Reviews

For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

Although Alan’s magic is beautiful, meticulously thought out and often very clever, for the most part it is not really suitable for Strolling or Walk-Around Magic. The props either require a table, have a fairly complicated set-up, or are simply too ornate to put up with the rigors of this type of Magic.

Not so with this lovely piece. The basic routine that Alan supplies is easy to do, works well, with some magical surprises and a kicker ending. It has a quick reset and requires no table and is always ready to go.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

Interchange is an interesting and novel paddle effect that gets away from the usual paddle sequence by using an additional cover and plaque which works directly with the paddle. So although the paddle move is used, by the time you are done you are way past the move and can even leave the paddle and plaque in their hands at the end.

The idea to combine both effects into one is quite unique and when I look at all of the paddle effects I have owned there is nothing that combines a paddle with another prop in this way.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

Here is an effect from Alan’s early painted period that has has a novel twist on a multiple color paddle idea. We have seen multiple color changing paddles before but this one is different: not only do the spots go through four changes the paddle itself changes from white to black which is another first from Alan as far as I am able to ascertain.

What a clever idea and a great way to maximize an effect without having to work too hard on the mechanics.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

The method for this prediction is quite straight forward and not as clever as one of my favorite prediction effects from Alan called Checkmate, but the props themselves are bright, colorful and interesting and more than make up for any lacking in the method. It will probably fool most lay-people but I don’t think many magicians would be fooled, whereas with Checkmate it is a quite a lot harder to figure out. That being said due to the unique look of the props Horus-Scope does lend itself to more interesting patter stories and routines.

On the instructions Alan suggests using a switching envelope or Himber Wallet and that is what I would use.  In fact I would probably use Miller’s Miracle Wallet to really fool the pants off of them.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

This is the first version of Do-Mini-O that Alan produced (the later version is here) and it is a simple and clean effect, but even here Alan shines with his attention to detail.  There are three beautifully gimmicked dominoes and they have a locking mechanism for each change (so for white and the color change). Many manufacturers, if they added a lock at all, would provide one just for the final state.  With two locks it means you can hand them to a spectator before and after the change should you desire, and you don’t have to worry if the wrong color will show when you first show them or retrieve them from you bag – they will always be set as you prepared them.

Also there is a very simple, but useful mnemonic built right into the numbers of the dominoes that means you will never forget which way to place the dominoes into the cover.  You might think that these ideas are not that big a deal, but they make all the difference when you want to perform them, because you just don’t have to think about how the trick works, just how to make it entertaining.

Alan’s magic is filled with such elegantly simple ideas which is why his Mini-Magic has been so popular for almost fifty years.

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

This effect starts off as a beautifully made variation of the principle developed by Paul Curry called the Curry Paradox c. 1953, similar to the effect created by Winston Freer’s amazing Magic Tile Puzzle.  But if you know anything about Alan’s magic and mind, he is rarely content with doing something that has been done before, and so he turns the whole effect on it’s head and totally transforms the color of the puzzle right under their noses. 

Not simply a geometric paradox but real magic performed right before their eyes!

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For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

This happens to be one of my favorite Alan Warner pieces. It makes use of an old principle to great effect and really produces an outstanding miracle. What I also like about this effect is the impressive and colorful display that is created as each charm is spread around the center box, ready for the final revelation. Alan writes meticulous instructions and if you read them closely you will often pick-up subtle nuances in the performance that you would otherwise miss.

There are no switches of the charms or tricky sleights, and the charms and box can be examined if required, it really does look clean. In one case there is a small move that is required, but it is too weak to be considered a sleight and performed under cover of the spectator’s larger action can be carried out with minimal heat on the performer.

A really wonderful miracle from one of Magic’s Master Craftsmen.

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