Review by Andy Martin for Portable and Affordable Card Sword by Jay Leslie
4 out of 5
It is Portable and Affordable and Works, but a bit flimsy.
I have always loved the card sword effect and when I saw Jay Leslie advertising this effect, I thought I’d give it a go. The size of the sword makes is suitable for smaller gatherings that a fullsize card sword is just not suitable for. The method is different from other card swords I have seen, and works well. I don’t believe you would be doing this for close-up, but for parlour or stage it would be fine.
However there are two problems with it: you cannot show the sword from all sides, even in motion, and the sword itself is a bit flimsy and I personally would have preferred to pay extra for a slightly more solid sword.
It is still a worthy attempt, and you should find yourself using this.
Review by Andy Martin for Beggar Coins by Art Franklin, Tony Chaudhuri, Hank Moorehouse
5 out of 5
Lovely Quality and Plenty of Ideas
This is a wonderful set of ulitlity coins that comes with four 1/2 dollar sized coins, two shells, one larger coin, and a split coin for penetrations (not pictured).
The coins themselves are very solid and heavy, and much nicer than many chinese coins I have seen recently. It also comes with 5 pages of routines by Tony Chaudhuri.
Review by Andy Martin for Nest of Boxes (Himber) by Viking Mfg.
5 out of 5
Even Better than Before!
In my opinion, this is still the best single person nest of boxes on the market today! In fact they are even better than the last round as George has added some nice inlay work to the middle sized box. The gimmick is perfect and it works everytime with no issues or awkward moves.
These have been off the market for some time and I don’t know how many Viking have, but I would suggest that you don’t wait and go buy a set today. I should know, this is my second set and this time they are here to stay.
Review by Andy Martin for Arrange-Mental by Richard Stride, Ray Piatt
5 out of 5
Ray Piatt rules!
I have found all the products I have purchased that are by Ray Piatt are always very well made, effective and clever. This item is no exception.
The effect is simplicty itself: you remove 10 cards from a small clipboard and arrange 5 on the stand as a prediction and then give the remaining 5 to a spectator to arrange in any order they fancy. They are then clipped face down on the clip board to ensure that the choice is not changed.
Then, without any funny moves, the cards are removed from the clipboard and each card matches your prediction perfectly.
The cards are heavy plastic, and the clipboard does all the work for you. A very nice addition to my collection.
Review by Andy Martin for Chinese Sting by Eddie Gibson
5 out of 5
You can’t go wrong with Eddie Gibson!
Eddie Gibson makes some very fine coins and this item is no exception. It is a very simple idea that works very well indeed and the coins are beautifully made.
Basiclly the effect is you show 3 pairs of chinese coins with red, black, and yellow chips on one side. You show both sides of the coins then turn over 3 for the spectator and mix them up. You leave your 3 face up as a prediction. The spectator then chooses each coin (no force) and you place it on top of their chosen prediction chip. This is repeated for each coin. When they are turned over it is seen that they colors match perfectly.
This effect is available in sets of 6, 8, and 10 coins and is very easy to do.
Review by Andy Martin for QuartOkito Coin Vanish by Viking Mfg., Haenchen
5 out of 5
This is a wondeful Vanish!
This is a very simple and effective visual vanish of a quarter right in front of the spectators nose.
What is particularly effective is that the coin that the spectator thinks they signed can be seen right up to the second it vanishes instantly in front of their noses. Why this is important is that there is no heat on the switch into the box or tube that the coin reappears in, and the spectator swears that the coin was still in the box after you hand them the Lippincott box (which is supplied separately)
Review by George Guerra for Hemingway Lock by Collectors' Workshop
4 out of 5
One very heavy lock trick
The American Lock Co. lock used in this effect is quite impressive in itself. It’s big and heavy for a padlock. I have an original and that was a Series 700 lock, which I assume is still used for the effect. The one drawback to this version is that the method requires the performer to open the lock at the end. This is in contrast to Key-R-Rect, where the spectator is allowed to do the unlocking. Now the presentation included with the effect takes this into account, but still it is rather awkward and suspicion may be aroused that the lock is gimmicked.
Review by John W. Watson for Constant Fooling (Vol. 2) by David Regal
5 out of 5
David Regal does it again…even better!!
When I first learned of Mr. Regal, I contacted him via email and asked what he suggested I add to my library to increase my knowledge of magic. He suggested Close-Up and Personal follwed by Constant Fooling Vols 1 and 2. Was he ever correct!
Not only does the book look amazing, the effects inside aren’t just included for fluff. These are actual routines that can be used in real life for some great effects!
Not only does he include some killer material but also a lot of insights and ideas to make your routines better. He’s also a very funny and entertaining person, making this book a joy to read and learn from.
Should you buy it? Yes! Why? Because the material inside is well thought out, thoroughly described, and simply amazing. Add it to your library, you won’t be disappointed.
Review by Andy Martin for Perfect Time III by Collectors' Workshop
5 out of 5
Finally, the Original is back, better than ever before!
George Robinson is a very brave man! Even after 100’s (or 1000’s) of Perfect Time ripoffs have been sold, he embarked on producing the definitive version of the original Collector’s Workshop masterpiece: Perfect Time. This was more a labor of love than anything else I have seen George create and he had a number of set-backs along the way which would have put off most other manufacturers. But George soldiered on, and finally Perfect Time III is here. And this indeed is Perfect!
The timing is perfect too, as I have spoken to many magicians who have started to realise how poor the ripoffs really are, and if they intend to regularly perform this miracle that they better have the best version. There is only one official version of Perfect Time, and their is only one version that you will ever need, and Perfect Time III is the one.
The watch is a class act from top to bottom. Even the case that the watch comes in is a heavy duty quality, not the cheaper ones you see with the pretenders. The watch itself looks totally normal and really is a pleasure to wear. It even keeps the correct time as of course a watch is meant to do. You really can just wear this watch as your normal watch and it will always be ready to tell the time and to produce a miracle at the drop of hat.
The mechanism itself is incredible – very, very solid and reliable. George has had these things running in his shop for months now, and they just keep on going. You can feel the difference when you use the watch too. There is nothing I can fault about this watch. It looks real, if acts real, it is 100% reliable and the mechanism starts and stops without you moving your wrist or touching the face of the watch. If you have never fancied performing this effect before, now is the time to try it out.
Buy it now, before they run out again! Highly Recommended!
Review by Doug Gorman for Sign of The Snake by Alan Warner
5 out of 5
A Serpent Success
This prediction effect is another of the beautiful Alan Warner Egyptian pieces, and the presentation story included with the props is wonderful. This is one of the more colorful pieces in Alan’s collection, and the effect is a beauty, complete with humor and a magical zinger. I’ve even figured out a way to repeat the effect for the same audience. And such craftsmanship, you wouldn’t believe it…oh yes, you would. After all, it is an Alan Warner!
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