Help With The Nose!

[Firestarter]

I saw that most of you wear ProKnows noses.

I use a squeaking nose with rubber band, but I think the ones you use are more comfortable than mine. The thing that I'm afraid of is that it's going to be ripped of by kids, since it's glued on and can be taken off.

What do you think? Please help by sharing some of your experience with me!
Thanks!

[Scruffy]

You have just named the number one reason to avoid a squeaking nose.

Anyway, many start with one. The are a neat nose. There is no law that says you must wear a proknows. In fact, I don't. If you like the nose that you know; You could take the squeaker out and use it. In fact. that is what I've done with two of the noses my kids use. You can also put a string on any proknows that is made. Leon also makes a line called Circus Pro. Which are made to be strung. The glue is pretty strong stuff, as is the tape. If fact, I use the tape, and it can hurt when you pull it off!
One thing I would suggest. If people reach for you nose just say," Hey, I didn't try to squeak you nose. Please don't do it to me! It's not very nice." I have used this myself and it works well. Or, you could carry a palm squeaker. If you make other people squeak, make everything BUT your nose squeak.
Best of luck, and Welcome to the forum!
Scruffy

[Hopper]

Welcome Firestarter. (OK, you REALLY have to tell us the story of your clown name!)

All I can tell you is that I've been wearing a ProKnows glued on for 10 years and never had that happen. The few times I've had someone reach out to try it, I've always been quick enough to back out of it, or grab the arm to stop it from happening.

I think you may be more worried about it than you need to be. You've been wearing a squeeky nose, so kids naturally want to grab that and squeek it themselves. With a non-squeeky nose its a little different. But some will still want to touch.

One thing you'll note with little kids is that when they're interested in/fascinated by your nose, its usually really obvious. You can even invite them to touch, with the promise that they only touch with one finger. I do this all the time.

Now here's the trick: When they reach out to touch, just hold their hand gently, in both of yours, ensuring only the pointing finger can get at your nose. (Imagine cupping a dove gently in your hands with only the head sticking out...cup their hand the same way except its their finger sticking out.) That way you also have control over how hard they press.

It's only natural that a little kid would want to touch your nose. Part of their development is touching things that are foreign to them. I don't like to discourage their curiosity too much. Plus, once they've touched it, the curiosity is over, and they're usually then willing to have their focus led somewhere else.

An aside...sorta funny. I was at the end of my day one day, and stopped at the drive thru for a coffee. (most of the staff at this place know me) The girl that took the order was new, a 30+ year old that hadn't seen me before. When I drove up to the window, she opened it up, gasped, and just blurted out "can I touch your nose?" So I let her. She reached right in the car and just gave it a gentle poke, giggled, and said "I've always wanted to do that" and gave me my coffee.

Go figure.

[Firestarter]

THANKS to both of you, Scruffy and Hooper, I'll definitely try not to squeek my nose anymore, although it was real gold when kids are 2-3 years old and to scared to play. I can always use my bike horn that I carry in my back pocket to make it squeek as I do with their noses.

One more question!
If nose is taped or glued, can it be put straight back on if taken off, or do you need to tape it or glue it again?

[Kleanthis_Greece]

I use a sponge nose with a rubber band ( around my head ).

[Bumbles]

I have a neat Pro-nose, but found the my natural snoz looks great with a little red grease paint. I have had more remarks on it than on the Pro-nose.

If you use a Pro-nose make sure you clean it good each time you take it off, I used a tweezers to get all the dried glue off.

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by Firestarter

One more question!
If nose is taped or glued, can it be put straight back on if taken off, or do you need to tape it or glue it again?

I don't know about tape, as I've never tried it. With glue, once its off, you have to reglue. But if you have the nose on properly, its not easy to yank it off. Only times mine ever came loose was due to excessive sweating, and that's maybe 2 or 3 times over 10 years.

The trick to securing the nose well is making sure both halves are on the "dryer" side of tacky before you put it on.

Just for those who haven't used something like this before: The process is that you first brush the glue on inside of the nose, then place the clown nose on your real nose, then take it off again. This places the glue where it needs to be. (At this point I usually use the glue brush to touch up both the clown nose and the real one...just to make sure its even) Then you wait until the glue has reached maximum tackiness, then place the clown nose where it should be, and press it gently but firmly for a good 15 seconds. If you've done it right, after wearing it for 10 minutes or so, you'll really have to work to get that sucker off again. The trick is knowing when the glue has reached maximum tackiness, and that is largely trial and error. (Humidity and temperature play a factor...so what goes for me might not go for you.)

Bumbles brings up a good point about cleaning, but I don't think you have to clean the glue off every time. For some reason, mine seems to stick better with a layer or 2 of dried glue on it. (depending how thick your layers are) But for sanitation sake, you should still clean it fairly often.

Anyway, there's a few morning coffee thoughts!

Yours truly,
"Hooper"

[Scruffy]

it will stick better if you apply new tape. I clean my own nose with an alcohol prep pad( Like before you get an injection) To remove any makeup and or powder. Then apply the tape to the nose, and then; put the nose on. I tried other things for years. I am sold on the tape. I wish it was available twenty years ago.
Good luck,
Scruffy

[Chance Marmalade]

Well my suggestion is probably going to be quite unpopular around here but since we're a bunch of lovable clowns the worst I'll probably get is a whoopie cushion attack... I think I can handle that!

I would go without a nose of any kind other than your own. Just paint your nose red. No chance of a kid pulling that off! (We hope.) It's also in keeping with a style of clowning that has a more natural look to it.

I can't remember where this was suggested or what this more natural type of clown is called. I think I read it in Creative Clowning but it has been a while.

[Firestarter]

The more time passes by in this bussiness, my actual nose is starting to look more and more like the ProKnows nose I'm not getting any younger, and my nose is not getting any smaller as well