only because it was supposed to be a birthday gift that was bought early, and I snuck it out to mess around and see how it shot before my birthday. Had I gotten it right on my birthday, it probably would have lasted a week or two. Meanwhile, my HFC rifle STILL WORKS PERFECTLY FINE. I've had it for at least 6 years. Had I searched the forums, I would have been stuck with shitty guns that broke and didn't work.

Sorry for typing that book. I'll shut up now, but that is why I rarely search, and I usually ask anyway after searching in forums. And I tend to find things out for myself.

Ramen God · Post by **Ramen God** » 11 Jul 2010 07:59

Wait what?

Post by **Zac Miley** » 11 Jul 2010 09:13

In not searching, you're applying the same prejudice to the search engine that those people applied to the airsoft guns.

Just because it doesn't always work doesn't mean it's ineffective. You have to know how to use it, basically. Narrow down your searches with quotation marks ("chainmail bags").

Hope you enjoy your new bag.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 11 Jul 2010 10:38

http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=20637

on topic freedomfootbags has one. they are fun but they are not the best for freestyle

Magus86 · Post by **Magus86** » 11 Jul 2010 12:41

Zac Miley wrote:In not searching, you're applying the same prejudice to the search engine that those people applied to the airsoft guns.

I would agree with this, but I DID search. I even tried searching again after I was told to search, but the problem, as I already stated, was that the information was five years old at best. I'm not applying the same prejudice because I'm also asking for current opinions, not just what was written five years ago and assuming that cuz it sucked then, it sucks now.

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 11 Jul 2010 21:37

Dude, I highly recommend a chain mail footbag. Whenever I'm shredding outside and it starts to rain, I get real excited, because as soon as I feel that first drop of rain, I swap my ultrasuede bag out for my chainmail bag, and it does the trick. Totally water proof, totally shredable, totally fun. It's definitely a little harder to shred with than a normal footbag, but you can really get some nice flow out of a chainmail bag, just like regular bags. My friend and I took mine into this kiddie water-play park, with sprinklers and water spraying devices everywhere. We had a pretty sweet and refreshing barefoot shred there. And if you're with some friends who don't play freestyle, whip it out and play elimination. It's like dodgeball but more fun and much more painful. The pain is tolerable, and it's a huge adrenaline rush playing elimination with something as deadly as a chainmail bag. It's definitely worth the money. Get one from bikini duck creations.

Magus86 · Post by **Magus86** » 12 Jul 2010 18:40

Thanks for the input. I'm already getting one though, but not from bikini duck. My girlfriend ordered one from WFA and she got it already, but I have to wait til the 6th of next month to get it.

Swizzle · Post by **Swizzle** » 12 Jul 2010 19:11

My Buddy down here got a "Dragon dropping" 60 something ring chain mail bag? we were happy as hell with it. it honestly wasn't the hardest thing to freestyle, was a little rolley but was most definitely fun.

Cool bag to have, not for optimal shred obviously. I believe my friend got pissed at it because 2 or 3 of the chains broke within two weeks? we kicked it kind of high though, it was amusing..

heh....

Anyways, i believe Nick Landes uses it to train. He once told me,
"learn to set the bag without making it spin, and catch it without making a sound. and try to do with a chain mail bag, its super tough."

i'm sure you won't regret buying it, its different so every once in a while down the road you would probably enjoy it.

Chase · Post by **Chase** » 13 Jul 2010 15:05

Nick does in fact train with a chainmail bag, and he'll attest much of his greatness to said tool.

It's not a bag you would use for a routine, but if you are looking to stabilize your game and really work on solid stalls, you should be using one at the beginning of every solo session... Use it until it starts to get frustrating, then move on to a 32.

Many styles of chainmail play different, some have less links some have more. I think the more links the more roll you are going to have generally...

Everyone should have some form of training bag though, whether it's a croche, or chainmail, or a 4 panel. Regardless, it's good to have something that pushes you to be precise...

Ramen God · Post by **Ramen God** » 14 Jul 2010 04:35

As my training bag, crappy brand bags!

sidekick · Post by **sidekick** » 23 Jul 2010 08:42

Chase wrote:Nick does in fact train with a chainmail bag, and he'll attest much of his greatness to said tool.

It's not a bag you would use for a routine, but if you are looking to stabilize your game and really work on solid stalls, you should be using one at the beginning of every solo session... Use it until it starts to get frustrating, then move on to a 32.

Many styles of chainmail play different, some have less links some have more. I think the more links the more roll you are going to have generally...

Everyone should have some form of training bag though, whether it's a croche, or chainmail, or a 4 panel. Regardless, it's good to have something that pushes you to be precise...

beautiful input my friend

The chainmail bag I currently use for training is made by someone locally, and the metal is much heavier and more durable. These specific chain bags are sold on the Fourkast website.

I would highly recommend the use of a chain bag, and if you have any questions about them feel free to ask my opinion at US Open or Worlds or on Modified.

akalazou · Post by **akalazou** » 23 Jul 2010 17:15

Nick, you just sold one more (im buying one right now)

Ramen God · Post by **Ramen God** » 24 Jul 2010 04:43

Local? If its local to you up in portland, it is local to me down in salem.

I might just have to buy one.