Flying Ring by Al Koran, Harry Stanley, Ron MacMillan

The idea of using some sort of pull or watch spring to vanish or transport a finger ring dates all the way back to 1784 and Joseph’s Pinetti’s Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments, 1784, p. 57. See Conjuring Credits. However, what really spurned this effect along was the idea of Al Koran’s c. 1967 to use a case key case to store the locking reel which he describes in his wonderful book Professional Presentations.

This version I purchased from Ron MacMillan’s International Unique Magic Studio c. 1977 (which of course was the combined Harry Stanley’s Unique Magic Studio and Ron’s International Magic Studio when Ron and Hugh Caddy acquired Unique c. 1972) and it was probably my most used effect for the next twenty years.  I never had any issues with rings being damaged or lost.  In fact, I didn’t even realize that was possible until I started reading about some people’s problems with this classic method years later.  This version is based on the earlier Harry Stanley version who owned the rights to manufacture it from Al Koran which he obtained at the same time as publishing Professional Presentations.

Effect: Performer borrows any finger ring. It is cleanly and openly placed into the left fist. The right hand is shown to be absolutely and genuinely empty. To ensure that the ring cannot escape up the sleeve, the spectator firmly grasps performer’s wrist Now, using his free, and empty right hand, performer reaches into his trouser pocket and removes his closed key case. The case is flipped open and the keys are seen dangling from the clips. But there, amongst the keys is seen the SPECTATORS VERY RING. Performer slowly opens his right fist and sure enough it is seen to be empty. The ring is removed from the clip and returned to the spectator. This is brilliant, entertaining magic of the highest order.

This is real reputation making stuff Koran’s method is unsurpassed for cleanness of handling and ease of performance. No matter how closely your audience watch, the method is absolutely undetectable and baffling. The secret lies in the precision apparatus supplied with this outfit.

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