talkmagic.co.uk

The Product
The blurb:
Close Up Mat (large)
A durable, resilient surface designed for the professional magician.
Rubber backed to prevent slipping, this mat measures approx 17" X 12.5" and is perfect for coin, cup and card manipulations.

Cost
I got mine for £7.49 from MagicNevin's (http://www.magicnevin.com/proddetail.as ... Mat_lh0001). They sent it in a large jiffy bag, backed by thick cardboard to keep it flat and wrote on the front and back "Do not bend". A nice touch.

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)
Not applicable.

Review
A close up mat for practising card work is a must now that I've got one and I wish I'd bought one from the start. Trying to work with cards on my desk or kitchen table has proved impossible. They don't handle well on those surfaces and cause endless frustrating moments. Not any more!

This mat is backed by soft (very smelly) rubber, with a thin layer of what feels like foam on top, then covered with a velvet like material. The rubber is 2mm thick and the foam/material adds another 3mm. The rubber is textured underneath and doesn't move at all once laid on a table.

It's absolutely perfect to play with the cards (and quite nice to stroke too). I'm no expert, but I can spread a whole deck on the mat so that each card denomination can be seen easily. It's just big enough for that to be done comfortably. The give in the mat also makes doing riffles much, much easier and cleaner looking. At least compared to a table or carpet anyway! It's soft enough so you can also slide one card under others in order to lift them. I have at least one effect I haven't been able to practise yet due to having no suitable surface on which to do this (See Submodalities DVD from MagicBox - I can't remember the name of the effect now).

I only use cards at the moment, but this mat would be just right for cups and balls and monte effects too.

The mat can easily be rolled into a tube shape for transporting and still unrolls completely flat. I was a bit worried that it might try to roll up again, but the rubber is quite heavy and doesn't lift at the corners or edges.

I got a black mat, but you can buy them in blue, green and red too.

Overall
I honestly cannot fault this product. It does exactly what it says on the tin and makes working with and learning cards a real pleasure. The price is very reasonable too.

For me, this is an easy 10/10

All the best,
Wishmaster