Tuesday, November 3, 2009

One handed cane production method

This had been in my lecture since the 80's. I use a cotter pin on a safety pin.
This is a picture from my instructions when I sell my "flagtastick" effect.

It holds the cane under a jacket, in a box or anywhere you want until the cane is needed. the picture shows it holding a cane open with three silks attached to the end hole.
It is a cotter pin costs about .15 in a ny hardware store.
It has been used by everyone who has my effects including Jeff McBride.
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If you mount this on a table, I drill a hole in the table, and stick either the cotter pin or a 12 penny common nail thru the hole. Then I place the cane on the nail using the slide bar hole (not the silk attachment hole).
Again, I first did this in the late 70's. Some Argentinian dealers have since mentioned this method in the past few years (probably caught my lecture in Miami).



The cool thing is when you pick it up, and slide the cane off the rod, your fingers are all that hold the can from opening.
You immediately get to that position without fumbling to open the furrile.
Note: the photos are from the printed instructions included in my "flagtastick" effect. I also have a video that shows this as well.
This method has been part of the general lecture I do which includes canes and candles. Candle to silk to cane, cane in the air production, I also refer to it as a grenade cane production, when I attach a line to the cotter pin, I pull the line from a distance, and the cane appears remotely.



There are two holes in the ferrule (actually three).
The obvious one is the end hole where the silk goes.
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The next hole is the slide hole. That is where you straighten the ferrule out, stick the cotter pin, bobby pin or rod into it and then allow it (the cotter pin) to hold the cane from opening.
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When production of the cane is required, you grasp as few as two fingers where the silks and hole is (upper hole). Slide the cane off the cotter pin, and now the cane is prevented from opening by your fingers. The transfer of pressure goes from the cotter pin to your fingers.
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It is elegant, as your palm is seen empty, the silks hang as if you are holding a silk or silks (it will not look any different if you did not have a cane.).
There is no movement as normally needed to release the ferrule.
Also, if you have the set-up mounted in the jacket, and you reach for the silks, it looks as though you merely took silks from your jacket as they hang so naturally.
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Oh.. the third hole which can also be used, is the rivet hole.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Phillips file Home-made Himber





The Philips File

I discovered this little file at a flea market, it fits the applications of the Himber style wallet and a switch pad. Very simple yet baffling methodology.

Effect one: A card is selected and folded, then placed into a wallet.
The magician writes a prediction on a pad. The wallet is opened and the card is read.
The prediction matches.

Effect two: The magicians asks a spectator to write a four digit number and write it on the page in the file booklet. This is repeated two more times and the file book is then closed.

The booklet is then opened and handed o a fourth spectator and they are asked to add the numbers. The final answer is called out. The magician turns over a blackboard with chalk on it and the added number matches.


The wallet can open from either end, but if you open it while the writing facing right. You will notice the book has the writing on the left.

You can make your own by getting some of those refrigerator magnets, those thin magnetic squares that hold ads on them. Just sandwich two together. Glue some accordian pleated paper to the insides of the sandwich, and you have the gimmick.

Notice the writing is facing the left in the picture. The booklet should be opened from right to left as before, but since the booklet has secretly been turned, the writing inside will have the index on the right and text  heading at the right side. You are also actually seeing the
other side of the pages.


If I lift the booklet covers, you can see the fan-fold of the pages.
 
During the trick, no one spectator will see the same side.  Three spectators  write on one page, when you take the booklet back, the last spectator will actually add your pre-written numbers.

Notice the indexes have switched sides.
Note: You can write directly on the pages, but I suggest sticking post-its on the page, so you can use the switch device indefinitely.
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To Restate: You take the booklet out and open it to a page that has the post it note. You hold the booklet as you have the spectator write in the book. You then move to the next spectator and they write a four digit number, and the the last. You close the booklet briefly.
You then turn to a person behind that group, or someone at the other end of the room.
You re-open the booklet (from the other end), showing the new spectator the group of three numbers. You call out the numbers and have someone looking at the prediction on a chalkboard or in an envelope on the stage. The prediction matches the total.