Andy Martin

Arcane is crafted by Louis Paul Productions and it is a really beautiful version of Harold Voit’s Magic Puzzle often known as Merlin’s Magic Elixir.  This effect is often confused with Winston’s Freer’s Tile Puzzle or Tile Deal, and although the effect is almost the same the method is quite different.

When comparing Arcane with the original Voit Magic Puzzle, this set by Louis is truly unparalleled. If you’ve ever wondered why people adore effects crafted from wood, just take these beauties in your hands and play with them—you’ll instantly understand. Not only are they stunning, but even the accompanying carry bag is well-made and high quality.

Click here for more information.

The Abacus was first created by George Kirkendall c. 1977 and it is a novel and fun way to reveal a playing card.  Louis Paul’s version is perfection of course.  It not only looks great, with a clearly discernible final card production, but  it will last a lifetime.

You do need to force a card using your favorite method, but the routine is easy and entertaining.  When was the last time you saw someone pull out an Abacus to check their calculations 🙂

The whole outfit comes in a simple heavy-duty cloth carry bag.

Click here for more information.

I really like Baffo, sometimes known by it’s longer name “The Baffo Orange and Ring Box“, and was hoping to demonstrate it this weekend.  Sadly, the main gimmick broke and I have been unable to fix it.  The problem with 100 year old props is sometimes when you actually try to use them, they break 🙁

Anyway, this is a very clever idea created by Floyd Thayer and the method is certainly a fooler. Milson-Worth created a similar effect with their Orange Cabinet about sixty years later and although it uses a very different method (which has its good points and its bad) I prefer Baffo in most cases as it is more convincing and can be shown and handled much more cleanly than the Milson-Worth Orange Box (which can only be shown empty from a distance).

What I like about Baffo is their are two parts to the method and neither of them are particularly hard to build and are certainly easy to do yet they allow you to really perform a miracle.  Although Thayer uses a bit of poetic license in the description of features below – the use of the phrase “no revolving panels, traps, cloth flaps” is particularly close to the mark, but the effect described really is possible.

Though if there was truth in advertising you would at least add after: “threaded on the cord, is found the borrowed ring” … “which is removed by the performer, cleaned off and handed back to the spectator for examination” 🙂

Click here for more information.

This clever item created by Floyd Thayer first appeared in the Thayer Catalog No. 5  c. 1921 and although the props can be thoroughly examined both before and after the effect this little miracle is easy to do.

There is one simple switch but it is done when their guard is totally down and there is zero heat on you.  The practice required is to make the actual appearance under the hanky as quick as possible – you want to try to avoid to be under there for too long 🙂

I will say this is the second Thayer prop I have added (the previous one being Baffo) requiring a borrowed ring and the ad copy completely ignores the fact that the ring being used is actually switched.  Maybe in the 1920’s everyone had pretty much the same wedding bands?  These days you would be better offer just using the provided rings and not bother to switch them, unless you know for sure your ring is very similar.  It still looks like a miracle because everything can be examined.

Click here for more information.

Cocktail Shaker styled Niffin tubes were made in the 1930/40’s by Thayer Quality Magic and Stull too. The first one was invented by American magician Paul Fox (real name Paul Fuchs) in 1935 and debuted by him at the 1936 IBM Convention in Lima, Ohio.

This Thermo Canister by Thayer is a real beauty and certainly looks like some sort of thermos bottle instead of an obvious magician’s prop. I dressed up the routine and added a storage box that also provides ample coverage for the move when required which is always a welcome bonus, instead of having to introduce other props for cover.

Click here for more information.

The most convincing switching device I have ever seen is the amazing Devil’s Mail Box by Thayer and later by Owen’s.  It is so clean you really can’t believe anything has happened.  After the initial success of the original design Thayer released a new version attributed to Len Sewell and called The Devil’s Card Rise (sometimes the Mysterious Card Rise).  This new device really is a marvel.

When I received this item it was a little worse for wear and did not include any instructions so I created my own based on the the original Devil’s Mail Box instructions, the advert and Thayer’s Rising Card instructions in Vol. 2 of Glenn Gravatt’s wonderful compilation of Thayer instruction sheets.  Dr. Albo shows the prop in a video for the Ultimate Thayer, but doesn’t actually perform the card rise feature or mention any specifics.  That being said after an afternoon playing with various approaches I’m confident I am very close.

Click here for more information.

This is one of only two items that Magic Wagon produced in 2023 and it is their third attempt at tackling Peter Warlock’s amazing glass penetration. The versions created by Magic Wagon so far are:

1. Mod Quad Penetration – 2008
2. Atomic Glass Penetration – 2020
3. Mystic Window Penetration – 2023

(and this does not include all types of glass penetration they have created).

This version uses a slightly different method from the original and when you view the effect you notice these differences:

• the relative width of the overall frame has been reduced.
• four small squares of glass are used instead of one larger glass pane.

If you know how the original works this version might well fool you.  It is also certainly a little cleaner and simpler to perform.  However, by reducing the glass into smaller pieces to my mind it does not seem quite as impossible – it is much harder to “do something tricky” with a large piece of solid glass.  But if you love the sort of well made compact close-up magic that Magic Wagon is famous for you will surely love this version.

Click here for more information.

Thayer’s Great Ballot Box Mystery c. 1916 was hailed as The Wonder Trick of 1916 and what a beauty it was.  Louis Gaynor reproduced one of these for Stevens Magic here.

This version was one of the very early items created by Thomas Pohle when he had a workshop in Berlin.  It was built as a prototype after seeing the effect in Dr. Albo 04 that he borrowed from his magic friend “Braco” (Ralf Wichmann).  A few years later when fellow countryman, Willi Wessel, was renting some space in his workshop,  Thomas gave it to Willi.  I recently purchased it directly from Willi.  This is the only version that Thomas built.

It still works though the handle design is a little fragile and Thomas tells me he would build it a little differently today – of course he was a very young man back then and and has had another 44 years of experience since 🙂

Unlike the original Thayer version, although it is fine for the spectator to handle briefly it cannot be examined as thoroughly and the gimmick is not designed to be removed during performance as with the Thayer version.

Click here for more information.

What a lovely version of Run Rabbit Run made by Supreme.  Based on my favorite version that I used when I was performing to children in my teenage years.

This is well made in metal and will last a lifetime.  I like this smaller size as you can easily handle it with one hand.  I also like how the patter switches things around and you start without showing the alien and then he pops his head out of the side door – that is a nice touch.

You’ll love this little guy for sure 🙂

Click here for more information.

This is a version of the Harry Stanley item: Harvey and The Soldier, beautifully made under license by Regow’s or Regow’s House of Enchantment or Regow’s Magic Co. or Regow’s Magic Studio – they seem to have placed ads under many names 🙂

It is a well made from wood and plastic that you will be happy with.  The switch requires a little finesse as there are no magnets and a fairly cramped space but it is certainly workable. I particularly like the patter below by Harry Stanley as it gets a lot of the prop and I think it will go down well with the the younger kids.

Click here for more information.