Review by Larry Wilfong for Nest of Boxes – Brass by Viking Mfg.

Review by Larry Wilfong for Nest of Boxes - Brass by Viking Mfg.
Review by Larry Wilfong for Nest of Boxes – Brass by Viking Mfg.
4 out of 5

Great Effect and it Feels Good, too!

Using the duplicate outer box takes this somewhat standard effect to a whole new level! The box(es) can be sitting on your close-up pad, loaded in another box, bag or "impossible" location and you’re set to perform a miracle.

The best part is that the set-up is easy, so you can concentrate on PRESENTATION.

I want to mention that I did have a problem with my set of boxes being too tight and I had put them aside. During a conversation with George at Viking I mentioned this and he invited me to return my set to his shop.

His craftsman did whatever Magic it took to fix the problem on ALL the boxes and I’ve been a happy camper ever since.

Score one for George Robinson! (and me) 🙂

Click here for more information.

Review by Andy Martin for Can-Do by Hayakawa Magic

Review by Andy Martin for Can-Do by Hayakawa Magic
Review by Andy Martin for Can-Do by Hayakawa Magic
4 out of 5

Simple but Still Effective.

This was a bit of a plesant surprise. The props are very simple looking, and yet without any funny moves at all you can always tell which can the coin is placed into.

There are no gimmicks and everything can be examined before and after and you can repeat it with a different outcome immediately. You don’t even have to touch the cans.

Very nice!

Click here for more information.

Review by Andy Martin for Money Cups by El Duco's Magic

Review by Andy Martin for Money Cups by El Duco's Magic
Review by Andy Martin for Money Cups by El Duco's Magic
4 out of 5

So close to a real Winner!

El Duco frequently has some great ideas – I am not sure this is one of his however. Unfortunately, not all of his ideas are manufactured to the the standards that I would like. This particular effect is so close to being a real winner but I fould the manufacture only ok. I also think there are at least two other versions of this effect that are basically the same – one in brass and one in wood that probably should be checked also.

The idea is cool since it is the standard Cups and Coins effect, where the coins travel from one cup to the other, one by one. But with this version the coins are normal and the cups look pretty close to normal too. The two main problems I have with this unit are: 1) it should work with half dollars, but sometimes in practice it did not due to the quality of the finishout for the gaff, 2) the quality of the cups is good all round, but inside they are not finished properly and I’m not sure why.

This being said, if you do it with quarters or halves (assuming I just have a poor cup) it is much easier than the other version and there is no banging of the cup on the table, or any such madness!

Click here for more information.

Review by Andy Martin for On The Right Finger by El Duco's Magic

Review by Andy Martin for On The Right Finger by El Duco's Magic
Review by Andy Martin for On The Right Finger by El Duco's Magic
4 out of 5

An unusual idea and a fooler!

Here we have another El Duco effect that is unusual and a fooler. The props are workable, just not beautiful.

The effect is you show a hand in a stand and borrow a ring from a member of the audience. Under cover of a hanky you then place the ring on one of the fingers – without the spectator knowing which one. They now are given a pen and a small white board with the shape of a hand on it and are asked to circle just one finger. They have a totally free choice, and yet when you remove the hanky there is the ring on the correct finger. This works everytime and can be repeated if you so desire.

Once you have the knack it is easy to do, but does take some practice at first and cannot be done totally surrounded.

Click here for more information.

Review by Andy Martin for Portable and Affordable Card Sword by Jay Leslie

Review by Andy Martin for Portable and Affordable Card Sword by Jay Leslie
Review by Andy Martin for Portable and Affordable Card Sword by Jay Leslie
4 out of 5

It is Portable and Affordable and Works, but a bit flimsy.

I have always loved the card sword effect and when I saw Jay Leslie advertising this effect, I thought I’d give it a go. The size of the sword makes is suitable for smaller gatherings that a fullsize card sword is just not suitable for. The method is different from other card swords I have seen, and works well. I don’t believe you would be doing this for close-up, but for parlour or stage it would be fine.

However there are two problems with it: you cannot show the sword from all sides, even in motion, and the sword itself is a bit flimsy and I personally would have preferred to pay extra for a slightly more solid sword.

It is still a worthy attempt, and you should find yourself using this.

Click here for more information.

Review by George Guerra for Hemingway Lock by Collectors' Workshop

Review by George Guerra for Hemingway Lock by Collectors' Workshop
Review by George Guerra for Hemingway Lock by Collectors' Workshop
4 out of 5

One very heavy lock trick

The American Lock Co. lock used in this effect is quite impressive in itself. It’s big and heavy for a padlock. I have an original and that was a Series 700 lock, which I assume is still used for the effect. The one drawback to this version is that the method requires the performer to open the lock at the end. This is in contrast to Key-R-Rect, where the spectator is allowed to do the unlocking. Now the presentation included with the effect takes this into account, but still it is rather awkward and suspicion may be aroused that the lock is gimmicked.

Click here for more information.

Review by Doug Gorman for The Pharaoh's Cartouche by Alan Warner

Review by Doug Gorman for The Pharaoh's Cartouche by Alan Warner
Review by Doug Gorman for The Pharaoh's Cartouche by Alan Warner
4 out of 5

A Beautiful Penetration Effect

This is a very nice penetration effect, with absolutely magnificent props. Every time I obtain an Alan Warner effect, I marvel at the craftsmanship, the sheer beauty of the prop. The presentation, coupled with these enchanting props, makes for a very entertaining piece of magic

Click here for more information.

Review by Andy Martin for Dots and Dashes by Al Schneider, Sterling Magic

Review by Andy Martin for Dots and Dashes by Al Schneider, Sterling Magic
Review by Andy Martin for Dots and Dashes by Al Schneider, Sterling Magic
4 out of 5

Great Gimmicks, but takes some handling!

It is easy to have the belief that when you buy gimmicked coins you won’t really need to do any sleights. In the case of this effect it is not true. The gimmicks are very nicely made, and create an impossible effect. However, to do this convincingly requires a fair amount of practice of some standard sleights.

Of course, once you have mastered the moves you will have an absolute miracle on your hands and feel pretty proud of yourself at the same time!

Click here for more information.

Review by Anonymous for Impossibilia by John Bannon

Review by Anonymous for Impossibilia by John Bannon
Review by Anonymous for Impossibilia by John Bannon
4 out of 5

Impossibilia: A Short Review

This book contains very simple and easy to perform tricks that focus on performance over sleights. The effects are ALL powerful and things that you would use in everyday work. I am a card guy so I concentrated more on the card effects in this book and they are all amazing. The Bonus routine involving a card being "printed" is quite amazing if I say so myself. There is also a prediction effect which is simple, witty, and hard hitting. I recommend to pick this book up NOW if you want some new, intriguing, magic for your repertoire.

Click here for more information.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close