I'm going to tell you about the coin gaffs I have received from a new Japanese/European source called Kreis Magic. I'll base this review on something I have written elsewhere, adjusting the text to suit the Talk Magic policy on exposure. Although at the moment not many members here are European coin workers, this is all archived for future reference and might be useful to someone some day.
(When Britain brings in the euro you'll all be asking me questions!
)
Kreis Magic is a Japanese company specialising in coins for magic tricks. It holds around 70% of the market for this kind of product in Japan, which is pretty good considering it is still illegal to sell gaffed Japanese coins in that country. It started selling in Europe in 2002 from a branch in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
http://www.kreis-magic.com/
Having heard only positive things about the Kreis range I ordered several items to find out how good they actually were. I received them three days later, well packed in individual plastic boxes and bubble wrap. I was disappointed when I opened them and saw what looked like a bunch of discoloured, almost rusty coins with plastic b**g rings - this did not match up to my expectations to say the least! Fortunately I discovered early the next day they were just old stock and were very dirty, having been stored badly over a long period. The company apologised (this particular department was changing hands and my order arrived just as they were clearing out the old warehouse, so to speak) and offered me substitutes or a refund, but by then I had cleaned them up and felt completely satisfied with my purchase.
Don't get me wrong, these coins are not above the ranks of the usual favourite coin companies in the USA. It's just that euro [[[ and gaffs are notoriously badly made and the best U.S. firms don't produce them (yet). The usual commercial brand, Tango, gets very mixed reviews, though Eddie Gibson's range is apparently quite good. Kreis Magic is a little more expensive but in this case you really do get what you pay for.
The samples I received included a 2 euro e], a m* s&s (2/0.50 euros), a nesting 1.25 euro set and a c/s coin (0.20/0.05 euros).
The e] is deeper than the Tango version, easily concealing a 2 euro coin when laid flat underneath. The surface is artificially dulled or aged to avoid drawing attention to itself, and the edge is very finely made. I was initially worried about a narrow gap between the yellowish central area and the grey outer section but it is barely noticeable and does occur in some genuine 2 euro coins. I was offered a replacement but haven't bothered taking it up.
The s&s, once closed, is totally indistinguishable from the real thing. They used an Italian 2 euro piece for the outer ] (a portrait of Dante Alighieri by Raphael), and after picking up a real one today I can honestly say it is perfect.
http://www.24carat.co.uk/2002italyeurosets.html
The nesting 1.25 set, once locked, is also totally indistinguishable from the genuine 50 cents coin. What's more, when locked tight with a squeeze, it does NOT make the typical rattling sound associated with these sets. Each of the inner coins is excellent, too. For this item they have used a Dutch 50 cent piece. I find this coin an excellent choice because the profile of Queen Beatrix surrounded by stars is almost comical and lets me come up with some amusing routines.
http://www.eurocoins.co.uk/netherlands.html
The c/s coin is different from the Tango version in that rather than reducing the size of the 20 cents piece, they've slightly expanded the 5 cents coin. The effect is much better this way, as cropping the unusual edge of the 20 cents coin is immediately conspicuous.
I am now waiting for a 1 euro e] to arrive, and may then order the folding coin. Interestingly enough, it turns out that Tango discovered the idea of producing a folding coin without a visible external groove when Kreis presented their own new method at a conference (Fism 2003). Tango took a sample and subsequently produced their own, claiming they had invented it.
Anyway, this has been my experience with Kreis Magic to date, and I hope this little review is helpful for European members looking for an alternative supplier.
Chris
