Andy Martin

Blasted was by created by Bob Swadling and sold by Harry Stanley c. 1964. And it quickly became and hit around the world! Originally it was called The Swadling Swindle but it’s name changed to Blasted when it was marketed in the USA.

What I really like about this is if you perform it described in the instructions there are zero sleights.  It looks very effective and you just follow my video and you’ll wow them all. No funny moves at all – watch closely and be amazed 🙂

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This is probably the most sought after effect from Howie’s Limited Editions line of magic back in the 1980’s and 1990’s and which was subsequently purchased by Hank Lee c. 1995.  This mirror came in an Oak frame and this one, a Gold frame.  With the exception of the finish there is no other difference between the two versions.

The invisible motion of the silk when you walk away from the frame does not use any threads and is a great extra feature that really flaws them.

When practicing this for an upcoming Speed Demo I found adding some felt to the stand to secure the frame when pushing items through and also adding some felt feet to the bottom of the stand made performing this significantly easier and more effective.

It is an impressive item that when performed with a clean mirror and correct light looks totally amazing.

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This effect and method was invented by George Lorimer and published in the British monthly periodical The Magician Monthly as The Crown Jewels of Crashbania and subtitled: A Regular Royal Robbery (pg. 72, May, 1928).  Lorimer’s routine had quite a lot more going on than the eventual dealer versions including changing the large rubies into a shower of smaller rubies, a British flag to cover the crown, the production of some large silks, and a cage complete with Canary 🙂

However, the key methods of the rubies appearing in the crown and vanishing from the presentation case are used in both dealer versions I have seen.  The first dealer version that I am aware of was released by Harry Stanley c. 1953 as Royal Robbery and routined by Arthur Leo.

Supreme Magic released their first version c. 1968 through arrangement with Harry Stanley and still based on the Arthur Leo routine, then later as they purchased Stanley’s exclusive copyrights c. 1972 they released other tweaks and changes.  This version, though brand new, comes from c. 1992 with the addition of the Tom Sellers’ idea to vanish the silks.

Supreme’s version is well made but does not have quite the elegance of Stanley’s Royal Robbery and only includes three jewels as opposed to four (look at the final photo for comparison of the crowns).  But the routine is similar with a few extra tweaks including the cardboard card instead of hanky to cover up the crown.  One of the other 1992 changes  is the vanish of the jewels from a silk and tumbler.  To be honest I could have left that out as I didn’t find the method that convincing (but I have not actually performed it to children so maybe it goes down very well in reality).

But, with or without the vanish, this is a great routine for the younger children and will entertain them and they will have plenty of fun along the way.  It is very topical right now with the Coronation of King Charles III 🙂

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This effect and method was invented by George Lorimer and published in the British monthly periodical The Magician Monthly as The Crown Jewels of Crashbania and subtitled: A Regular Royal Robbery (pg. 72, May, 1928).  Lorimer’s routine had quite a lot more going on than the eventual dealer versions including: changing the large rubies into a shower of smaller rubies, a British flag to cover the crown, the production of some large silks, and a cage complete with Canary 🙂

However, the key methods of the rubies appearing in the crown and vanishing from the presentation case are used in both dealer versions I have seen.  The first dealer version that I am aware of was this one by Harry Stanley c. 1953 as Royal Robbery and routined by Arthur Leo. Supreme Magic released there version later and is discussed here.

Although this prop is about seventy years old it looks a lot more regal than the later released Supreme versions.  The crown is much  more intricate, with 3D Rubies, a blue velvety material embedded in parts of the crown and other gems painted on. If you look at the final photo where I put the crows side to side – there is no question which one looks more like a real crown.  This version also features four gems at two different levels which makes for a more interesting (and harder to achieve) appearance.  The jewel box also is more regal with a crown motif added to the top.  One final difference is the crown has an integrated stand that closes flat which is significantly more stable than the small stand used for the Supreme version.

This is a great routine for the younger children and will entertain them and they will have plenty of fun along the way.  It is very topical right now with the Coronation of King Charles III 🙂

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This is a great effect created by El Duco c. 1979. You do not have to use a cigarette to burn the hole but you could use a pencil or pen. I found a fake cigarette that has a sharp tip which is perfect for the effect so I included that.

This is one of those effects you have to do to see how good it is. The method is simple but very effective. I think if you try this you will be very pleased with it. You can even borrow a bill and everything can be examined at the end.

This effect was so popular it was “re-invented” by Supreme Magic as “Burn-Thru” c. 1984. Looking at the advert it looks like Supreme made an almost exact copy of El Duco’s which pretty much rules out independent invention.

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This is without doubt the easiest and most reliable Fire Wallet I have used. It is a simple push button and in my tests does work every time. It is also meant to “hold the juice” for 24 hours. I have not gone that long but it does seem to protect the lighter fuel from most evaporation.

It also has a second flap so you can clearly show the wallet filled with cash or a cute flying butterfly also included.

If you’re looking for a fire wallet that is reliable and does not rip your thumb up, this is the way to go.

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Joe Long and Paul Lembo did an amazing job when they tackled this wonderful rare item created by Magiro c. 1996.  It was originally called Glasklare Wanderung and was sold exclusively by Eckhard Boettcher in Germany. The effect has it all:

• Colorful and Interesting Props.
• Some great comedy byplay.
• A killer finale that will amaze lay people and magicians alike.
• It is also easy to perform and reset is instant 🙂

As shipped from Joe this comes with everything but the cover required to perform the magic (pretty much any piece of cardboard or heavier cloth can be used).  When I was playing with this I realized a French flag would be perfect for this purpose.  The flag has blue and red at the ends and so you can use it to not only cover the stand and glasses but also to remind the spectator where the red and blue silks are located.  Believe me as you get older these mental cues are really helpful.

This is one of the best items that Joe has released and there are only 12 of them so these will certainly become more collectible over time.  Great job Joe and Paul 🙂

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This clever mechanical slate was created by the prolific British magician, author, and inventor Peter Warlock. It was released by Harry Stanley c. 1956 and then reissued by Supreme Magic c. 1978. This is the original version sold by Harry Stanley and it looks and works perfectly.

There are two phases to the effect: the selection of a four digit number and then the further selection of one of those final digits – all of this is predicted in advance of the actions happening and it looks quite amazing. Hence “Five” Thoughts Ahead 🙂

The weakest part in the original routine as supplied is the selection of the four numbers does not use a gimmicked add-a-number device.  Over the years there have been a few devised but one of the very best is the Bogey by Ray Piatt and Larry Becker:

The Bogey by Ray Piatt, Larry Becker

So to do justice to this clever slate you should best combine it with The Bogey – then you have the perfect complement of two devices to produce a truly impressive feat of mentalism. And of course I provide both devices for completeness 🙂

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My good Friend Alan Warner always shows me the money  🙂

There have been many versions of the money maker, I liked the Delben Blotter and Carl Williams’ version even more, and of course Owen’s Denver Mint. However, Alan Warner in his usual imaginative style has taken a fairly simple effect made it look beautiful and added the double whammy of the note changing not once but twice.

The box is very distinctive and the mechanism works very cleanly.  It is actually quite amazing how he gets the change to work twice without removing or stealing anything away. Very simple to do and a sheer delight to behold.

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This is one of Mikame’s Finest! This is a very well made chest for switching cards, billets, business cards, and other small thin items. It’s primary unique feature is that the gimmick does not operate until you press the secret release – this means that you can have a spectator freely open and close it and nothing will happen until you are ready. The gimmick operates very well and is pretty much invisible.

It also looks very nice and is a pleasure to operate. Of course Mikame are not the first to have a card box like this and in fact Viking/Collector’s Workshop have two devices that are actually better in some circumstances:

• Chameleon Chest which has a larger load area and is used very much to switch billets. Unfortunately, you cannot give it out for examination – normal handling is ok, but you have to watch the spectator. The Chameleon Chest also comes with some very wonderful routines by Larry Becker.
• Psychic Sword – this box is actually closest to the features of the Mikame Changing Chest, in that it has a locking mechanism such that the box can be opened and closed before operating the gimmick. The mechanism is well hidden, but not secret and the gimmick could be operated almost without a spectator knowing it. Probably unlikely, but certainly not impossible. The Mikame one is secret and could not operate without knowing the secret.

So which one do you choose? Well I guess I would choose Chameleon Chest first, then Psychic Sword, then the Mikame one. However, having all three is a perfect solution and you will find times when each one proves useful!

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