talkmagic.co.uk

On several occasions, one being yesterday, I have purchased a trick and when reading the instructions have been faced with the incredibly unhelpful line of : Use your favourite vanish, card control etc.

Usually this has never caused me much hassle as this usually comes up in card routines in my experience. Due to the fact that is what I mostly focus on I have never really given it much thought as it has never been a problem....

Til yesterday.

I bought a routine called twentieth century Bra which for those who don't know is a trick involving silks and an appearing bra (classy dont you think). I have never done any sort of work with silks before so have been completely scuppered by the line "vanish silk with your prefered method".
Now the only silk vanish I know is using a TT but the huge silk supplied wouldn't fit unless you had a "Hit by a hammer" cartoon sized TT or by using a pull.
Personally I think that if you spend money on a particular routine the instructions should be complete as the seller has no idea the level of knowledge the purchaser has.
I wouldn't have been so annoyed if the product had been advertised as needing prior knowledge or needed additional equipment as I would have known what I was getting into.
There is always alot of discussion and argument on here on exposure and it's ethical rights and wrongs to which I also feel strongly but for the first time I am tempted to find an exposure site just so I can find a vanish for a silk as I feel I've should I recieved what I payed for: a full routine.

I feel better for that

One way would be a large 'pull', not the pencil or banknote type but the ones about the size of a medium Pritt Stick - the small inner cardboard tube from some cling film or cooking foil rolls work well, plastic tube used in plumbing is another way. You can make one easily enough if you have time. The version I bought ages ago didn't require a vanish, it was just along the lines of taking two silks out of jacket pockets, holding them with the ends towards a spec and asking them to tie the two together, then draping them around the victim's neck and tucking the knot down the front of his/her neckline/shirt/whatever (!) with the intention of pulling it right though the neck but at the last minute, just pulling them apart to reveal the item of underwear.

Re the vague instructions, Alex Elmsley defined the ultimate magic trick along the lines of:
Spread a deck of cards and force one on the spec using your favourite force, have it returned and control it to the top using your favourite control, then reveal it using you favourite reveal.
Easy, innit? !

The homemade pull is very Blue Peter of you there Mandrake...nice idea I might give it a try...thanks

I still think they should supply at least one suggestion with the instructions though.

I got a the "clean" version of the silks and mine came with the pull. Its a very Nice metal one.


And I totaly agree with the instructions "use your favorite colour change" etc etc. Its not right you buy something you should get full instructions on how to use it.

If a pull doesn't do it you probably need a Stillwell Ball or Roterberg Vanisher. These, along with a couple of sleight of hand methods, are explained in Henry Hay's "Amateur Magician's Handbook" - highly recommended.

But I agree the instructions should have been more helpful.

Barry

I was thinking of the palm egg, which has pretty good capacity. Or you could use a vanishing box of some kind.