Fatenilli (sp?) rings from Passe Passe are cheap and fat, but that is
about it. The quality of the rings is very, very... well... shite. Not
only is the plastic very brittle, but the dodgy molding process means that
one side of a ring is heavier than the other. This means that each ring
wobbles in the air no matter how you throw it. And they are pretty heavy.

Most annoyingly is that the outside edges have a rounded cross section.
This could be a good thing, meaning they are kind to the hands.
Unfortunately the seam left over from the moulding process is the thing
that hits the floor each time you drop or bounce it. This weak point
quickly breaks and you are left with splits arround the edge that nip your
hands. Also once the plastic splits the rings no longer bounce regularly,
making any form of ring bouncing pretty random and pretty annoying.

When I was more into ring juggling than now, I used to go through a new
set of rings every 6 months or so. By that time each ring was completely
knackered. I remember once buying a new set of 9 rings from the passe
passe stall at the EJC in Bremen. Before the end of the week I took them
back and got a new set, I think 6 of them were broken already.


If you are willing to spend a bit more money, buy Renegade fat rings. They
are lighter and made with softer plastic. The cross section is more square
at the edges, meaning the seam isn't subjected to so much force each time
it hits the floor. There is a larger range of colours to buy too. There is
no doubt in my mind which of these two brands I would invest in.


This is a public service announcement brought to you, in part, by Luke Burrage