Reviews

Mini Magic Marvel!

Chance Wolf continues to keep all the mini-magic guys very, very happy with his latest creation. This finger chopper really is a beauty to behold. Very solid construction, beautiful finish, perfect mechanism, and great value.

Chance should actually consider making a full-size one in exactly the same style as it really is a nice version of the French Arm Chopper. Of course he should only do this as long as it does not stop him making his next mini-magic item …

Now as wonderful as this chopper is – and it truly is – I was not sure how convincing an illusion it is. With the standard sized French Arm Chopper the illusion of the hand falling off is very convincing. However, with this mini version I was not so sure. After reading the instructions some more and a quick email to speedy response Chance I have my answer.  As long as you do it quickly the illusion is perfect! Come on don’t be shy, just give it a  hard strike!  The great thing about Chance’s props is that they are designed to be handled in the real world, and this baby can certainly handle some rough handling!

A good online video, that Chance does so well, of the effect in action would also help. In fact, there are some details in the great routine that is included that suggests the illusion is very effective.

Either way, Chance has another winner on his hands. Keep them coming Wolf Man!

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The Best Diary Trick!

I have perfomed Bob Cassidy’s Chronologue for years and really like it. This is my version using one deck of cards and one diary – both of which are placed in front of the audience before you commence the effect.

I use these 1864 Poker cards in the patter and they add some interest to the effect as you talk about the ancient connection between cards and the calendar.

What I really like about my version is that it has zero reset, a different card can be chosen (almost) everytime and there is only one diary, only one deck, no force, no memory work, one simple calcuation, and everything is on view to begin with.

My method is based on combining ideas of Bob Cassidy, Ted Annemann, and Eddie Joseph.

This is my new favorite opening effect and because it allows for a large number of cards to be chosen freely and requires no reset it is perfect for strolling magic situations where people talk about effects amongst each other!

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Even Better Second Time Around!

George Robinson continues to surprise me. When I received my first original CW version of Creation back in 2002 I thought it was an amazing effect and a collector’s dream: very clever mechanism, small, no reset, and absolutely stunning impact on the audience. This new version is all of that and more. George has gone to the trouble to plate the cage in 24K gold so now none of the solder marks can be seen and the cage now really looks stunning.

If you look at the Viking site you can clearly see the difference – my photos are not so clear 🙁

I have found over the last couple of years that I have re-bought a number of effects and in many cases have been happier with the newer version. When it comes to Collector’s Workshop, every single piece that George has rebuilt has been better than the original. This jewel of the whole CW line is more incredible than ever. I know George has limited supplies so I suggest you stampede over to his site to get this beautiful Creation. If you ever want to see the look of utter disbelief on a spectator this is certainly one way to achieve it.

Most highly recommended – get it now!

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Finest Quality Magic Wallet

If you have read my reviews over the years you’ll notice I have an affection towards magic wallets. What can I say I am just intrigued by all the styles. However, what has become clear to me is that there isn’t any one wallet that will do all things you need. I have given up saying "This is my new favorite wallet", because invariably it changes with my next wallet. What I have decided is that if you like wallets there are a number of very fine wallets on the market that each do something unique. There are also many bad wallets on the market.

My current favorite is still the Horwitz Wallet. However, when it comes to craftsmanship and quality it is hard to beat the beautiful work of Jerry O’Connell. I use his No-Palm Wallet in conjunction with Doc Dixon’s incredible Carpe Cajones. Now for this effect, the O’Connell wallet is just perfect. No other wallet I own does the job better, and certainly no wallet is made better. I will be buying quite a few more of Jerry’s wallets over the next few weeks as they are clearly in a class of their own. Jerry is also a great guy and he has a very fast turn around, so if you are looking for a particular wallet I suggest you contact him Jerry’s leather craftsmanship is beautiful and highly recommended!

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Wonderful Tommy!

I only recently started looking at Tommy Wonder’s beautiful magic and this is one of the first effects that really caught my eye from his 3 DVD set. There will be more that I tackle, but they all take time!

The premise is wonderful: instead of the Magician getting all the Glory wouldn’t it be nice if the Spectator could get some Glory? You betcha! The idea is that you are going to place a card down on the table and the spectator is to guess what the card is. If he is correct he gets the Glory, if not the Shame!

But to make it a bit easier on the Spectator you give them the choice of two cards and a booby prize of $40 if he fails. Now it is getting interesting. They then proceed to name the card, get the Glory, and you keep the money! Every element of this effect is beautifully routined and it is certainly in the reach of mere mortals. Of course it is a wonder in Tommy’s hands but even in normal hands this effect is a real fooler. It is very clean and very entertaining.

Stunning, Clean and Easy reset too!

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