Some years ago I purchase a gaff from Stevens that enabled you to light your thumb like a lighter, the ol' flaming thumb trick. I wore mine out years ago and recently saw Viking was carrying something similiar but they instruct you to use lighter fluid.

The original gaff used a liquid called ColdFire, it burned cool and allowed you to actually handle the flame longer, lighter fluid most certainly does not do this. Does anyone know if ColdFire is still available or if it is sold under a different name?

Thanks,
Jake

Without giving out the chemicals involved, which is against Café policy now, one of the components of ColdFire is a known carcinogen that has the side benefit of attacking the ozone layer. If you were to read the MSDS on this chemical you wouldn't want to put it on yourself repeatedly (and breathe it) for the kind of money you are getting paid to perform. We also have to think about our battered planet as well. So forget about it.

Yours,

Paul

Mad Jake,

Try to contact MagicMax in Orlando Florida they carry a product called Fire Alarm that will allow you to do the same effect. The way that they sell it, the fluid is placed on a cotton ball and lit on fire you actually hold the cotton ball in the palm of your hand and the flame is cool burining. Please keep in mind that it will get hot and can burn if not handled with care.

http://www.magicmax.com

Kris

As far as Fire Alarm, I did this 40 years ago. I can't imagine why you need a chemical as any normal cotton ball can be ignited with a match or lighter. Since the cotton ball is mostly air, it will burn without hurting your hand. I used to put the burning cotton ball in my mouth and never got burned. All you need to do is turn your face up so the flame & heat go straight up. As long as the flame went up & out you cannot get burned.

Well - I for one - am still interested in a kind of *cold fire* formula to be used with a 'kind of' firewallet.
Problem is not that I don't want to pay the price for a ready made product, but solely it can't normally get shipped to my address..
Criteria is simple..a liquid VERY easy to ignite and lasting as long as possible when the wallet is 'prepared'..
Problem is, these demands are against physical laws..one does exclude the other-one can't have a long lasting liquid that doesn't evaporate quickly, that at the same time is easily to ignite

Well, I've heard it said that much of a magician's job is covering flaws. Funny point of view. Such is life, eh?

Thanks, for now this will have to do. Coldfire was great though, the flame lasted longer than lighter fluid and sometimes with the lighter fluid the spark doesn't ignite the flick of the thumb quick enough, coldfire never let me down. Thanks again for the alternate source.

hmm...
car·cin·o·gen ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kär-sn-jn, kärs-n-jn)
n.

A cancer-causing substance or agent.

Doesn't sound like the best stuff to be applying to your skin... hopefully the other product works out well.

Jake,
From my understanding or memory (which is getting really bad now that I am a father) it is the same type of substance as Coldfire. I do not remember where the formula came from but I think that I remember the owner of Magic Max once telling me that they bought it from someone who was involved in creating Coldfire. This may not be total fact I just seem to remember bits of a conversation regarding the product with Vern for some reason. I have used it from time to time and it does light up fairly well. One of the things that I did with it was to place a match head in the cotton ball and a striker on the inside of my pant pocket and when I would pull the cotton ball from the pocket it would ignite as the head hit the striker. Play around with it and let me know what you come up with.