Year: 2013

Slow to move, Was that the wind?

I was very disappointed in this product, and would not recommend it at all.

First off, I should say this looks great. It does look like an old timber, the aging and distressing is perfect. However that’s about it, a great looking piece of wood.

There are two "phases" to it’s movement one has you balance it on a bottle or other object and the second phase has you lean it up against an object at least as tall as it is long. The first major problem is it takes forever to move/topple. Definitely not a tv trick, this is something you have to set up, then tell a long story before it moves. Trying not to give the method away, the temperature affects it as well. if it’s a cold room you could be waiting a lot longer. when it eventually toppled over It left my audiences thinking it was the wind or something knocked the table. When you balance it on top of something you have to balance it very carefully, even with practice it looks like you are just setting it up to fall over when the wind blows. Very unimpressive to the audience.

I used this in close up performances and library shows perhaps 20 times over the winter season 2013. The timber never got a good reaction and was a poor effect in my show. It would be way better if you could determine when it would fall over. Most of the time after my rehearsed story was over I had to add lib until the dang thing toppled. A few times it fell over before my story was done and once the wind actually did knock it over!

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Good trick, can be used for many presentations

A very good trick with three wooden disks and a small burlap like bag. I really liked the design on the coins and the bag. It opened the effect up to many different kinds of presentations. A pirate theme, a Victorian theme, etc. The bag is not integral to the effect, so you can use a nicer bag, or box or something else that matches your presentation.

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Great formal bar effect

I have had this effect for a few years and I’ve found it’s one of my favorites. The wooden cup is well made, and looks and feels nice. The cards are okay. basically bicycle cards with stickers put on them. The spectator picks a card (force, and you can use any force you want really) and the cup is lifted and set aside to reveal a bottle of gin sitting under it. Then without going to your pocket for a load (ala cups and balls) you immediately lift the cup again to reveal a can of tonic. The method is nice and the bottle is full of gin, the can heavy/weighted and firm. Nothing flimsy. You could end with a pocket load and I’ve often shoved a lime in the cup when the tonic water was revealed. I recommend it for an older audience as no one under 40 I know even knows what gin and tonic is.

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Great padlock. Quality and amazing effect

I love this lock and have performed it in every banquet show I’ve performed since I received it. This is a well made, heavy padlock that looks and feels great. The keys come with color collars for whatever presentation you like, however the colors can come off if you want to. With this lock the performer must open the lock, instead of the spectator. However the lock opens with a loud click and it’s large enough that everyone in an average sized audience can hear and see the lock opening.

Strongly recommended

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Wonderful well made mental magic

I own a small collection of trick locks, they are some of my favorite effects. The Keyrrect is one of my favorites (along with the Hemmingway lock) This effect involves a padlock and 7 keys. You have a spectator try six keys in the lock and none work, then you give him the seventh and it opens the padlock. Have him close the lock, mix the keys and in any way you like to reveal it you pick the key that opens the lock.

With Keyrrect after you identify the proper key (you don’t have to touch it or look at it) you may have the spectator open the padlock themselves.

For the sake of comparison with the Hemmingway lock, the performer is the only one who can use the key to open the lock.

The key to this effect is ensuring that the audience realizes all the keys were checked and only one opens the lock. It’s nice that the performer NEVER has to touch the keys at all. I’ve had alot of fun with this and usually have the spectator who checks the keys insert his wallet in a steel lock box then padlock it shut. When a key is eliminated it gets dropped in a slot in the box. It’s a great way to build suspense and get rid of the keys before the end.

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