talkmagic.co.uk

Lord Freddie is right. This particular wax is excellent. Although he has put Robbins in his Subject he hasn't said it is put out by D. Robbins & Co. Inc., the large wholesalers of magic. Their brand is often marked EZmagic. David Robbins the founder is the author of Practical Magic; one
of Lord Freddie's favourite small books.
I used to buy my Robbins wax from Miles Sinclair's Magical Wonders firm. I found it much the best wax to use and it does last years. It is still put out in a small plastic container with hinged lid. Ideal for the pocket.

I also still have a lump of yellow beeswax sent to me by Ken Brooke for a certain trick and a tiny tin of Davenports from years and years ago. Both still work!

Seirge mentions his own in Hard & Soft. A lot of magicians do not know there are two types of wax. Do check up before you buy. Is this the right wax for the job?

For certain card tricks I have also used, many times, Melrose. This lasts months on cards. A tip which first came to me from the late great manipulator, Geoffrey Buckingham. This preceded LIpsyl. It does leave a slight yellow film. Chemists still stock it, if you look or ask for it.

Some time ago one magician put out the revolting idea of using one's own ear wax in an emergency.!!!!!

Allen Tipton

Thanks Allen. Robbins/E-Z Magic also printed the Tarbell books and 13 Steps if I'm not mistaken.

Hmmmm....forgive my ignorance but apart from cards & IT work what other practical uses are there ??

Well Kevin, there's coins, string, ribbon, attaching a (light) load, or to conceal a light object either to be produced or used( perhaps secretly) later on. Then there's matches, cigarettes and ping pong balls.
Just let your imagination go.

There was a booklet on this accessory. Tricks From The Wax Museum by Ron Frost. I vaguely remember another with Wiztax in the title.
Some magicians will have his excellent ( and I do not like most card tricks) card books. But these are good!

The cheapest Robbins wax is £1:50 from Clive Leewarden's 'Card Collection' in Romney, Kent.
Clive also sells a Flip Top Pocket version for those who will carry the stuff around. £3:50
There was a time when wax was produced in black, white, flesh & beeswax yellow.
Type Magicians Wax into Google and you find a large number of pages on the stuff. This includes an American kid telling us his way of making it ( ?) & IT???
Also on the pages is a video from You Tube showing Pat Page demonstrating the Acrobatic King( card) and telling us ,"It's all done with an IT reel!!!! At least he doesn't show what an ITR is.

Allen Tipton

I'm desperately trying to think of how I might use some but I don't have an imagination

Allen - would it be a good alternative to blu-tec for the LeClaire animator ?

Kevin, I have never tried it with Jon Le C's Animator) my favourite hook up) I will have a go the next couple of days & let you know.
Blue Tack efinitely NOT! It doesn't hold on skin.

I believe Davenports still market Jon Le C's 'putty' which is excellent and if you go onto his web page you can buy direct from him. Wouldn't take much 'postage' by airmail.

My friend Vic Odin( an ex round the world pro. illusionist & escapologist. We were friends from our teens") did find that by working 'rouge' into one of the blue tack types of stuff he got flesh coloured and stickability. He sent me some I'll try it & again let you know by pm.

But for the Animator J leC's putty is best.
Allen Tipton

Allen Tipton wrote: But for the Animator J leC's putty is best.

I find that his putty is too sticky & it ends up in a mess rather than a nice little ball & can then drift up the IT thus making it visible

Kevin Cann wrote:I'm desperately trying to think of how I might use some but I don't have an imagination

Look through classic magic literature, such as the Tarbell volumes, and you'll find that magician's wax is mentioned quite a lot, in various sections of magic. There is a whole chapter in Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, there is usage of it in Bobo, not forgetting the classic Card On C*****g.
The effect I perform as a 'quickie' where there selected card becomes the only odd coloured backed one in the deck is easy to do and the prepared card has lasted for six months without any reaaplication of wax.
It's a simple effect, but snappy, visual and unbelievable. Which is what your average layman likes.

Lord Freddie wrote: There is a whole chapter in Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, there is usage of it in Bobo, not forgetting the classic Card On C*****g.

I do very few card effects as everyone else does them

Lord Freddie wrote: The effect I perform as a 'quickie' where there selected card becomes the only odd coloured backed one in the deck is easy to do and the prepared card has lasted for six months without any reaaplication of wax.

Same effect is achieved using a brainwave or repositional 3M

Kevin Cann wrote:

Lord Freddie wrote: There is a whole chapter in Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, there is usage of it in Bobo, not forgetting the classic Card On C*****g.

I do very few card effects as everyone else does them

Lord Freddie wrote: The effect I perform as a 'quickie' where there selected card becomes the only odd coloured backed one in the deck is easy to do and the prepared card has lasted for six months without any reaaplication of wax.

Same effect is achieved using a brainwave or repositional 3M

Bobo is actually a coin book. I find MW much more conventient to use than 3M and unlike a brainwave, only ONE card is gaffed rather than the whole deck which is easier to conceal and show the deck as normal.

Wax is used in silk and rope magic too. A little bit of research or a bit of imagination and you will find uses for it. If you are against using wax, as it appears you are, then simply don't buy any and concentrate on what you feel happy with.

Lord Freddie wrote:Bobo is actually a coin book.

I am actually aware of that, I just didn't remove it from the quote. I don't actually remember seeing it in the book though so I'll have to look it up

Lord Freddie wrote:..a bit of imagination and you will find uses for it

as stated I don't have any imagination

Lord Freddie wrote: If you are against using wax

I'm always open to new ways of doing things (for me anyway) - I just take a lot of convincing

Sadly Kevin, without imagination, you'll have to do a fair bit of reading!
Most modern texts don't really use wax that much, but the classic writings, mainly from 20's - 40's mention it a fair amount.
Admittedly, it's used a lot for card magic, but there are many other uses. The first volume of Tarbell alone has a simple coin vanish which uses wax, and although the effect itself may not be the most revolutionary one these days, you can apply the principle and use it however you see fit.

A magician without imagination is restricted to 'off the shelf' effects, really.

Kevin. After experimenting, I''ve sent you a pm re strengths & stickability.
Allen Tipton

Hi Allen
You really jogged my memory when you said wiztac. I haven't heard that since the 70s.
Cheers
Al

WIZTAX :For any magicians in the UK who haven't heard of Wiztax, it was 'a brand name for a type of double-sided adhesive tape,' similar to our double sided selotape.
The book Tricks With Wiztax was by Samuel Berland.

There was another book by Joseph M. White, entitled, 'Scotch Brand Magic'' which was still available in Sept. 2003 from MBBP. I've not checked whether they still have it,
Joe White worked as 'The Midget Magician, & The Wee Wizard & as Micro, The Miniature Mentalist. He wrote several other books as:
Big Magic For Little Kids, Micro Mental Miracles, Micro mental Programmes & Select Mental Effects, Magic For Heaven's Sake, & his autobiography, A Wee Wizard's Wiles ( 1987)
as well as contributing to America's leading magic mags.
Allen Tipton