Burmese Bangle by Ken Brooke

This classic effect marketed by Ken Brooke* is highly sought after by collectors and performers as the effect is very strong. A true magician fooler.  It was invented by George Blake c. 1934 as a solution to the problem with the original Ten Card Effect** (from Professor Hoffmann’s Modern Magic pg. 104), whereby the spectator might inadvertently put the cards out of sequence. 

Effect: The apparatus consists of a metal bangle some 3″ in diameter, threaded upon this are ten blocks, each about 1 in. long and 4 in. square, these blocks are stamp numbered from Zero to Nine in bold white figures. Thus, “The Burmese Bangle” has an eye-catching appearance, yet it is easy to carry in the pocket. This effect will rapidly become a firm favorite with magicians all over the world for it has many advantages over most other pocket tricks:

• It is always Ready to Work.
• No Skill . . . No Sleights.
• No Preparation whatsoever.
• Failure Impossible.
• No confederates.
• The secret is in the Bangle.

A spectator examines the bangle, he shuffles the bars around the bangle to make it impossible for anyone to know the position of any particular one. He then lays the bangle on the table with the numbered sides hidden. The performer now turns his back, or can, if desired, leave the room. Any person thinks of a number below ten and moves that number of bars around the bangle. The handling of the bangle is such that no clue remains as to the number of bars moved.

The performer returns, flips over one of the bars, and believe it or not — THE FIGURE ON THIS BAR GIVES THE EXACT NUMBER OF BARS MOVED. The above can be repeated as often as you wish.

NOW :— The description of the climax that follows is true to the last detail. The performer again leaves the room, to direct the climax of this startling effect. REMEMBER :— He can neither see nor hear what takes place.  The spectator again moves as many bars as he wishes and completely covers the bangle with any magazine or newspaper. Under these conditions it would be impossible for the performer to know how many bars were moved . . YET . . Immediately and without touching anything, he tells any spectator to turn over one of the bars — On that very bar is found the Figure which coincides with the number of Bars moved in the performer’s absence.

Nothing is added or taken away and everything can be examined.

* When first advertised this was also know as the “Burmese Slave Bangle” but I have not seen it advertised like that for decades.

** The full title is: A Row of Cards being placed Face Downwards on the Table, to indicate, by turning up one of them, how many of such Cards have during your absence been transferred from one end of the Row to the other.

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