by seige » May 6th, '03, 10:11
TT myths:
They look real, and are meant to match your skin!
Sort of. But unless you're prepared to hire Yankee Tom to commission a prosthetic which has to be applied, painted and removed with painstaking care, they DON'T REALLY LOOK THAT REALISTIC. They are usually all the same colour all over, even the nail. They're moulded mostly from plastic, and some don't even have detailing. There's always a solid ridge at the edge, which makes them look like Dr. Frankenstien botched you up from spare parts. Although NONE OF THIS MATTERS! They could be square, blue and covered in fur!
Remember: like magicdiscoman pointed out: PEOPLE AREN'T EXPECTING YOU TO BE WEARING A FALSE THUMB, THEREFORE NO ONE IS LOOKING FOR IT!!!
Dale is right about flourescent/chrome TTs - you should be able to hide the thumb quite easily by 'killing' the audiences view of the thumb.
During performance, it is usually a golden rule NOT TO FLASH THE TT AT ALL - in fact, the only reason they 'resemble' real digits is so that if they are flashed, they blend with the hand.
One size fits all? No way!
Yes, way. Depending on what you're doing with it, you will find a selection of TTs with various load capacities and 'bagginess' are essential.
I personally have 4 TTs which I use as part of my performance: A big-load for vanishing big silks etc, which is longer than normal. Also, a big-load lined with foil for doing lit cigarette vanishes, a tight fitting TT for doing salt/liquid production/vanishes, and finally my regular TT, which is slightly baggy and loose fitting - which is perfect for bill switches and the like, where the bill lies parallell with the TT and your thumb, kind of sandwiched.
AND: TTs can be slightly shrunk or enlarged in hot water... Buy a decent quality TT (Like a Vernet) and you can place it in a mug of hot water for a while, at which point it starts to shrink slightly. You can push your thumb (be careful... it burns! Any hard thumb-shaped object will help) in and mould it (it is still very hard... don't expect it to go gooey or like plasticine... this is quite hard work), and when it gets to the right size and shape, run it under cold water. It will 'set' at that size! It can be moulded and re-moulded over and over, and with trial and error you'll get somewhere near.
It looks ridiculous! People will know it's there!
Only if you draw attention to it. The last thing you should do is open your hands and say "LOOK, EVERYBODY! THERE'S NOTHING IN MY HANDS" and expect your TT to remain unseen! Try wearing a TT during a normal day, and get used to how it feels and how easily it can be concealed.
It is common for people starting out with a TT to think that the TT does all the work... but it does not. Look at peoples hands as they walk around, drink, write etc... their thumbs are normall quite the last thing that is apparent!
For instance, when I load a dark silk into a TT, the TT goes dark. It looks like a bruise! BUT... keep your hands moving and open them briefly, and keep an eye on your angles... no one will notice. If you're performing face-on to an audience, the best angle is to point the tip of the TT directly at them when showing open palms.
Even when I do one of my favourite surrounded close-up gags, like where I find a someone smoking who's wearing a silk scarfe or sporting a silk hanky, and I seemingly push their lit cigarette into it... you don't even need to show the TT, there's no suspicion! Because there's no WAY you can hide a lit cigarette in an open hand - make sure your hands are open, but mainly PALM DOWN, which hides the grey/black discolouration which the foil has on the TT.
I've never been found out for this one, and I must have performed it 100 or more times in the couple years at gigs, in the pub, with family and friends - always close up and under peoples noses.
People aren't that stupid, surely?
No, they're not. But you ARE a magician, and you are performing SLEIGHT OF HAND. In the same way you hide a palmed card or coin, you must misdirect the eye when concealing a TT. It takes some getting used to, but the spectator's viewpoint is MUCH different from the performer's viewpoint. Be bold!
Remember: Don't LOAD the TT onto your thumb until it's needed. They are quite easy to stash in pockets, waistbands, even your shirt collar - i.e. pretend to scratch the back of your neck and load the TT! Simple!
Then remember to DITCH it as soon as possible, too. Wait until you've convinced people your hands are really empty and the pressure is off before making a move to ditch, though. Vanishing a silk and then darting your hand to your pocket is a little obvious! Have a reason to go there, i.e. get a deck of cards ready for the next trick.
It's a good thing in magic to PLAN the order of your tricks like this. The end of one effect can naturally lead to the loading/ditching for the start of the next effect. Try and get one step ahead.
Be bold and brave!
TTs are a great utility gimmick, and used wisely and with care they can be used for lots of tricks.
You have to be quite bold and confident with a TT... Try using one on friends and family, i.e. at the dinnertable or down the pub. Don't be tempted to brag that "Look, I've been wearing this TT all night and nobody noticed" to them, though! If you've got a video camera, try filming yourself doing a trick with a TT. You'll be quite surprised!
Get some confidence up and TTs will be your friend, no matter the size, colour or shape!
people dont see the obviouse 
