Bellows and BlowPoke

Bellows or BlowPoke?

Bellows and Blowpoke is the title of this post. But most arguments are about choosing between them:

Bellows or Blowpokes. I do not mean to write a biased post. Though clearly, I have a “horse in the race”. But much of what’s presented here are facts not opinions.

One major factor in Bellow’s favor is that you do not have to be able to blow to make them work. So for those of us with shortness of breath, hand pumped Bellows have a distinct advantage.

In addition, bellows combines nice woodworking skills with leather working and a bit of metal work to craft the little “lung”. Some are beautiful to behold.

Bellows also have that historical flavor that seems to hark back to olden times. Except that there is scant historical evidence and hardly any mention in the historical literature.

Like Blowpokes, Bellows are also a fairly recent development in the long and glorious history of our living in close daily proximity with fire.

Bellows or Blowpoke?

That’s almost not really a fair question. Because you can do so much more with a Blowpoke than you can with Bellows. Both Blow Air to feed and fuel a fire. But Blowpokes can do much more than bellows because it is a long fire poker, too.

It’s also safer and easier to blow-stoke fires with a Blowpoke. You stand back, take aim, and blow at the base of the fire. And the flames just jump up and roar!

Contrast that with Bellows where you have to step up close into the hearth with your face pretty close in to the heat of the fire – and pump a pair of short-handled Bellows using both hands. Bellows are pretty short (usually 16″ to 20″ long, max.) That’s significantly shorter than most fireplace tool sets. And their little “lung” can’t sustain – like your two lungs can – with a long exhale to steadily feed the fire.

A good BlowPoke is also a great Fire Poker

Bellows are not pokers. But let’s say you also have a nice little poker with your fireplace toolset. Fireplace Toolsets are generally 24″ to 30″, with a heavy iron poker with a barb on it. Any one of these would be better than using the bellows as a poker.

But our lightweight Blowpoker with an engineered poker tip with 2 tapered tangs can do more, and from a safer distance.

• Start Fires Faster – Faster than any other Fire Starter.
• Control Smokey Fires FAST – Turn Smokey into Blazing.
• Open Air Gaps between Logs and Firewood
• Get New Wood Burning FASTER – Flame On in 3-4 puffs.
• Easy Handling Poker – Longer and Lighter.
• Lifts 50 lb. logs – Thanks to Super Strong US-Made Steel.

The first time you see a Blowpoke in action will forever change the way you feel about fires. Blowpokes make fires seem magically easier. We work to impart our magic into making a blowpoker that really works better.

You’ll find that a better blowpoke really helps you perform your fire “magic” easier and faster than questionable blowpokes. As in blowpokes with very small blow holes, mouthpieces that break if dropped, blowpokes that break if they fall. and blowpokes with no mouthpiece for you top blow.

You can probably run the same critique between the well made Bellows and the cheapies that perform less reliably.

One solution would be to have both. Another is to have multiple blowpokes, as we do at my fires. Actually using them side by side helps me learn.

And performance wise, I’d prefer a better blowpoker instead of good bellows.

This BlowPoke is designed to set a New Standard for Blow Poke performance.  Look closely and you’ll see how the parts add up to a pretty handy long poker that breathes life magically into creating a roaring fire.