Andy Martin

More Knife Magic from Joe Mogar!

It’s hard to stop buying Joe’s Knives! Each set of his knives is a pleasure to hold and these multi-colored wood and natural bone ones are no exception. Maybe my favorite in fact. These are tricky to make and no two knives are exactly the same. Master Craftsman Joe Mogar does a great job in matching them up and although you might see slight differences when placed side by side, you’ll never notice that in performance.

Joe’s knives are perfect to perform and collect. They are unique, beautiful, small and great value!

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Great Looking Box with Clever Mechanism

I must say how impressed I am with this prediction box from Roy Roth’s R.A.R. Magic. Everything looks above board. The box can be in full view all the time and tied and padlocked and yet whenever you want it becomes an easy matter to slip a small item like a prediction, ring, or ladies watch into the inner box from the outside. There is nothing added or taken away and no magnets, threads, or electronics.

Really a very clever device and even better than Roy’s Nest of Boxes which is another beauty.

This is a collectible piece of magic you will use!

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What a Clever Parlor Miracle!

I don’t perform parlor/stage magic much these days but this is the sort of effect I could see myself doing. It is a real fooler and really defies imagination. Everything looks clean. You show the 3 tubes empty, unscrew the top of the croquet mallet and place the head in one tube, place the 3 balls in the other tube at the end.

Then amazingly the 3 balls disappear from their tube and end up in the tube where the mallet head was, and the head ends up in a different tube. It is quite startling. It is, of course, based on the much larger and more expensive Thayer Croquet Trick still sold by Owens.

This set was beautifully made by Master Craftsman George Richbark and it is a joy to perform. This set has had some Oriental decals added which actually look ok, but the original has bold red, blue and blue painted tubes with the numbers 1, 2, and 3.

George tells me they are available on special order from him directly.

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One of Magic Wagon’s Best!

This latest installment from Magic Wagon is a real beauty. Of course it is an old effect, but the Magic Wagon guys have created a beautiful version for an amazing price. In effect the chips are stacked on the stand and are seen to move to the middle and finally the bottom. At the end the chips are tipped from the spindle and they are all seen to be separate – the chips can be minutely examined before and after too. As with the standard effect the base cannot be examined, but it looks innocent enough, as does the tube.

The brass cover and wooden base complement the choice of yellow and blue chips perfectly and if you are a collector of Blue Phantoms you’ll certainly want this one. If you have never been able to afford this effect before (the current Owen’s one is $750 now I believe) at under $300 this is a steal.

Highly Recommended for Collectors and Performers.

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This really surprised me and I love it!

Ok so we all think that the tired old Princess Card Trick is not for us and so have passed this one by … big mistake! This new version by Bill Wisch and those crazy cats at Elmwood Magic is amazing. It turns the Princess Card Trick into a full blown, multi-phase routine that is clean, clever, and entertaining.

Every year I look for new items that I can use at my Company Christmas party for walk around and this will be featured for sure. It looks like real mentalism, plain and simple! It requires no sleights, is easy to do, resets instantly, and can be repeated. For those of you inclined to practice a little more, and you should be, it also has some extra ideas that will really blow them away.

This is the big sleeper of 2009 and I love it!

Highly Recommend for Performers everywhere!

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Wow A Stunning Set of Knives!

So I’ve been a big fan of Joe Mogar’s knives for many years now, but I just received this set of Red Jigged Bone and Turquoise and I must say they are absolutely breathtaking! Beautifully made as are all of Joe’s knives, with a perfect weight and feel. But these are so special you can’t help but feel a warm glow!

If you have not spent some time with Joe’s knives it is about time you did – I have never seen such amazing pieces of art that are such a pleasure to hold and perform with.

Highly Recommended for Performers and Collectors!

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Bigger is sometimes Better!

I’ve been a big fan of Joe Mogar’s knives for many years. They are beautifully made and always feel perfectly balanced. However, I have found that when I’m performing knife routines to eight or more people in a close-up situation that the standard knives are not so easily seen and sometimes the changes are missed.

I have tried Joe Jumbo’s before but they are a bit on the large size for me and so I was very pleased to find these "Giant" knives – of course they are not "Giant" but they are a great size for small and perfect for larger close-up shows. Or if you simply have bigger hands.

Most of the standard moves work perfectly, but now everyone can see them. The photo shows the difference in size between the standard ones and the giant ones.

If you’re into beautiful knives, and why wouldn’t you be, these are perfect to add your performance and collection.

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Quality, Color and Entertainment all in one!

I’ve always like the Topsy Turvey Bottle idea, but have never found a set I like. These bottles from Joe Stevens are amazing! They are brightly colored and made of heavy metal, with sealed bottoms. What is also cool is that even though the bottles are different colors and can be examined the spectator can choose either one for themselves. The gimmick works with both colors.

The covers are made of thick card board, and it would have been nice to have them in plastic or metal, but otherwise this is a perfect set.

Highly Recommended for Comedy Magicians everywhere!

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A Beautiful Version of This Classic

Howie has redone this effect quite a few times over the years and most recently he has had them made by George Robinson down at Viking. These are as good as the ones made by the famous Jerry – they are very thin and beautifully finished. The cards are expertly made and the effect is just so clean now. You place the jack in one holder and the queen in the other and instantly they swap places. Even though they can see the cards at all times.

If you are a medium to high high-end collector that appreciates the fine Magic of craftsmen like Alan Warner and Mel Babcock, you will surely appreciate the workmanship in this new release.

Get these before they run out. They are exquisite!

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Not High-end but Practical and Innocent

These rattle boxes from Mikame might not be as cool or high-end as the beautiful rattle box from Craig Brooks. But they are very practical and have a clever mechanism that makes them very useful for close-up and walk-around. Because they look so innocent I believe they are likely to get more use than a special designer box. And you get three in the set. Wow, what a great deal!

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