Review by Andy Martin for Tell O'Clock by D. Robbins & Co.
2 out of 5
Note to self, Cheap is Bad!
Ok I know not to buy the cheap imports from India, but sometimes you forget and a product looks nice on a web page …
This clock actually looks ok when you receive it. But it’s really not a practical implementation. You can hear something turning when you turn the clock hands (that is not the hands) and if you put it on a table the box actually moves!
It was cheap and a good reminder that quality comes at a price. In this case the price is a totally unusable effect!
Review by Andy Martin for Card Penetration Box by Joe Porper
2 out of 5
For Collector’s Only
This is probably the worst effect in the current Joe Porper Line. The effect holds great promise, the box is well made and looks nice.
The premise is you show the black box, with hole running through the middle and show a bolt that goes through the hole and then you add a full deck of cards and clearly demonstrate that the bolt cannot go through the deck. Then after the magic incantation you ask the spectator to push down on the bolt and it goes all the way in penetrating the deck. You can then pull out the bolt and hand everything out for examination.
However, it has some serious angle issues and takes some real talent to pull this off without exposing the method. I found the box just too difficult to seriously use. I also found it strange that although there is a hole running from top to bottom you cannot show the bolt coming out of the bottom after the so called penetration.
Anyway if you are collecting the Porper Line you’ll have to get this, otherwise I really think you will be dissappointed with it.
Review by Gary Michaels for Crystal Casket (Crystal Cube) (Spring Loaded) by Ickle Pickle
2 out of 5
More Ickle Pickle (Steve Bender) Trash
I read a cool effect I’d never seen in Tarbell 5 (re-reading the classics is always a good thing!) using a Crystal Casket, a glass with a plasticene insert, a small cylinder to cover same and a white silk –the silk vanishes from the glass (sitting atop the casket) and instantaneously appears inside the latter.
This effect is designed for a much smaller Crystal Casket (such as the British firms — Repro and Supreme — were selling 25 years ago or so). Alas I’d lost my old 4" C.C.
After seeing Andy’s presentation of this effect in his video (seen here), I bought one of the Bender versions.
As expected it was overpriced (although I purchased it at cost) but worse, this is cheaply made: no hinge in the lid, it’s only held together with the mylar tape seen here, which will wear out if you’re performing it more than 50 times; plus the "latch" on the bottom which frees the spring load is literally a bent paper clip — and badly bent at that.
I’m not making this up.
Mine also arrived in Bender’s original box, well-packaged, and STILL had scratches on the plexiglass.
Absolutely unforgiveable for an item that sells for $60+ retail.
Try to find one of the older, well-made Crystal Caskets.
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