Well, here is it hahah! This could be a tough review but here goes.
The effect:
Take any small object and make it vannish in a few different ways, show both hands completely clean and empty, then make it re-appear in your hand/s or from a pocket or some other location you can reach. 'Any time, anywhere!' they say. I'm sure you've seen the promo vid by now.
Or...
From the mind of Sean Fields, Hidden Hand is a brand new utility device that allows for stunning vanishes and productions. With NO sleights necessary, you will be able to manipulate items within minutes of learning this secret.
Roll your sleeves up, show your hands completely, unmistakably empty and from out of nowhere produce a small object. No suspicious moves. Just pure magic.
Multiple vanishes including one handed and drop vanishes
Multiple versions of Ring to Anywhere straight from Sean's own working repertoire
How to install, modify and repair your Hidden Hand
Bonus moves, ideas and routines by special guest Eric Jones
Nearly two hours of instructions will give you a complete arsenal of moves, routines and ideas that will stun your spectators.
The cost:
About £25 at present.
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)
I'm going to say between 1 and 2 - The handlings I have watched so far seem pretty easy.
Review:
Well, before I get stuck in, I have to say I did have a little rant about this elsewhere on the forum, and I have now since only watched the first few sections of the included dvd And yes I'm still a bit disapointed. So let's look at why.
If you're considering this effect for your repotoire, you may have already read that a few people have been sorely dissapointed when they opened their hidden hand for the first time and looked at the gimmick included. Let me say for the sake of the proper review aspect here, the gimmick is well made and is constructed of some special materials, I discovered when I finally gave it some closer inspection. It does what it says it will do. However, and this is a big 'however'...the marketing is absolutely shocking. This is because; If I were to change their marketing patter somewhat I would say "Vanish any small object any time anywhere there's nobody else around, or you're on a stage with your audience about 15' away. This may be unfair as to be honest I've not tried it on anyone yet, so shame on me but I rarely get the chance to be that far away from people and perform magic to them. This is where the marketing is flawed. It is certainly not a walk about trick for any kind of close up routne I would say. I think this is why it has disapointed so many people so far. Maybe it could work close up in a poorly lit area. Further shame on me for not testing this yet but I promised my girl I'd show her when I'd practiced a trick, and this would likely be at close quarters round a table, but I really can't se it fooling anyone close up and I'm an optimist I'll try it from further back and see how it looks. It's the sort of thing I have considered using as an exit of sorts; i.e. just as you're leaving the room you could turn around and do a little 'oh by the way, watch this' kind of vanish before running away perhaps?
That said, there's still a part of me that wants to like it, maybe as I spent 25 quid on it haha and I do feel if I had a stage show I could work it in there and maybe even begin to love it but I don't really see myself doing any stage shows in any near future. It is Not Angle Proof or 'close proximity proof' as far as I can tell at this stage but feel free to chip in and let us know your experience of using this gimmick...
I think for the more imaginative amongst you it may have some merrit.
Rating out of 5
I'm giving it a 2.5 just now sadly, mainly because of that 'any time, anywhere' phrase used a lot in the selling of it. Not true guys. I was going to give it a 2, but I added a .5 because in the right situation and hands I'm sure it has the potential to be a great effect. As said I haven't really had a good play with it largely because I can't see it working in my general performing circumstances and have a lot of other stuff that needs practice I'd consider more worthwhile just now.
Overall
The gimmick is well made, and does what it's supposed to do, just as long as you're in the right place and angle of view etc. to your spectators to perform it. It's very over priced, the adds are mnisleading, but when you see Sean use it I have to say it does look amazing. It's a tough call realy.
For all you walk about magicians who want to vanish stuff close up, I don't think this is really for you.
It seems to look great on videos for what that's worth.
I will be trying it on my prefered new trick test spectator crew, and will report back here on how that went ...and who knows, maybe I'll be a little more up beat about it.
I hope this is a useful review to someone ...more on this to come later...maybe.
Cheers