The first known fire poi shows were part of private men's rituals in Hawaii. Traditional knife spinning was modified to include fire in 1946, then known as fire knife. The first public appearance of these rituals started around 1959, and became a tourist attraction by the early 1960s.
Fire poi are constructed from chain, with kevlar blend wicks, sometimes also stuffed on the inside with more absorbing non-melting material such as cotton, that can be soaked in fuel and set on fire. Fuels used include paraffin, kerosene, naphtha (also called "white gas") or alcohol. Each geographic and social cluster of performers has its preferred fuel. Typically these decisions are based more on legality and availability than on showmanship. Though each fuel has its strengths and weaknesses, proponents of any given fuel tend to be fiercely faithful to their particular type. Generally kerosene seems to be the safest choice for fire spinning, due to its low burning temperature.
Many kinds of fire poi are available, the simplest utilizing two wicks. The fire wicks are generally one of four varieties, a cylindrical wrap, cathedral stack (square), a monkey fist knot or a braid tied with kevlar blend rope. Some performers select their wicks according to the performance they intend to give, controlling their burn time and the brightness of the flames. Other variations of fire poi include multiple wicks, snakes (a length of rope, or long kevlar/hybrid wick that can produce a long flame), Toi (torches with a short poi chain and grip), hollow wicks (providing short lived but very bright flame), and sculpted wicks for specific theme shapes.
