Andy Martin

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.

Click here for more information.

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 …

Click here for more information.

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!

Click here for more information.

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.

Click here for more information.

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.

Click here for more information.

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.

Click here for more information.

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.

Click here for more information.

This is the Talismanic Card in Wallet or Window Wallet that inspired Dave Bendix to create the Bendix Bombshell.  This wallet was made by Roy Roth, but it is based on the original ones made by Ed Brown. Ed Brown created the Window Wallet c. 1975 and a routine using it was published in Kabbala Vol.3, No. 1, January 1976, called: Between Elmsley, Brown, and Himber. The Window Wallet was the inspiration for a number of great card men including, Ed Marlo, Dave Solomon (using Ed Brown’s own wallet), Jon Rachenbaumer (Talismanic Card in Wallet – Lecture Notes 1, 1976) , and Dave Bendix to create some wonderful Card to Wallet routines.  The second you see the the diagram on page 1 of the Kabbala article you will recognize the familiar set-up for the special Himber wallet that we recognize today as the Bendix Bombshell.

Having seen both wallets up close I still prefer the Bendix, but both wallets have interesting applications.

Click here for more information.

Locking Card boxes have been around at least as early as 1876 with Professor Hoffmann’s seminal Modern Magic and also  1897 with the publication of August Roterberg’s amazing and detailed book New Era Card Tricks but the locking mechanism’s in both Hoffman’s and Roterberg’s designs use springs and/or pressure.   Even Thayer’s beautiful mahogany Lock-Flap Card Box c. 1931 used a similar method. 

Most modern locking card boxes use magnets and as far as I can ascertain this one by Wayne Sanderson was the first of it’s kind and it was released by Tannen’s in 1947.  This particular version is designed for bridge sized cards and can hold a full deck (though not in the card case).  The locking mechanism is so perfectly weighted that it does not need an external magnet to release the flap, just shaking the box in the hand with the correct downward motion will release the flap.  This is actually a nice touch if you have lost as many magnets as I have 🙂  The other feature of note on this box is that it has a black painted interior such that you don’t have to worry about the wood grain changing after the reveal.

The wood used is not a fine hard wood like many of the special card boxes produced today, but it works well and the flap works very reliably.

Click here for more information.

Bob Koch’s card box costs $200, almost three times the price of similar boxes available today, so when Bob makes the claim:

The KOCH Card box is an evolutionary change to the classic flap card box. There are several features that moved it forward beyond what’s available elsewhere.

I wanted to make sure it lives up to the hype.  Particularly when you compare it against such fine modern card box’s as Viking’s: Euro Card Box and Mento-Card Box Plus and Dave Powell’s Victorian Single Deck Box. So before I go into the advertised copy I thought I comment on the features that Bob claims are an evolutionary change and I guess why he can justify charging almost three times the price for this box over the currently available alternatives.

• Two Flaps: one locking, one not.  Two flaps have been available with Viking’s Mento-Card Box Plus c. 1989.  In addition, the Mento box comes with some clever gimmicked playing cards that can be used even without the flaps which can lead to even more interesting effects and variations.  Bob Farmer has also suggested the use of two flaps as mentioned in the instructions for Bob’s box (though no date is specified).
• Magnetic Sharpie – this is the first time I have seen the release mechanism built into a prop that can be used in plain sight during the routine.  Though, it might be better to have no release mechanism at all as used by the original Magnetic locking card box by Wayne Sanderson.
• Consistent grain pattern.  Viking’s Euro Card Box has a consistent grain pattern, and many others use a black interior such as: Mento-Card Box Plus, Self-Locking Card Box, Mel Babcock’s Card Box and others.  The worst box I could find with inconsistent grain was Dave Powell’s Victorian Single Deck Box, but I’m not convinced how many, if any, lay-people would ever notice this.  So this is certainly not a new idea.  That being said I would say that Bob Koch’s grain does match very well.
• Big enough to carry small enough to fit in your pocket.  The smallest wooden card box that fits a full deck, including card case, is Dave Powell’s Victoran Single Deck Box – it even fits in your back pants pocket, and it is significantly smaller than Bob’s one.  In the photos you can see the sizes shown of the three boxes: Dave Powell, Bob Koch, Viking’s Euro Card Box.  So all although it is true Bob’s box is small enough to fit in your pocket, it is still almost twice as big as a deck of cards so is not small.

In conclusion, I don’t believe that Bob Koch is really breaking any new ground with the box itself. Also, the box is not as strong as Viking’s Euro Card Box which will certainly withstand a lot more rough handling. If it wasn’t so expensive and made such grandiose claims I would have nothing against it.  It is a great box, but at $200 it needs to be much more.

That being said Bob Koch’s Deluxe Card Box is one of the very few Card Boxes I have seen that lies 100% flat.  In fact the only other one I could find is Dave Powell’s one.  This feature is not that interesting for most times a Card Box is used, however, it is vital for the excellent routine by the brilliant Michael Weber that is exclusively designed for Bob’s box  with it’s: two flaps, consistent grain, and lies flat capability. 

Michael Weber’s routine: Things You Don’t Understand, is the first card routine* I have seen that makes use of not only both flaps but also uses the card box as a key part of the routine and way more than simply performing a change or vanish with the card box.  The routine is interesting and funny with multiple-phases and these key features as described by Michael Weber:

• One of the key concepts used in designing this routine was to begin by having the magic happen away from the box when one card influences the finding of a second card.
• This is followed by a vanish from inside the box but a reappearance in the half-deck that only the participant had touched up to that point.
• Finally, a physical action outside the box influenced the object inside the box, and by dumping out the second set of torn pieces, everything “interesting” could be examined.

Michael’s routine even provides a sensible and intriguing reason for using the card box in the first place as his patter begins:

“They say you should be careful of things you don’t understand. That’s why I keep this particular deck of cards inside this box; so I don’t confuse it with a deck of cards that has not been cursed.”

When you factor in Michael’s wonderful routine which can really only be performed with Bob Koch’s box you still may not be able to claim the Koch Card Box is an evolutionary change to the classic flap card box, but I think you could say it is the best routine devised for a card box.  So is it worth $200? Well that is tricky … if you are going to use to replace your existing card box routine, I don’t really think so.  However, if  you buy it to perform the amazing routine from Michael Weber that only works with this card box then probably so.  And and should you need a card box for anything else too you’ll be pleased to use Bob’s box for that too. 🙂

(* The only other routine that really turns the card box into something really magical that I know is Richard Osterlind’s VooDoo which works perfectly with Viking’s Euro Card Box.)

Click here for more information.