Living Room Opener

This is quite nice as a living room opener. Certainly not for stage, but the magic is decently paced and gets to the point quickly. I actually used this when I still did house parties. From a technical point of view this is pathetic, and structure wise this is horrific, as you go into your pocket unmotivated, however it gets people interested. The plot that you don't have a huge variety show to start with also sets the mood. Nice close up magic in an intimate setting.

The Berg Knot

When it comes to false knots this needs to be done more often. You can find it in Pallbearers Review starting on page 993 et seq. Martin Gardner redescribed the knot in Hugard’s Magic Monthly in 1950. The knot works well with a large piece of silk. For smaller pieces it won't work, but there the issue of the hands being too close to the knot really isn't an issue.

The Ball, the Glass and the Cloth

The Tarbell Course in Magic. What a vast resource it really is. In lesson 28 (page 389 if you have the hardbound copy) there is a little overlooked routine. Simply called "the egg, the glass and the handkerchief". I did very little changes to the handling. But if you had to write it up like a dealers ad it would read something like this. Impromptu! No extras! Easy! Yes, the signed cloth really ends up in the glass! No switching! A real worker! Audience tested!

This is simply a rare gem that nobody does. I mean nobody! If you feel like you are that "nobody" explain yourself in the comments. The originator of this trick seems to have been lost in the ages. In fact Tarbell writes: "This is another effect which has been handed down throughout the magical fraternity for many years."

I really like idea of using a ping pong ball. They are cheap, you can have them signed and you can give it away in the end. In fact if you substitute the cloth for a napkin it really goes into the realm of true impromptu magic.

Check this one out. It needs to be done more often. And if you really fear the one bold moment in the routine, you can use a familiar gimmick to make everything good.

The Five Knots in Magic

Knotology, the science of knots.... Boring. However as a filler this is a nice trick. Takes away almost no space in your bag, everything is set up and you are ready to go. It can be done on stage, close up and even in medieval busking settings.

So let's talk about the actual setup. Well a TT, the piece of silk and the rope. The TT keeps the silk in place on the rope. The setup can be moved along the rope so it won't hinder the first two knots.

The appearance of the silk on the rope is a variation of "Flash Silk on Rope" by
Doug Edwards "Apocalypse Vol.15, No.12" p. 2149.

The last phase actually makes no sense at all. But you have the TT and the piece of silk... it just feels right to do it. Also you getting rid of the piece of silk is a necessary step in order to not fill up space in your pocket. Ever tried to reach into your pocket for a prop that you need and a piece of cloth is in the way. You need to get rid of the piece of silk.

Ball, Wand and Coin

It's a weird routine I guess. But it is rather satisfying to do. Not that this matters to any audience, but the routine is short enough to be squeezed into any manipulation act. It's rather practical, the angles are not that bad and it has the potential to be enhanced drastically. The piece of silk in the end could be vanished transforming back into the coin. That coin could change into a jumbo coin, the wand could grow and all of that shit. In terms of move there is nothing new to add. The Flip Stick vanish by Flip Hallema, a Bobo Switch and Spell Bound moves. But the main thing is this new background. You like it? Was expensive as golden shit. Now I got it.

Silk Routine

Let's talk about the classic vanishing hankie trick. It feels like 80% of the people know about the TT. Ergo this is a potential problem. Even if you don't use the TT (black egg ect.) people might assume that a TT has been used and will either not appreciate the effect or even worse voice their thoughts in the show. So I decided that the best way to approach that issue is to confront the issue directly. By actually naming the method that is in use as a cancel.

Also: Not using the thumb helps a lot. The standard dye tube handling is a great substitute. Duval's Dyeing Handkerchiefs from Greater Magic at page 617 comes to mind. Also Al Baker's Dyeing Silk in the same book at page 609.

Reproducing the silk from the mouth has two reasons. First: It is a personal choice. But I don't do it straight away. I'm giving the spectator a choice here. If they don't want to see it they will choose fist. 99% of all performances the mouth is chosen. That says something about the spectators and what they are able to bear. The second reason is that I need to reproduce the silk. If I just ditch it in the pocket it would remain in the gimmick and therefore lose its shape and become ugly. Reproducing the silk leave both silks open near the end giving me instant reset.

Ball and Silk

I did that routine for years, in my humble days of busking. I can tell you at least one thing. It plays well. The fact that it is not a card trick may play a big part in this. The bit using the Gozinta Box, the Para Box, the Inner Outer Box or the Lubor Fiedler Box is not part of the original routine. I included this to offer yet another magic way to introduce the ball. The gag that nicely foreshadows the effect of the inner box becoming the outer box is by Tom Mullica.

The actual routine consists of three parts. The first one is the penetration of the ball through the silk, which ends with the vanish of the ball. There a tons of methods out there. The most practical I found was in Jochen Zmeck's Handbuch der Magie, the German magic bible. At page 173 it starts. Following that is a pretty classic repeated appearance of the ball. The basic handling for that you'll find in Frank Garcias sponge ball book. That phase finishes with the appearance of the mandarin. Fruit always plays well. In the past I used one of the lemons I would use anyway for the Cups and Ball. So I got less props and you have a nice little element that strings the show together.

The third phase is a reprise of the first one. But this time the premise is extended to the part where the penetration can be seen half way. This is what got people. And it is necessary to have a spectator take out the ball. The thought of MAGNET is just there. You must not ignore that and need to prove that magnets are not the modus operandi. The method here... well Tarbell what do you expect?

Elusive Silk and Ropes Through Neck

I can't find my copy of Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks for Magicians (compiled by Steward James) and Self-Working Rope Magic (by Karl Fulves). So I cannot give you the exact sources. But it's in these books. The last bit of the ropes through the neck is a technical variation on the grandmother's necklace principle. You will find that in Tarbell Vol.1 page 321. (Rehashed many times after that and ever since.)

You can see me in the video wearing part of my medieval costume, because it is during those renaissance fairs when I do this. Seems to fit perfectly into that scenario. I have seen other magicians (Bizzaro) doing a similar thing dressed up as a pirate. So I guess this sort of effect lends itself well to costumes... The ropes through neck has the advantage of having no extra loop around the neck, which could be a dead give away of the method. Also it allows for a 360 degree view, making the entire routine angleproof.

Bonus: If you are familiar with the standard penetration of a piece of silk through a cane (reel method) you can turn this little bitty into a full fledged routine.