Author: reviews

From the original owners of Collectors’ Workshop, Rich Bloch and Nick Ruggiero, comes this stunning piece of apparatus. The first version which was not remote controlled came out c. 1989 and this remote controlled version c. 1994.

A piece of custom-crafted wizardry that raises the miracle of this coin penetration to new heights. Four half dollars penetrate an overturned pilsner glass (visibly) to land inside a mouth-up shot glass. We think the glasses should rest on a beautiful English tea service tray. And, in the interest of artistic symmetry, the coins ought to be removed from another glass, not a stand. We think you ought not to go anywhere near the tray and glasses. That’s why we built Silver Odyssey. This masterpiece of precision engineering was designed and developed at Collectors’ Workshop to meet the most demanding standards of close-up,club and even stage performing. Your pride in performing the effect will be matched only by your joy in owning this remarkable piece of craftsmanship. The entire effect is self-working — no sleights, no assistants. Because everything is controlled from a transmitter the size of a matchbook, you are free to ‘choose the moment‘.

One of the problems with this incredible effect is that the mechanism is so beautiful, intricate and clever, and is created from a blend of beautifully finished hardwoods, gleaming brass and copper components, that you are almost compelled to show people how it works.

They truly don’t make them like this anymore!

Click here for more information.

Harry Devano from Scotland was a semi-pro close-up, mental and platform magician and he created his first Devano Rising cards deck in 1948.  The method has stood the test of time and one of the best versions you can purchase today is from George Richbark.  They were also made when George and Dave Dorsett were teamed together as Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering.  The block is only 15 cards thick and this is better than most other types of gimmicked deck I have seen, and allows the deck to be handled very freely.  It also uses pins instead of tape, which has always been my preferred contact system.

In Claude Klingsor’s amazing “The Big Book of Rising Cards” I was really pleased to see that Mr. Klingsor has this to say about the The Devano deck in the final Conclusion Page (201)

I think the best method for close-up is the Devano method (like Keith Bennett’s version) if you use a different way to make each card rise. The first card comes out of the pack which is held by the magician. The second one comes out of the pack; the second card being placed in its case. For the third one, the pack is placed into a glass. Al Goshman performed a very nice routine of that kind and Alfredo Marchese created a beautiful finale by adding the cards fountain to his routine.

And I whole wholeheartedly agree!

The video clip of Don Alan is amazing – talk about a beautiful routine. That is a true master at work! The Devano routine starts at 2:53 for those who can’t wait!

Click here for more information.

Harry Devano from Scotland was a semi-pro close-up, mental and platform magician and he created his first Devano Rising cards deck in 1948. The method has stood the test of time and one of the best versions you can purchase today is from George Richbark. They were also made when George and Dave Dorsett were teamed together as Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering. The block is only 15 cards thick and this is better than most other types of gimmicked deck I have seen, and allows the deck to be handled very freely. It also uses pins instead of tape, which has always been my preferred contact system.

In this booklet, Ron Bauer does a step by step break down of Don Alan’s routine which is featured on the video above.  Don Alan is amazing – talk about a master at work and a beautiful routine.  The Devano routine starts at 2:53 for those who can’t wait!  But you would never guess the deck was gimmicked and Don is so casual and smooth with it.  What a perfect routine.

Ron Bauer also includes some interesting history about who made the Devano deck for Don Alan and why he was unhappy with the Tannen’s version at the time.  The man who made Don’s deck was Chicago Comedy Magician and MC Howard Bamman, and it had the perfect characteristics that Don was looking for (which sound similar to the decks George Richbark is still making today).

If you ever want to perform the Devano Card Rise, get one of Richbark’s decks, read the booklet and watch the video.  You won’t get close to Don Alan’s masterclass performance but it will inspire you to do better.

Click here for more information.

On page 202 of Modern Magic (1876) Professor Hoffman described The Miraculous Casket. In 1991 Douglas-Wayne Illusioneering, founded by George Richbark and Dave Dorsett, created this beautiful reproduction staying true to Professor Hoffman’s description. And what a beauty it is.

Show a velvet lined, hardwood box with slots for four coins. After borrowing coins from your audience and locking them inside the box, the coins vanish one at a time WHILE THE SPECTATOR HOLDS THE CASKET! A beautiful, unusual item that you can be proud to perform.

Click here for more information.

Swedish Magic Dealer Harries (who were founded in 1910) created this effect c. 1938 but took a break from production in the 1960’s/70’s, so when Supreme Magic Company created their own effect c. 1970 called Tiddly Hi-Tie they claimed that Harries stole it from them. The Harries version is significantly better than the Supreme version.

Harries of Sweden are one of the last good manufacturers of parlor and stage magic, and this item is one of their best. Nicely made and colorful.

An empty collar is shown in an otherwise empty box and the lid is placed on top and left in full view. Five bow-ties are shown in a larger display case and the lid is placed on top also. A card is apparently freely chosen and that chosen color bow-tie disappears from the display case and appears pinned to the collar in the previously shown empty box.

For repeat performances there is a different color tie that can be used. It comes with all cards and ties, and everything that is needed to perform this right out of the box. It really is a lovely outfit and very easy to perform this miracle right in front of their eyes.

Click here for more information.

This effect was created by the Swedish Amateur Mentalist and Stage Magician Goran Klyve in 1988. Goran started working for Harries in 1985 and has created a number of effects for Harries.

This mental miracle is one of the most straight forward mental routines in the field of magic. The effect is simple and direct. You show four beautiful, heavy brass medallions with the following ESP symbols: STAR, CROSS, SQUARE and WAVY LINES. The medallions are numbered from 1-4 on the back. You also receive a wooden spinwheel with the numbers 1-4 as well. You ask a spectator to spin the wheel 3-4 times in order to prove it is not prepared in any way.

The fourth time – or whenever he wishes – he shall settle for the number shown. Spectator looks at the selected coin and is told to take a piece of transparent mental crystal that has been in full view all the time and hold it in his hand while concentrating on the symbol. After a few seconds the chosen ESP-sign appears on the glass surface!

A true miracle. The medallions and the spinwheel are unprepared and can be examined any time, as can the mental crystal. There is absolutely no force involved. Harries Super De Luxe Mental Vision is a straight forward mental experiment the audience will long remember. The heavy brass medallions are of highest quality. You can use them for other ESP-effects.

Click here for more information.

From Harries c. 2002, the long running Swedish Dealer (founded in 1910), comes this wonderful version of Himber’s Vanishing Bottles effect.

One at a time, show six different wine bottles in a box. Read the labels to the audience so they know that all six bottles really are different. Place the bottles back into the box after reading each label. Now, show an empty tube and place it over one of the bottles in the box. Remove the tube with the bottle inside and explain that it is time for a contest.

Remind the audience that they saw you put the tube over one of the six bottles. But, which one was it? Whoever can guess the name of the wine gets to keep the bottle! Lift the tube and show a bottle of Coca-Cola or 7 Up! The wine bottle is gone! Take the box apart and show it empty! All six of the bottles have disappeared! Where did all those bottles go? A wonderful routine. A real fooler! Perfect for platform or stage, yet you can do it in a living room.

Click here for more information.

Wow, this is Incredible!

Before I go further let me say how these days I am less and less interested in any sort of electronic magic. I have had way too many issues with things breaking or running out of juice at the wrong time. So when I first purchased this beauty, I did so with some reluctance. However, I am so glad that I did. My greatest passion in life is writing software. Magic is great fun, but for me writing software is my true joy, and this clever little machine is a very fine piece of programming. I had no idea how it worked until I read the clear instructions by John Mendoza. Once you understand the basic principle you can’t help but appreciate the thought that Al Stanger put into the programming of this clever machine.

All this being said, without the original routine by John, and the even more simplified routine by Gaetan Bloom that appeared in later releases (and is featured in my youtube video), it would be just a clever calculator, but when you work with John’s or Gaetan’s incredible four phase routine you really do move into the miracle class. Each phase builds on top of the previous one to end up with an incredible climax.

This calculator is not for everyone. It is not hard to use or learn, but it does take some practice and patience, and you should be comfortable with technology – the order of buttons that you press is very important, and if you don’t press the right buttons you can find yourself in quite a different place than you expected! However, for those magicians who want something a bit different that will fool them all, I could not recommend this more heartily.

Click here for more information.

The original version of Frozen in Time was created by the Japanese Close-up performer and inventor Katsuya Masuda in 1990. Along with many other clever effects Masuda has been at the forefront of innovative magic for over 30 years.  This new high-tech version is a real beauty and works like a dream. The magician shows a wooden case to the spectator and asks them to name any hour.  Then the magician asks
the spectator to open the wooden box. There is the photo frame inside the box, and inside the frame is a photo of a pocket watch. The time on the watch photograph is the exact same hour chosen by the spectator!

Features:

• The magician doesn’t touch the box from start to finish
• Latest technology enables operation by remote control
• It can be inspected before and after
• The photo can be taken out from the box to be fully examined
• Photo frame is the same thickness as original version, and can be seen from any angle

It uses standard batteries so you won’t have any replacement issues.  The only thing I would have changed was to have supplied a switch for the main box to avoid having to remove the batteries when not in use.

Click here for more information.

One of my most popular packet tricks when I grew up in England was an effect I purchased from Ron Macmillan’s International Magic called Any Queen Called For. I used to say it was better than John Bannon’s Twisted Sisters which I still believe it is if you perform it three times in a row. These days the closest effect I do to “Any Queen Called For”, is Gordon Bean’s Entourage which uses the same gimmicks as “Any Queen Called For”, but adds four jokers for a kicker ending. Because these effects do not have different colored backs they are easier to perform multiple times, which I like to do as they strengthen the effect.

However, if you just want to perform the effect once then a variation of The Parade of The Kings, released by Supreme magic at least as early as 1971, will provide a stronger reaction. This version released by Meir Yedid Magic is perfect and the parlor size of the cards means that the cards are easily seen by larger groups without being too large to handle comfortably or fit neatly in your pocket.

In Paul Hallas’ excellent book “Still Small, Still Deadly” (page 83) he goes into great detail of the history of “Packet Trick Brainwaves” effects which is fascinating reading. The book is still available as an e-book from Lybrary.com.

Click here for more information.