talkmagic.co.uk

Many people seem to ask at some point on TM "what wallet do you recommend?" - I know, as I was once one of those people! I recently bought this so I thought I'd review this even though it's not particularly new, so people can read up and choose.

The Effect Card to Wallet, Ronseal endorsed! There are two routines included in the accompanying booklet, the basic CtW ("The Draun Routine") and a version of Vernon's "Travellers", "Nouveau Travellers".

Steve Draun's Real Man's Wallet
Cost - A mere £21.62 from World of Magic.

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)

3 - depends on whether you can palm. If you can and do, easy, if not, you've got some practice to do!

Review
I'll start by saying that I already own "Outlaw" (a credit card/business card holder, not a wallet) for peeks - there are one or two hybrid wallets on the market but I would stick with my Outlaw through hell and high water for mentalism, and set out wanting a pure CtW item. I would advise anyone to do the same! I will also mention that being a tight-fisted Yorkshire lad, I've done my CtW research!

Right, down to business. The wallet comes with a perfectly acceptable booklet - explains the gaff, how to use it including Steve Draun's own handling, plus two routines. Steve uses gambler's cop, so this is the handling explained - I expect I will palm instead, but it makes little difference.
The wallet itself - is a thing of quality and elegance. It is "simple" in some respects, and all the better for it. In a market packed with over-hyped, faddy products, the RMsW - produced in some form since the 60's, apparently - silently stands in authority!
The main selling point is something which so many CtWs fail to master - affordable quality. So many other wallets claim to "look just like your real wallet", but when it comes to it, the corners are badly finished, it's made of vinyl, the ID window is tacky acetate (in the RMW it's that thick, highly flexible PVC stuff)... and that's if you've found a hip-sized version! (I mean, really... my girly housemates have handbags smaller than the size of half of the wallets I've seen!).
As someone put on another website, this really does "look and feel like a regular wallet", because basically, it is! Yes, you're getting a smart, highly useable (it contains a money [notes] section, a press-stud covered ID window, 3 credit card slots, and two larger "hidden" pockets behind the latter two features), real leather, hip-sized wallet for £22! After a month or so in your back pocket this will seriously look the part. It just feels like when they were designing/making it, they started out making the wallet and added the extra functionality of the gaff, rather than setting out to make a prop that looked a bit like an everyday item.

In terms of the gaff, it loads from the "end" (ie. the left short side, looking at the opened wallet) which is fine as you would have the wallet orientated in your pocket in this plane normally. They say in the booklet that you are provided with a transparent slide - I wasn't, but this is not really a problem at all as anyone with any sense will use their driving licence or similar item that would not look out of place in the ID window (where the card appears). Then, when you open the wallet, you un-pop the small flap which folds outwards (towards the edge of the wallet), subtly covering the secret entrance, and unfold the ID window cover panel which folds "inwards", towards the middle of the wallet, revealing the ID window "normal" entry - lying close to the centre line of the wallet. In addition, the press-stud flap and the ID cover panel look as though they are one piece, held into the wallet in the middle by the ID window. (Are you still with me?!) As such, the fact that there is an opening behind the smaller flap isn't even suspicious - you simply assume that should a card be shoved behind the flap, it would end up in the left hidden pocket, ie. behind an extra layer of leather. All of these things are great visual confirmations that the ID window pocket only has one entrance, and that it's well locked into the middle of the wallet.
As a final comment, the size of the window is ideal. This is probably just a coincidence! But it is about 1cm shorter lengthways and 0.5cm shorter width ways than a poker-sized playing card. Again, visually, this really "frames" the card, again making it seem all the more "locked in".

Overall I could not be happier with this wallet. It looks the part, it's easy to use, it's highly convincing - because it just doesn't look like a prop. And despite the great way it is designed, I think the main explanation for that is the quality - which in turn makes the price even more incredible.
I'm going to give it a:
9/10, and I'm a tough critic! Really it should be 10 as I can't actually think of anything wrong with it, but my joint reason: I've only just got it, so can't comment on how long it will last, but I'll be very surprised if it falls apart due to the high level of quality. And secondly, although in terms of quality and design it knocks most other wallets out of the water, gaff-wise it's a "typical" CtW, i.e. a slide, you palm --> you load... you're not getting some new, rocket powered technology... and why would you ever need it?!

Final thoughts - if you don't palm yet, I would strongly advise you to learn, practice and get a palming CtW (and I'd strongly recommend this one!). To me, it is far more convincing to reach into your as yet un-involved pocket for your wallet (which, if it actually was your real wallet, would be in your pocket rather than being juggled around on the table...) rather than messing around, holding the wallet on top of the deck, putting cards under the wallet on the table "for safe keeping" etc This wallet is so close to being examinable, it's unreal - there are no external openings or seams - really all you can't let people do is stick their fingers down the back of the smaller flap!

Summary - My criteria were (in order of importance):"hip pocket" size, affordable, ability to use as real wallet, convincing, easy to use, good quality (pref. real leather). The Real Man's Wallet easily fulfils all of those. [/i]

That's a really nicely done review. And I'm not just saying that because I agree with it 100%.

I can't believe they're doing it that cheap. I bought mine from Steve Draun a couple of years ago and paid more than twice that including the postage, and I still think it's worth every penny.

This is a really nice wallet. And it's a C2W. The only reason not to buy this one is if you specifically don't want a palm-method wallet.

Is that a coin pouch i see in the picture?

I think i may have finally found my C2W.

EDIT: Actually, don't answer that, it's the flap for the I.D window.

Recieved mine toay!!

I had to order it from Mr. Draun himself, as i could not find anywhere else that sold it.

It's really nice isn't it! I'm having a few teething problems with a palm load, as opposed to the suggested gambler's cop. But I'm sure i'll sort it out.

An excellent puchase, which will travel with me wherever i go.

i supose adding an index linked doodad and youv'e got your self an invisible c2w if you catch my drift and a bit cheaper than some advertised.
hope thats suitably vague enough.

Old post!!!

Yeah, I thought I'd just point out for anyone interested that I own this wallet and use it daily (and have done for over a year...). It fits my requirements perfectly: sturdy, space for some cards and an id card, cash and coins space (though £20 notes are just slightly too big to fit in). It also only has three card slots so if you carry a lot of plastic around with you it might be a bit of a problem.

The loading mechanism is great, it looks just like part of the manufacture of the wallet and nobody looks twice at it. It is a Kaps-style wallet so you need to be somewhat proficient with cards to use it, but it's nothing too challenging and the instructions have some good routines for getting the load done under strong misdirection. It doesn't have a built-in slide but it's quite easy to use a credit card or similar with only a couple seconds setup.

So yeah, mini-review. If you're looking for a CTW get it!

Yeah, in the instructions it says it comes with a slide - it doesn't, but I use my driving license which is then beyond suspicion when you take the card out and in fact makes a lot of sense.

I'm intrigued by this "space for coins" though... where exactly?!

I was not supplied with a clear slide either, i used an ID card for a while but had problems with it slipping out of position. So, i cut a bit of black plastic to the size of a card and that not only works perfectly, but is invisible as i pull the Playing Card out, as it matches the colour of the wallet.

Why oh why did someone have to bring this thread up lol - I thought I was over the need to buy another wallet and I've been considering this one for a while now .... oh well

I currently only own one wallet (shocking, I know ) - Mark Mason's Mirage Wallet and I've been meaning to get a different one for aaaaages. The Mirage Wallet works differently to this, in that it doesn't require the card to be p****ed. I'm quite at home p***ing cards so I think it's about time I gave in bought a different wallet .


Firstly, would this wallet fit comfortably into my jeans back pocket (I'm sure I know the answer to this - I just need to be certain though )

Secondly - *shock, horror* ..... the price is now no longer £21.62 - it's "rocketed" to an unbelievable £21.86 - do you reckon I could justify spending that extra 24p

I can't believe the success has gone to Steve Draun's head and he has decided to start ripping people off to the tune of an extra 24p

This is well worth it - still used as my reg'lar every day wallet. It is really quite compact - smaller even than some "normal" billfold wallets available - and will definitely fit in your back jeans pocket.

GRRR - that's just typical lol ..... I finally gave in and decided to order this. I went to the world-of-magic shop and got the message "This item is temporarily unavailable!"
I phoned them and asked if they had any idea when it would be back in stock and they've no idea .

I've looked around but can't find anywhere that sells this at a price anywhere near world-of-magic's. Oh well ....... .

Well, this is finally back in stock.

Don't, however, expect a super-quick delivery. I ordered mine exactly a week ago and it still hasn't arrived, so I've just emailed them .

I'll add my thoughts on the wallet itself, when it eventually arrives - watch this space .

Well, firstly let me give a big thumbs up to World-Of-Magic.
They emailed me back saying:

Hi James,
Your order was shipped on the 19th. I have been made aware that a few items from the same shipment have not arrived. I am therefore resending items that have not arrived. I will post another to you tomorrow by recorded post. If the other wallet arrives in the meantime please let me know.
Thank you and apologies
Martin
World-of-magic.co.uk

The other wallet seems to have got lost in the post as I still haven't received it, but I received the re-sent one shortly after receiving this email. Plus I received a freebie "perfect penetration", which I assume was for my inconvenience - which I thought was a very nice gesture.

Anyway, on with the wallet ..... there's not much to add to be honest 'cos I agree 100% with what's already been said. The wallet looks and feels like a real wallet - not one of those clod-hopping 12" monstrosities that you see being bandied around .

majortom wrote:I was not supplied with a clear slide either, I used an ID card for a while but had problems with it slipping out of position. So, I cut a bit of black plastic to the size of a card and that not only works perfectly, but is invisible as I pull the Playing Card out, as it matches the colour of the wallet.

I also didn't receive the clear slide so I opted to use black plastic too. I cut up a DVD case to make a black plastic slide, which, as Majortom points out, is invisible as it's the same colour as the wallet .

Farlsborough wrote: Steve uses gambler's cop, so this is the handling explained - I expect I will palm instead, but it makes little difference.

I suppose it's down to personal choice but after trying different methods, I think I'm just gonna stick with a simple palm too. Control card to top, palm, hand cards back to spec to shuffle, a bit of misdirection, load card, done .

This gets a BIG thumbs up from me (as do World-Of-Magic ) and I give this a hefty 9/10.

Sorry to suck up old reviews, but I'm having a nose around to put links in to ones I've written on another site. This is a great wallet, and a great review. I've had it in my pocket for the last 4 years and there's nothing wrong with it. A bit worn on the corners but that's about it. It's designed for dollars though (well mine is) so twenties poke out the top a little. But a worthy purchase, and at around the price that you'd buy a wallet for anyway.
You can show the wallet empty (the money pocket) then have a card appear in it, then have it signed and re-appear in the wallet. Great stuff.
The key pockets are pretty pointless, and designed for the worlds smallest keys, but who cares.

I used to use this all the time but switched to the Royal card to wallet.
Quite a bit cheaper, loads much easier, and the card ends up in a zipper pocket. Wallet quality is about the same.

Both nice wallets. Neither require a folded card, unlike the Mesika.