talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect
I'll give you the company blurb - it's spot on.

From the creative mind of magic’s premiere inventor, Paul Harris, springs an awesome opener original to the core. Quite possibly the best trick you’ll buy this year! The magician "screws" two halves of a deck together like a pool cue. Oops! It's mis-matched! He gives it another twist and the deck becomes an ordinary, examinable pack of cards! Immediately begin your next card trick!

Screwed Deck by Paul Harris is easy to learn with very little sleight of hand and works great in any venue. Includes the gimmicks and clever routine. You’ll floor magicians with Paul Harris’ Screwed Deck!


Cost

I couldn't find an English price - I bought mine from the Magic Depot (US) for $44 - that's about 25 pounds.

UPDATE: Just found an English price...£39.95 wowsers...a bit pricey...

Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

3 - There is a sleight involved - and it does help to have big hands! (I personally have two slabs of meat attatched to my wrists, so no problem for me)


Review

Well, the description says it all - not so much a trick, but an addition to any card trick you care to use. It is very well made and the single gaffed card that you and to your own deck can be discarded in a very well thought out way. There is certainly some practice involved, and you don't want it examined afterwards (I don't actually call much attention to it - people notice what your doing, usually get a laugh, I then pocket the box and get on with the card trick) - currently I use it before TAG or some other card destroying trick, like something involving a mercury fold as you can't QUITE fit 52 cards into the pack (about 40 go in nicely).

As I said not really a trick in its own right, but a great opener to any trick.

Overall

I love it. It is reasonably easy to use, well made, a great unexpected effect and comes in Blue or Red. Not an essential item, but a lot of fun. The only drawback is the inability to fit an entire deck in it.