Andy Martin

The first time I saw a similar effect to DragonScale was ten years ago with E.S.P. by LabcoMagic and I was suitably amazed with Soren Harbo’s beatuiful effect.  DragonScale has more features for about half the price but that is because you get to use the full power of your smartphone (iPhone or Android are supported).  The two biggest criticisms of DragonScale I have read are:

1. It should come with a custom reader, not just a smartphone. The price would sky-rocket.
2. I can do everything with a stacked deck without DragonScale. Good luck doing the described effect with a stacked deck and not once looking at the cards 🙂

I’m not a big lover of anything to do with electronics but you have to give this effect its due. If you are performing more formal close-up, as opposed to walk-around where I’m not sure I would recommend this effect, you can create some outstanding miracles that could not be done simply with a stacked deck (even if you are lucky enough to remember one!).

One of the routines in the tutorial that took my eye was when the performer leaves the deck on the table and looks away.  The first spectator cuts a portion of cards off the deck and you can tell him what card he cut too.  The next spectator cuts off a portion and you are able to tell them how many cards are in their hand.  Finally the third spectator cuts off a third portion and you are able to tell them how many clubs, hearts, spades and diamonds are in the packet.

In no instance do you turn around or need to see the cards.  Zero memory work too and you could even use your own stack if you wanted.

I did found you should not use a close-up mat when performing this – it works best when on a hard surface like the table or bar.  But if your close-up pad is stiffer then it could also work, but my mats are fairly plush and I found it a little less accurate.

So if you are looking for that one killer effect this could easily be it.  Use a new deck, keep your battery charged and go for it 🙂

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This is a great version of J.F. Orrin’s Uplift effect. Uplift was invented by J.F. Orrin c. 1945 and improved by Jack Hughes c. 1947 and it is found in Jack’s book World of Magic Vol. 2.  This effect is easy to learn and perform.  The routine is not as extensive as the Ultimate version released by Len Belcher, but it is easier to set-up and perform so that is worth considering.

This version is made well and I like how the stack of blocks is the same height as the tube, which of course is not possible for the Belcher version and other similar props such as Strat-O-Sphere.

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This effect was originally called Swish  and invented by Warren Stephens c. 1969.  It was often combined with Warren Stephens other effect Bowl of Silks. This is a well made copy from Creative Magic Products c. 1974. I am not sure if they had permission or not, but this appears to be a direct copy.

Creative Magic Products was a joint venture started by Dr. Keith Rossein and Frank Paglia in Baldwin, New York, c. 1974.  They appeared to be well funded with a real mission and purpose but as far as I can tell they were only in business from 1974 to 1978. If you have more information on them please contact me.

This is a great item that is easy to do.  In the video I make the silks reappear using one of Viking’s Mirror Wine Glasses which are perfect for this effect.  I’ve had a few people comment on the video saying that it looks like camera trickery, but if you had been in the Porcupine when I took the video you would have seen the same vanish and appearance.  When I watch it back myself, it does look pretty amazing, if I do say so myself 🙂

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This beautifully clever checker penetration was invented by U.F. Grant c. 1954 and if you are familiar with other approaches this one will certainly fool you.  I know I was not expecting the props and the moves.  This is the Mak Magic version c. 1981.

If you have not seen this beauty before you are in for a real treat and a genuine surprise. When it comes to collecting magic those are the best kind 🙂

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The first version of this remarkable illusion was invented by Okito c. 1904 (Dr Albo Vol 1, pg 103).  Among others, variations have also been built by Thayer, National Magic Company, Henry Bohlen and Town House Magic (Deluxe Visible Block Penetration c. 1946), Richard Gerlitz, Mel Babcock, Magic Wagon, Mikame Craft, and Nielsen Magic.  It is performed by Dr. Albo in the Ultimate Okito.

However, not all Visible Block Penetrations use the same Okito method.  The key tell tale sign in performance is “slow-motion”: can the penetration be done slowly and visibly?  If it can then it is most likely based on the same method.  If it is visible but almost instant it is probably not using the same method.

This beautiful close-up version follows the Okito method was created by an unknown German Craftsman c. 1980 and acquired by the great German Craftsman himself Willi Wessel. When I purchased this from Willi earlier this year unfortunately Willi did not know who the creator was.  It is made very well and the small size makes it particularly useful since many of these slow motion visible block penetrations are designed for stage and parlor.

The one difference with this version is that that it uses a solid block throughout instead of a shell.  This means without some extra moves it is not possible to show the tube completely empty at the beginning.  However, you can at the end as explained by Willi in the quick video explanation he created especially for the lucky winner 🙂

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The Linking Rings were the product that gave Mike Brazill’s company it’s name. In 1969 Mike Brazill started making some beautiful Chinese Linking Ring sets in his basement in Jennings, Missouri – in his first year alone Mike and a helper turned out over a thousand sets of his “new design” Linking Rings.  The following year Mike teamed up with Harry Montieth and they designed a new set of metal Cups and Balls. Miss Sandy Byrne was also hired to take care of the Office while Mike ran the Plant, Sandy’s passion for keeping the orders flowing and the customers happy was only matched by Mike’s talent for metal craft. That year the organization produced nearly three thousand sets of rings, six hundred sets of cups and over a thousand dove pans. They were now making “Rings … and things.” By 1972 Mike Brazill incorporated the fledgling company and officially named it: Rings ‘N Things Magic Co.  (Jay Malbrough – Genii Magazine, November 1977)

This is an amazing set of Liquor Multiplying Bottles from the Original Rings ‘N’ Things and 47 years later they still look amazing after all these years.

The tubes are typical Rings ‘N Things quality with no seams to be found, rolled rims and accents, Mike Brazill’s exclusive epoxy-baked miracle finish, realistic labels, basically they’re perfectly made. You won’t find any passe passe bottles better than these.

The Liquor Bottles were more plentiful than the Bubble-Up (7-Up copies) but both sets are rare, meticulously made and are minor miracles. These bottles are pure perfection.

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The electronics work of Marcelo and Victor Contento is second to none. If you are looking for 100% reliability then their brand will never fail you. Their version of the Jumbo Rising Cards is regarded by many, including myself, as the best version ever created. It is very reliable, with advanced features and incredibly easy to use.

You press a single button once to go up and a single button once to go down from almost anywhere in the room. The cards will then rise or fall to the right height and automatically stop. This was the model that Billy McComb used for years and two of his routines are featured with the instructions.

What I really like about this model is how reliable it is.  That being said over time the cards themselves can get worn out. When this unit arrived the cards that rose were in a pretty bad way and would stick sometimes.  As long as you replace them with the old style, thick bicycle Jumbo cards you should be fine.  The other thing to keep an eye on is how many cards you need to place in the houlette. It has a clever spring in front to maintain the correct tension, but you still must make sure you don’t over fill it with cards, otherwise they can stick.  If you read the instructions, which I know is tricky sometimes, it tells you precisely the right amount of cards to use so this is not hard to achieve.  But if you are having issues it could be because your cards are dirty or you have too many cards jammed in front.

The routines that Billy supplies come with a decent deck switch, which is easy to do and works well, but even Billy himself stopped using the switch over time and just used a small deck for the selection.  This streamlines the operation even more.

The routine I am using is a combination of Billy’s and Marcello’s and I’m very happy with it. So much so that I might even feature this routine for my Holiday shows this Christmas 🙂

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I love this little plastic top 🙂

This was released by Sam c. 2008 and it was based on an earlier device (quite possibly this one) but Sam did not invent it.  He modified his version slightly and thought it would be more useful with colors rather than numbers.  I agree 100% with him, there are plenty of dice you can use to force a number from 1 to 6, but when it comes to colors your options are limited.

When you need to force a color this could not be a simpler approach – just have the spectator spin the top and it will end up on the color you want every time.  It is instant to set and can be handed to the spectator to spin without worrying that they will figure anything out.

When I need to force a color this is the perfect little device I know you will love, thank-you Sam Dalal!

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The Chinese Coin Trick is an old effect (well over one hundred years – the first ad I found for it was from Martinka’s in 1914) and has been known also as The Miracle of Confucius (in Illustrated Magic by Ottokar Fischer).

Francois Danis has created a very pretty version.  The coins and cord fit perfectly in a beautifully crafted and decorated box. The routine requires two simple moves but everything is covered well by the props and routine. And as a result everything can be examined at the end.

This is a real fooler and once you try it a few times you will quickly fall in love with it too.

Great job Francois 🙂

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Johnson Precision Magic or Johnson Products are well known for their fake coins and brass coin gimmicks. But this was one of their early non-coin effects, that was made as equally well as any of their coin work.

This has been long unavailable which is a shame because it really is a wonderful effect. The props are well made and it has a clean simple method that will impress you.

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