Author: reviews

This chest is inspired by one of my favorite prediction chests, The Dr. Q. Prediction Chest. It has two main differences:

• It is quite a lot smaller than the Owen’s chest (see the last four photos for comparisons)
• The chest really can’t be examined or handled closely by the spectator because there is no locking mechanism to protect the gimmick – if you touch the gimmick it will move!  Whereas with the Dr. Q. you could search all day and not find a thing.

Having said that because there is no locking mechanism it makes it a little easier to use.  It is a fine box for sure and John M. Talbot’s routine about the Titanic is perfect for this little box.  If you like neat little boxes with secret gimmicks you will for sure find a use for this bad boy.

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What a beautiful, clever and mystifying effect this is! 

When you first see this performed it is hard to fully comprehend how quickly your hand will burn when you put it over a candle.  Even from a few inches it feels like it is burning within a couple of seconds.  If you try it you will see immediately that almost the second you put your hand over the flame you have to remove it.

However, with this well engineered and clever gimmick you can literally keep your hand there for minutes without any discomfort.  How it works it kind of amazing and it really doesn’t matter how high the candle is – I tried it with 4″, 6″ and 9″ candles and they are big candles.  So it will cover a whole slew of candles, and none of them are gimmicked.  You can pretty much use any candle though it does work better with wider pillar candles.  I use 3″ wide ones with the various heights as shown.

The gimmick is expertly engineered and the remote control is a small key fob size and works perfectly.  You don’t actually need the remote control, but it does add that  extra kicker effect where you can have a spectator be able to withstand the heat or not without even getting close to the candle.

This is some powerful magic and a really interesting effect that is unique.  It can be done in a variety of situations with no set-up and simply looks amazing and just how real magic should look!

This is the Rex Ignis Advanced Version with the remote option.  The Advanced Version allows you to use a matchbox, card box, or the classic invisible set-up, so it is more flexible for the performer.

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The Coin Wand was first exposed in Hoffman’s Modern Magic as The Half-Crown (or Florin) Wand (pg. 203), it was first used in performance c. 1872. Stanyon’s advertised their version c. 1902, Roterberg advertised there version c. 1904, and Thayer (which would be the closet decedent to this Owen’s one) were advertising there’s at least as early 1921 but probably earlier. They also had a Slender Coin Wand, but this did not use the same mechanical approach.

This wand from Owen’s is the cleanest and most beautiful coin wand I have seen. It works perfectly and is smooth as silk. It even has a cap to cover the end when not being used as a coin wand.  You can also view the coin from both sides.  It is very solid and measures 14″ with 2 1/8″ tips. It weighs 5.6oz, it matches the standard wand here.

Really exceptional.

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This is the current version (since 2013) of Nick Wenger’s amazing Shake ‘n’ Snake.  It is basically the same but the basket is now a hand woven basket from Gypsy Baskets instead of a hard shell (firbeglass?) basket and the snake is now more realistic than before and in fact very similar to one supplied with Viper Pro.  I love Terry Lunceford’s Viper Pro, but Shake ‘n’ Snake is so much better in entertainment, look, and, of course, manufacture.  The electronics for Nick’s snake continue to be very solid and expertly made, and the unit is very reliable and works like a charm.

Although Collectors’ Workshops’ Khyber Kobra is mechanically superior, from a concentrated excitement and laughter impact I think I’d stick with this effect.

The addition of the shake feature is a brilliant idea and really increases the suspense. Imagine Jaws without the music, the film would be nowhere near as scary. The Shake feature is kind of like that. Not only do they suspect something is about to happen they get a preview too and each time it shakes it builds up the tension and surprise factor. When the snake finally leaps the surprise is that much more intense.

The electronics in the Viper Pro II and III are good, and I’ve never had a problem with them (the first Viper Pro was another story), but they are clearly inferior when compared to Mr. Wenger’s work. Don’t get me wrong I would still perform the Viper Pro II if I didn’t have Shake ‘n’ Snake, it is still a great, reliable trick. But Shake ‘n’ Snake is the best without a question, and I cannot imagine ever using my Viper Pro II again.

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I have never seen a set of dice like this before and although I thought we were done when Marc Antoine brought his version out in 2018, I was wrong.  This is not only the best set of mental dice ever created, it is probably the best item Murphy’s has ever produced.  Absolutely Fantastic! 🙂

And it all began with this beauty back in 1976, and since Murphy’s owns the rights to all of Anverdi’s creations I assume we can expect more amazing things from them to come in 2020.

The ad copy of this incredible set of dice is all true …

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I knew when I purchased my first Ball Vase from Richard Spencer’s that it would not be long before I purchased one of these.  I was surprised I held out for a whole year 🙂

Richard has made this beautiful set from the exotic hardwood Monkey Pod.  Having the ability to transpose colors between vases definitely adds an extra dimension when it comes to creating an interesting and entertaining routine.  These work perfectly and even without any sleights you can create some great magic.

The gimmicks are very solid and blend seamlessly into the vase.  There is nothing to see even close-up and it is very easy to forget if you are looking at the real ball or the gimmick.

The effort involved to create these and the subsequent price, means they are clearly aimed at the high-end collector and you will not be disappointed with the quality. Also you will be pleasantly surprised that with very little effort you have an effect that will look classy and be amazing too!

These are really beautiful, great job Richard!

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American magician “Silent” Mora (Louis Jerome McCord) created these wonderful Chinese Sticks out of real bamboo. The Bamboo Wands released by Owen’s look like Bamboo but are made from high quality plastic.  Though the Owen wands are definitely smoother to operate because they did not in fact use real bamboo which is harder to work with to get perfectly smooth.  Even so these are still beautiful sticks and every set has a signed message or inscription from Silent Mora.  These ones say:

• “Talking is Silver, Silence is Gold.“
• “When Money Speaks, Truth Keeps Silence.“

with a date of Nov. 5, 1956.  Silent Mora began making these Bamboo sticks c. 1925.

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After the success of Viking’s Medieval Card Box they have now introduced two new Celtic Card Boxes: a regular magnetic one and a locking magnetic one which is based on the Locking Card Box here.  These boxes are very well made, look great, and work perfectly.  They are quite large and heavy but that is probably more practical and realistic for the bizarre themes they can be used for.  These boxes comfortably fit a full size Tarot deck and other larger items for your story telling needs.

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After the success of Viking’s Medieval Card Box they have now introduced two new Celtic Card Boxes: a regular magnetic one and a locking magnetic one.  These boxes are very well made, look great, and work perfectly.  They are quite large and heavy but that is probably more practical and realistic for the bizarre themes they can be used for. These boxes comfortably fit a full size Tarot deck and other larger items for your story telling needs. They are perfect for Arthur Monroe’s VooDoo as performed by Richard Osterlind here.

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The idea of using magic powder to distract attention from a sleight or move has been around for centuries. It was first described c. 1584 by Prevost used to ditch the thread in the Gypsy Thread effect. The term Woofle Dust first appears in Lesson 2 of the original Tarbell Course c. 1927 and it has been used ever since.

Thomas Wayne’s version is made from a quality salt shaker and contains precision machine components that are built to last a lifetime. It comes with an empty salt shaker which Thomas uses to maximize the laughter out of this otherwise under utilized prop.

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