talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect
Come Fly With Me
JBTV.co.uk

Cost
£220 (although that DOES include shipping… a bargain then!)

Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

Slap bang in the middle of a ”2” I would say, although I would like to have seen some variations taught that made use of more sleights…. More on that later.

They Say

The plot is simple, yet the magic is stunning. Not one, not two, but three coins travel from the right fingertips across to the left fingertips. This is visual coin magic taken to a whole new level. Marks revolutionary new handling for this modern classic will guarantee a mind blowing experience for any audience.

Review

I would like to stress that the following review is just my ‘Humble Opinion’, please treat it as such rather than as a definitive guide.

First and foremost let’s get one thing out of the way, this is an expensive piece of kit! Is it really worth that much? Well it’s all subjective really, sure you can spend a lot less money on your magic but IF this is something you are going to use for years to come then maybe it’s not bad value at all. So what DO you get for your money? Well, of course, I can’t tell you (HA HA!!) but, as it says in the JBTV ad you are supplied with ‘all the precision made coins and a step by step instructional dvd’.

THE COINS:
If some of you are expecting, for the money, a miniature teleportation device or perhaps some elaborate nanobots who do all the work for you then I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. What you DO get is some very nicely made apparatus which has a nice, positive and confidence inspiring feel to it. Close study of the apparatus shows that a lot more work has gone into the manufacture than you would think at first glance leaving you with the impression that you have a well crafted, smoothly working prop for your collection. Over the years I have bought a lot of ‘precision made’ apparatus (including just about every Eddie Gibson piece ever made) and in comparison this set is very impressive. The coins are Morgan Silver Dollars which (on my set) are all dated 1921 and have a nice, slightly aged look to them. It would have been good to use a UK coin in current circulation but, of course, there isn’t one big enough to have the impact of these babies and I’m sure some well worded presentation will sell your audience to the fact you are using such unusual coins.


THE DVD:
The DVD (actually a DVDR) runs for around 18 minutes with an additional 10 minutes of bonus material making a total viewing time of around half an hour. The routine is taught from two viewpoints (spectator and overhead) by Mark Mason and is clear and concise. Nice to hear a good, honest Blackpool accent on a dvd for a change! I would not say that the routine is as well taught as, for example, Daniel Garcia’s ‘TORN’ which breaks down each move in fine detail and repeats the whole performance from different viewpoints at different speeds, but it is certainly adequate to learn the routine as Mark performs it.

Whilst the routine is fine as it is, it didn’t leave me as floored as many of the illustrious names quoted in the advert. Wayne Dobson’s “People have started religions with less than this" is doubtless tongue in cheek but still over eggs the pudding to my mind, it’s pretty good but perhaps not THAT good! It is very achievable for the casual magician though, the props make light work of the moves required and even an average performer will have little difficulty in carrying off the routine as it is described with just a few hours work. Just don't set up that new religion quite yet...

I do feel that, for the money, more variations to the routine and bonus material should have been provided. For example, as the routine stands, the coins are not offered to the spectator for examination at all. To me this is a glaring omission as you are using props that, with the right routine, could be freely handled by the audience. Sure, this would doubtless take the difficulty level up to a ‘3’ or beyond but, at this price level I would expect this to be explored as an additional handling option. By comparison, I understand that Ultimate 3 Fly allowed for the examination of the coins before or after the effect which must have greatly helped allay any suspicions that gaffed coins are used.

I feel sure that there are other handling ideas that could have been explored on the DVD at this price. Doubtless, most magicians who buy this piece will have the skills to work out additional handlings for themselves but I’m primarily a cardie (not to mention a lazy old git) and personally would have appreciated some further and deeper thoughts of this kind.


Overall

Over the years I have spent a lot of money on magic, often a lot more than this. I once bought a Collectors Workshop ‘Gift of Time’ for over £1000 and considered it excellent value for money as I used it over and over again for many years and had immense fun performing it and fooling people (until it was stolen!). I say this not to showboat but to make the point that I feel I have a handle on what is and what isn't good value and this effect will be judged on whether or not it is worth the not insubstantial £220 being asked.

My own feeling is that the price is too high. Sure it’s nice, but for £220 I would have expected a DVD of the standard of ‘Torn’ with a lot more material (you should be starting to get the idea that I like 'Torn'!) The coins themselves are excellent and many may consider they are worth the investment. I haven’t decided yet whether or not this piece is a 'keeper' or whether it will become ‘back of the drawer’ fodder, I will have to learn it and test it out first so time will tell. Maybe I will be offering it for sale here in the not too distant future!

This is really one for working pro's (that's 'fessionals, not 'stitutes!) who will be able to make this kit work for them and get the value for money I talked about at the start. Keen (or daft) amateurs with deep pockets may also be interested, but don't expect miracles for your money.

And so to a rating! This is, of course, very subjective and more a matter of gut feeling than objective calculation. If the price had been more reasonable and the DVD more in depth, then the rating would have been comfortably higher.

Props: 9/10
DVD: 7/10
Value 5/10
OVERALL 7/10

how would the coins compare usability wise for other effects, ie in hopping halfs you get two gimmicks that are very usefull for other effects especialy if you get the erm other set

if memory serves morgan silver dollars are soft'ish could that be a problem for maintanance of the gimmicks, would parts need to be replaced / sourced, last bit could be dificult to reply too.

I've PM'd you, magicdiscoman.

apreciated.

You actually get more than you think you do (pudding knows ). I would agree that the value is subjective, for the hobbist this is an effect that needs a lot of thinking about before you purchase, but for us who work in magic it is different matter. As for the quotes, some of the pros have altered the handling and that is why you are getting the glowing comments.

I'd be interested to read your review on this item, if you are doing one when you have had a chance to get familiar with your set, Stephen. I won't be TOO offended if you disagree with me!

The one down point for me is that the coin case is cheap plastic and i thought we would get a nice case. Problems with Tossing as well (no jokes )

i personally love this, if see this routine as a layperson this absolutely kills, why we are comparing this to bob kohlers uf3 i will never know, this is by far the best 3 fly routine out there, period!

why we are comparing this to bob kohlers uf3 i will never know

I'm not sure what you're referring to, Daren. The only reference to U3F I made was in the context that CFWM doesn't teach any handling that allows the audience to examine the coins. Beyond that I can't see that I or anyone else has endorsed one routine over the other here.... or am I missing something?

sorry my mistake, i know there is a lengthy thread on another board where a lot of people compare it to bob kohlers routine.

I have performed cwfm to my wife (yes the old wife test) and she absolutely loved it, i practise cfwm about 50-100 times a day and I'm sure the routine can be even more polished.

I understand with the bob kohler routine you cleanly make the first go across as per cfwm and then the hands come together, with cfwm onegoes across cleanly, then the second just as cleanly as the first, i think this is what makes cfwm very unique.

I do not own uf3 and probably never want to after receiving these beautiful coins, i have changed the handling slightly and in my opinion have made the routine even more magical than marks routine.

Cool... thanks for clearing that up, Daren

Hi guys

Just want to clear up a few points about CFWM.

Ultimate 3 Fly is no longer available, which is why Mark Mason is onto a winnner with this as its the only version commercially available.

The advantage that Ultimate 3 Fly has over CFWM is that the coins can be examined before the routine has started.

Iwould bet that if a layperson saw both versions they would think in there eyes that its the same trick.

I am not knocking the product but after spending £210 on the Bob Kohler version nearly 2 years ago I just cant justify shelling out another £220 for something which achieves the same result.

And before you ask I use Ultimate 3 Fly in my adult close up act & also perform it for children as well, short sleeves are a must though.

Cheers

could someone post a video clip of this so we can see was it really looks like?

I considred purchasing cfwm from mark.
I then looked at what lay people see! would there be a massive difference than my three fly routine using a slippery sam that I bought from mark?

At the end of the day peeps lay folk see three coins jumping back and forth invisably. Belive me they wont say o he brought his hands together on the second time!

I couldn't justify spending £220 when I have a workable three fly routine that I'm perfectly happy with. O and my slippery sam is as smooth as silk and doesn't make a noise.

I am still trying to pan out if I should dish out the cash for this routine...I would love to get my hands on the Kohler version so they can be examined but they aren't acailable unless someone is selling a set...This review seems fair...Also, doesn't this routine just use a slippery sam?