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I think this has been discussed before, but I cant seem to find it.

What happended to the use of the magic wand? I dont hardly see it used anymore. Mostly what I see now is the magician making some kind of magical gesture or snapping their fingers. Is it because the use of a wand gives the illusion that the wand posesses the power and not the magician?

Has the wand basically become a thing of the past and mainly a kids show prop now?

Also, what does everyone think about the lowered usage of the wand? I myself find it to be great for misdirection.

Big D

you know, i have a theory as to what has killed off the use of wands.

table hopping, street, and close up magic.

you dont need a wand if your right under someones nose, because you dont need to have a pointer, and because of tight angles, you dont need to use it to cover a palm.

I always wondered if it got lost in the transition from the more elegant magic of years past to today's more casual atmosphere...

A white tipped wand looks very sharp with tails and a hat, but with open collar shirt and sports coat?

Also a bit more discussion on it here

I would like to venture a theory and I hope it doesn't offend anyone...

Perhaps the magic wand isn't used quite so much anymore because it looks daft?

I think it's an unnecessary conceit because audiences are generally a lot more realistic about magic these days. You won't find many people who truly believe a trick is "real", so there's no need to go "Let me get out my magic wand". That's not to say that audiences are turning against magic - it is still wonderful entertainment - but I think performers rightly feel a bit silly with a wand unless it's either a kids' show or you're being deliberately ironic (I think the alternative spelling is "taking the p*ss" ).

Many magicians these days seem to use a Sharpie, a Pen or a Pencil as it looks less 'stagey' and performs the same function.

Mandrake wrote:Many magicians these days seem to use a Sharpie, a Pen or a Pencil as it looks less 'stagey' and performs the same function.

Those double-ended Sharpies kind of even look like a negative of a wand

I'm not sure people have believed that magic is real for at least a century (in the West at any rate). I think it's more to do with the fact that a wand is largely unnecessary to an effect and because the situations in which magic is performed have become less formal.

But yes, they do often look a bit silly. I'm still fond of the idea, but maybe not the classic black and white look.

Nowadays I people think of the magic wand as a cliché and in some cases a double entendre,
so if you whip it out in the middle of a show, people will lose interest. There are two reasons for the wand.
One, misdirection and two, making a dirty hand look natural, however these two things can be accomplished in many different ways.
If however you want to use a wand I suggest you use something more everyday that everyone can relate to, like a pen for example.

I used to sell magic wands (as many of you will already know) - hence my user name. However most of them sold to Harry Potters fans, which was fine.

I too love the idea of using a wand, but in reality I find them to be cumbersome things. I can imagine stuffing it under my arm like a sgt. major's baton while I actually did the magic. The lover of Victoriana in me can't let go of the idea of using a wand in a routine at some point in the future though. I'm particularly fond of a 12" mahogany with brass tips (ooh matron).

A three page discussion on just this topic can be found here, started by Talk Magic's very own Lady of Mystery.

Mike.

Michael Jay wrote:A three page discussion on just this topic can be found here, started by Talk Magic's very own Lady of Mystery.

Mike.

Which I'd already linked to, but as it's now bold, it's sure to draw more attention