talkmagic.co.uk

Rubber Band Magic.

The Pinnacle by Russ Niedzwiecki
£14.50 from eMagicTricks - http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=4563

The Effect.

To quote from Russ Niedzwiecki’s web site: http://www.magicbuzz.net/

The Crown Jewel of Impromptu Rubber Band Effects. Imagine a single rubber band and a borrowed finger ring, passing through one another in a manner so visual, so seemingly impossible, the witnesses are left staggered in disbelief. A stunning magical event has just occurred.

You take a rubber band and stretch it between thumb and index finger. You take a borrowed ring and visibly push it onto one strand of the band.

The ring can be seen to slide up and down the strand.

You then push the ring thru the second strand and again slide the ring up and down.

You can then reverse the procedure by pulling the ring off, one strand at a time.

Both the ring and the band can be examined at the end.

Difficulty. 2-3/5
1=Even I can do it, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

Review.
It is advertised as the Crown Jewel of Impromptu Rubber Band Effects and I am in total agreement. I love rubber band magic – previously my favourite effect was Crazy Mans Handcuffs – but this. This just blows it away. It is not just an amazing effect, it’s a whole routine. The Pinnacle is (IMHO) a must buy item.

You get a very well produced DVD and two extremely stretchy rubber bands.

The DVD starts with a demonstration of the full performance – which can also be viewed from Russ’s web site at http://www.magicbuzz.net/ . In fact it was watching this demonstration that prompted me to purchase it in the first place.

After the initial demonstration the trick is broken down into 4 parts.
Insert the ring on one strand
Insert the ring on the second strand
Remove from one strand
Remove from second strand.

There are also a couple of variations for some of the moves, which just adds to the fact that this isn’t one effect – it’s a whole routine.

Russ is very good at explaining what he is doing as he is doing it – and for the more complex moves you get to see what’s happening from both in front and from behind the scenes (it really helped a lot to see how it’s done from his view point). Of course being able to easily rewind the DVD (is it called rewinding?) and then replaying it in slow motion helps considerable too.

The DVD also contains an extremely clever “Miracle Finish”. The problem with this though, is that it not only renders the trick as being non examinable, but it also means that you can’t use a borrowed ring. This is great for a video presentation – but not so good for an actual performance, so personally I don’t think I will be using the miracle finish.

Even without the “Miracle Finish” I can’t recommend this enough. You may think that £15 for a couple of elastic bands may seem expensive, but you get a trick that you can perform anywhere, anytime just by carrying around with you an elastic band and a ring. In fact you don’t even need the ring as it’s always more impressive to borrow one.

And remember, it’s also fully examinable at the end.

Rating. Effect/item: 10/10, Quality of goods: 10/10, Value for money: 10/10

Bottom Line.
Even if you don’t normally do rubber band magic, you should be doing this.

Do you have to use the provided very strechy bands? I have got into the habit of letting people keep the bands after I do CMH?

No not at all. Any band would do. (maybe not a hair band, and definitely not oasis!)

These work very wel though, I think he said these were size 19, (maybe 16). They are good for the CMH's too.

Have oredered this , hope it is as good as you say.

J

Well I think so, but I would say that.

If you liked CMH's then this will blow you away. (although you have to remember that I am ever so easily blown away )

When you get it jabbs, I'd love to here what you think of it.

Ok no prob

I also ordered the other two at the same time. Have you tried those as well?

And there was me saying I wouldn't buy anything else............

I have just passin thru' - but haven't had a really good play with it yet. (It is very impressive packaging though. It comes with a well produced booklet, a dvd and some pencils...)

As for Switch*er*roo - on the basis of the other two I will be definitely be ordering it. I should have taken up their special offer shouldn't I and bought all 3 at once - oh well.

And only £14.50 from e-magictricks!

Check out: http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_i ... ts_id=4563

And only £14.50 from e-magictricks!

Ahh, that must have been new - I am sure they didn't have it when I looked.

They also sell "Just Passin Thru" and that looks very good too. I will review it when I come back from France (if it hasn't already been reveiwed by then). I'd like to practice it a little more first, but initial thoughts are very good. You actually get a free finger through bill routine as well as the pencil thru note.

On Mr. Niedzwiecki's web site - he is selling a third item. Switch-Er-Roo, which looks very interesting - but for some reason that isn't being marketed in the top uk on-line shops (thats e-magictricks and studio-9 don't yer know ) yet.

All three of these items are of a top-class nature.

The Switcharoo gimmick is pretty stable in use - and can be used to great effect with my favourite item - small brown envelopes!!!

I will try and find time to review this... it's pretty good, and well worth it!

By the way, I bought the items from the Russ website - and they work out at £12 each. Only problem is that they took about 3 weeks to arrive.

Ho hum!

Yes, I think Laurence added this item yesterday! However, Switch-a-Roo has been available for some time - I bought it and reviewed it earlier this year. The link is: http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_i ... ts_id=2263. The spelling is critical as I found out when trying to find 'Colour changing.....' and I should have typed 'Color changing...'!

Switch-a-Roo is a useful device for exchanging one packet of cards (or other objects) for another unobtrusively but right under the customer's nose. Many other uses are possible apart from jacket pocket - trouser pocket, tucked between the buttons of your shirt, between two sheets of paper etc. The dingus can also be operated by a simple remote control and the instructions for this are included plus some routines and ideas to use the device.

The expert card workers will probably be able accomplish a lot of the effects with good old sleight of hand but for fumble fingers like me, it works a treat! Hope you enjoy your trip to France - Bon Vacances or whatever they say over there!!

Thats a good point Mandrake!! I have now replaced the American spelling of Color!! You can now search for a good 'ol English Colour!!

Thanks for that, however the item in question was one of those I ordered yesterday - and is on back order at the moment! We have a lot of dealings with US companies here at work so using both spelling systems is quite normal round these parts. I just didn't think to try it in the case of searching emagictricks!

Anyway, the rest of the order from yesterday arrived at 10.15am this morning (which can't be bad!) and I've already had great fun sticking things together with Yankee Tom's Super Glue. Just don't ask for the full details as it's personal.

Hello everyone-

I sure am glad to hear the positive responses on Pinnacle, and also Just Passin' Thru and Switch-a-roo. I just returned from the IBM Convention and worked my first dealer booth. The reaction to these items have been terrific!

Just to clarify, I have moved my 3 unit purchases (JPT, Pinnacle and SAR) to not only a free shipping status, but also to Global Express, which the post office mentioned as a 5-7 day ship. Sorry you had to wait a little, Seige, but this should be a much quicker procedure now.

I also hope you consider a purchase from my website:

www.magicbuzz.net

I receive a much larger piece of the pie if you do. And it's the very reason I made available the items in the first place- to make a couple of bucks.

The reactions at the convention on Pinnacle were really fun to watch. Considering you have a DVD that will give you a roadmap to an effect you will perform forever, using a borrowed object makes it so powerful that the $20 (American) is just silly. It is worth way more. And all you need is a rubber band on your wrist!

Those of you who have already purchased- and there have been many of you in the UK- thank you! I'm confident you will continue to enjoy this one for a very long time!

Russ Niedzwiecki

Russ

Congratulations on the deal - it's a bargain.

The Pinnacle effect is astounding, and although the handling takes some practice, it's well worth it.

The Just Passin Through effect works well - I have 'Misled' by Wenk, and between the two, I choose JPT (although the actual 'item' is a lot fatter than our usual items here in the UK, plus, I needed to make a minor modification for our varying sized banknotes!)
The Just Passin Through also includes the Finger Penetration effect, which, I must say, is an ideal ending to Just Passin Through - an ideal offbeat is created to do a switch.

Switch-a-roo is excellent. Perhaps a lot of people are put off when they see the actual 'gimmick', but it works an absolute treat! It has become my secret weapon with envelopes (although it could benefit from being a touch wider for this purpose!)

Basically, keep up the good work. Nice to have heard from you 'in the flesh'. It makes it all the more rewarding to hear from the 'man himself'.

By the way, anyone interested in very good quality rubber bands, visit Russ's website - they're far better than the ones we get from stationers over here in the UK...