Sometimes it not enough to produce a coin, sometimes you need to do it with a flash. And that is certainly what I will be doing from now on.
The Effect
High quality fast and clean burning flash paper , flash pads , flash wool and flash string.
That is a lot of flash
Cost
All from
www.nothingupmysleeve.co.uk/marketplace ... h-products
Sheets £5.50
Pads £4.00
String £6.00
Cotton £3.00
Difficulty
1. If you can set fire to a bit of paper then you are in business.
(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)
Review
So what have I got? A bit of string , some paper and some wool. Seems like that don’t it actually what I have is :
5 sheets of A4 flash paper green and 5 sheets orange
3 x flash pads 1 white , 1 blue and 1 orange 20 sheets each
A big clump of wool
And a length of flash string
Flash stuff no matter what adds an interesting dynamic to your performance people love a bit of fire. The thing with “normal” flash paper I don’t know all the other brands but the stuff I have bought in the past was by Pyro Wizard and it didn’t feel right well it didn’t feel like paper. Like when you see Sankey “get a piece of tissue” and you cant really hand that out it feels suspicious.
This stuff is different it’s a solid colour for the first thing, use full for a lot of transformations. Use your imagination. And it feels like paper not printer paper you understand more sugar paper or construction paper. But it is not as thick.
Now here is the important bit the burn. Yes its lovely to have and to hold but flash papers main purpose in life is to burn , and burn it dose you get a bright flash (of course it be a bit useless if it just went like a piece of flaming paper) bit like a parachute flare ok maybe not that bright but its bright. And a very satisfying “Whoosh” noise. And it burns quick and its gone. Now for you out there who hasn’t used flash paper before and are worried about being burnt the speed of the burn is important. It burns so quick you feel “heat” not actually a burn that’s the idea of it you can burn it whilst holding it and you will feel the heat but wont end up in A & E (Disclaimer this is my findings you may find I could be wrong so don’t take my word verbatim on this) well I have not hurt my self. I was worried about it but its all ok now, I suppose the feeling is like if you snuff a candle flame out or a flame on a lighter with your fingers it’s a touch warm but wont actually burn you. I don’t know how it works but I don’t question it either. I have heard and read about flash paper leaving behind a residue or ash well this stuff burns really clean no evidence is left behind. Having said its safe the bag comes with a lovely disclaimer and the stuff is supplied wet here is that warning :
“DANGER, EXTREMLEY FLAMMABLE MATERIAL FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY. USE WITH EXTREME CARE” and there is a bit more about store in a wet state and it comes to you a touch soggy just so it don’t set fire to the post van apparently it’s a legal thing that it has to be supplied wet. And I don’t think the post office like there vans on fire for some reason. The wool and string is supplied like this to. The pads are the same quality as the sheets, you get 20 sheets of paper in the pad which is the normal size of most flash pads. And the sheets come in packs of 4 A4 size sheets.
Flash string. Think of it has a fuse and this burns quick I mean quick. It looks like string and almost feels like string. Except you can feel it has been treated, you get the same bright flash as the paper and the quick burn, its almost the same as the paper except in string form. And you get the same “heat” feeling as the paper.
Flash cotton, its like cotton wool! Except a pyromaniacs dream this is primary used in flash guns and the like and burns like the paper and the string with the same satisfying sound. I think I covered most of the stuff relevant in either the paper or string review.
Overall
Have I got money to burn? I hear you ask sounds expensive if you are going buy something just to set fire to. I would agree before I got this, or before you read my review hint hint but it dose add a lot of new ideas and visuals to your magic especially if you are working and want to hit the tables hard and fast. What is a better attention grabber then fire? Thought so. Having said its safe this is FIRE we are talking about so please be careful for your own and spectators safety bit of common sense and you be fine with this. Respect it and this stuff will serve you well. I use to have a fear of flash stuff. I really did I would let it burn soon as it got near my fingers I would let the stuff go in an flapping my hand about motion. Well me and Seige and a conversation on this and he said “it doesn’t hurt” and I agree my fear of flash paper has now gone. It takes a bit practice to hold on to but once you are there its really worth it.
Clean burning
Fast burning
Great texture
Looks like paper
Can be written on
I understand why they call this stuff the premium flash paper now and it is. Hunt around there are applications for this every where I hope you at least buy one of the pads and use it some how. So here is my glowing review (pun intended) it may not be for all you card addicts out there and what not but us people who like a little bit of razzle dazzle its right up your street.
10/10 if you can give something you set fire to a rating.
And one last thing me and Seige learnt a valuable lesson you cant send the middle of Christmas crackers amongst other things through the post![/b]
I am master of misdirection, look over there.
We are not falling out young Welshy, we are debating, I think farlsy is an idiot he thinks I am one. We are just talking about who is the bigger idiot.
Vincere Aut Mort