Title: Mental Pen
Artist: João Miranda and Gustavo Sereno
Producers: João Miranda Magic Solutions
Link: Available At Your Favorite Murphy’s Magic Dealer
Demo Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n9SxnUGqbk
Retail Price: $39.95
Learning Difficulty: Easy
Length of Video: 41 Minutes (Approx.)


David Penn said that Mental Pen was “a very clever idea” in his review. I’m not sure that does this device the proper amount of justice it duly is owed. This pen is $#&@! Fantastic! It’s incredibly well made, the gimmick is hidden in plain sight, and the spectator resets the bloody thing for you without even realizing it. They can write with the marker, they can inspect the marker all they want. Even though the gimmick is hidden in plain sight they will NEVER find it! And the magic that you can do with this device is limitless! It’s the perfect utility device, and quite possibly my favorite trick of the year. After I watched the online video I was literally bouncing up and down in my chair giggling like a school girl at the range of possibilities this little device afforded me!

The reset on the gimmick doesn’t take long, but you’ll want to do it somewhere out of sight of your audience. The reset does require you keep a special tool with you, so it’s wise to not lose it. But for the power this gimmick offers you presentation wise, it’s well worth it! Performances are idiot proof, and you couldn’t ask for a better made gimmicked marker. It is a Sharpe so magicians everywhere won’t feel like they’re using a special prop just to do a trick with this gimmick.

Mental Pen comes with a couple extra spare gimmicks, in case you lose or damage yours, the special reset tool, and the Mental Pen itself. Included in the small stocking stuffer sized box is a card insert, about the size of a business card, that points you at an online video for the tutorial on how to work the pen. You’re going to slap yourself in the forehead within the first five minutes of watching the video, part in not having thought of this sooner, and partly due to just how evil this thing really is. I’m saying you can start religions with this thing if you wanted to. This could become a reputation maker for someone, and stage or street the sheer impromptu nature of the performance will blow audiences out of the water.

The instructional video goes on for about 40 minutes, and the bulk of that is going over five different routines using the Mental Pen. That’s great for new practitioners in magic. However, I get a strong feeling that a more experienced magician is going to shut this video off about a quarter of the way thru because once they know how to work and reset the device they’re going to be off and running on any number of personal applications for it. This one is just too good to not use. This will be one trick that won’t sit in the bottom of your magic junk drawer.

The power of this utility device, and you know me- I love utility devices, is in how impromptu it lets you work. There is no switching! The pen that does the dirty work, is the same pen the spectator signs with, uses, marks with, inspects, and hands back to you, which by the way when they do hand it back to you they’ve already done the cleanup work FOR you without even knowing it! Closeup or stage this thing is a worker! I cannot express my joy over this device enough. I love my Mental Pen!



When I give my product scores below I am measuring them on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 Being absolute the worst score possible, and 10 being the absolute best, making a score of five average. The four points that I grade upon is Product Quality, Teaching Quality, Sound & Video Quality and Overall Quality.

Product Quality: 9
The price is a little expensive at first glance, but I’d say for the power of the product, worth every penny!

Teaching Quality: 9
The tutorial is wonderful!

Video & Sound Quality: 9
Great video, and sound for a download.

Overall Quality: 10
You need this. You’ll thank me later.


Do you have a product you want reviewed? Want to see if it will stand up to the Draven Seal of Approval? Contact me directly at thewilliamdraven@gmail.com to find out how your product could be on the next Draven Reviews! Don't forget to like my blog where all my reviews are posted at www.williamdraven.wordpress.com.