Brian here. By now, you know that if I’m posting you are in for something weird, fun, and not at all pyrography-related. Today is no exception.

Recently I was introduced to a, we’ll call it a toy, known as a Belgeri. These are simple little fidget toys that are designed to keep idle hands occupied. They date back to Ancient Greece and consist of two weights on either side of a cord with some decorative beads or stones on the end. You hold them between your fingers and swing them around. Starting out you’ll just do some simple tricks like wrapping them around your finger but before you know it you’ll be performing all kinds of cool tricks. Just search Youtube for Belgeri tricks and you’ll find plenty of skilled experts giving tutorials. The best part: they’re super simple to make.

The Prototypes

When I decided to make my own belgeri the biggest challenge was finding information on the materials. As with anything, there is both too much, and not enough, information on the topic online. There are a wealth of resources online but they aren’t always consistent, they don’t always give you adequate information, and sometimes they straight up contradict each other or leave our key pieces of information. So, it’s no surprise when I made my first prototype, which was just two hex nuts on a string with an overhand knot tied to each end to keep the nut from flying off, it didn’t function nearly as well as the ones I saw on Youtube.

Prototype two I actually went to the store and picked up some paracord. Unfortunately, I didn’t know the correct type of paracord so I ended up with something way too thick with not nearly enough action. I, once again, cut it too short so prototype number two was not the smashing success I had hoped for. For the next iteration, I decided to look up some tutorials online. I found a weaver who made them and followed his plans. His consisted of six hex bolts (three on each end), some 550 paracord, and microcord tied in a cobra knot to keep it in place. I ordered all the materials, only changing two of the hex bolts to a wooden bead so that Zona could burn a design into it. Singeing the ends I thought we were good to go. That is until I was spinning my belgeri, the cobra knot came loose, and a hex bolt went flying across the room

The Final Revision

With all these lessons under my belt, I figured the next step was to go back to basics. Ditching the cobra knot I decided to work with just the following materials:

  • 550 Paracord
  • 3/4″ wood beads
  • 5/16 hex bolts
  • Clear vinyl tubing

I cut two lengths of vinyl tubing, about 2 cm each, and slid them over the paracord, slipped a hex nut and bead on each end, tied a double-hand stopper knot on each end, and cut down to a length such that it extends from my pinky to my pointer finger when they are fully spread out. After tightening the knots I signed the ends with a torch and that sucker isn’t going anywhere.

After some extensive testing over the weekend, I feel like we found the right look and feel. I packaged a few up to bring with me to our last market to see if anyone would be interested in buying one. No takers yet but we’ll see if that changes once Zona starts burning pictures into the beads.

So, more than anything, I hope this little vignette serves as a reminder to iterate on your products, don’t give up after your first try, and embrace your failures as they are the path to your successes. Post your own picks of your Belgeri if you have them and, if this blog inspired you to make your own, tag us in your pictures @bz_furfur. And, as always, stay unique.