The Sundia string feels slippery at first and slowly gains friction after use. The Henrys and PlayJuggling strings feel grippy and rigid.

Heat held on one spot. Keep the diabolo moving along the string so no single point gets too hot.

Paraffin (lamp oil). It burns cooler, cleaner and longer than other fuels. Never use petrol: it is far more volatile and its vapour can ignite away from the wick.

Measure it against your body. With the diabolo on the ground, the string should reach from the ground to between your collarbone and your chin, roughly 1.5 m for an adult. Low multi-diabolo play wants more: about ground to nose with four diabolos (4low), and above the head with five (5low).

Soak the wicks for a few minutes, keep several tight layers (ours come with four), and put the flame out before the wicks run dry. A dry wick burns its own fibres and wears out fast.

A 35 m roll makes about 23 strings, and the 525 m box about 350.

Every extra layer burns longer and brighter but adds weight, which makes the diabolo slower to spin and harder to throw. Ours come with four layers as the balance; for short routines or more tricks, use fewer.

When it goes fuzzy, stiff or too grippy. Every one to three weeks if you play daily, every few months if you play now and then.

Spin it off before lighting: shake or spin the diabolo over the fuel container, well away from the place where you light it, so no drops fly off burning.

No, that is normal for a fresh Sundia string. It settles after one or two sessions, so play it in before judging it. Running it over your skin makes it more slippery for a while, and running it under a shoe sole makes it grippier.

Smother them with a damp fire blanket or a cotton towel. Keep it ready, together with a fire extinguisher, before you light.

1.3 mm is the standard and what we recommend. 1.5 mm has more friction and gives more direct control, which suits a fixed axle.

When they fray, leave a grey residue, or the burn gets clearly shorter. The wick is sold by the meter; one meter covers the whole diabolo.

It is the same string. White is the default, what most players use and the easiest to see on video.

The Aluminium Fire Sticks with aramid fire string. A normal string melts in the flames. Soak the fire string in water before each session.

Yes, and you should. At 500 g with the wicks it is much heavier than a normal diabolo, so learn your routine unlit before you light it.

Dip the string in a bucket of water between runs to cool it. Keep the diabolo moving along the string so its hot centre never rests on one spot. Like a guitar string, a fire string wears out in the end, so keep a spare.

Yes, with care. Keep your back to the wind so the flames blow away from you and from the string.