Just saw this at hocus-pocus. Anybody familiar with this routine. Any comments? I do silk to pepperfruit, and I wonder if theres is any new to the method below.

The BLURB says the following.

ALEXANDER de Cova's clever handling of this classic effect for stage and cabaret: A spectator draws a picture on a silk handkerchief. The magician slowly vanishes the silk at his fingertips and the silk reappears inside of the apple that was in full view the entire time!

On the accompanying DVD, ALEXANDER de Cova shares his clever insight, finesse, and subtlety to one of magic's favorite cabaret tricks, the Silk in Apple. This effect, that has been a mainstay routine of many magicians, has been refined by ALEXANDER's great attention to detail, and it has been augmented by his new approach and methodology!

A spectator signs or draws a picture on a silk handkerchief. Slowly and deliberately, the magician vanishes the silk at his fingertips. This diabolical method alone is worth the price of admission. But, it doesn't stop there.

ALEXANDER's handling of the silk appearing in the apple is not what you may think. It's totally different from previous methods. Your hands and fingers are in full view the entire time. The "secret move" is not like what the other methods require!

ALEXANDER explains all the preparations, moves, and fine points in his well-known meticulous manner.

DVD comes with the special gimmick to perform this amazing routine.

I have it and it is a nice routine with some clever handling.

As an impromptu, silk in roll has been one of my old standbys. (Of course, the method is the same with fewer props to carry.)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- There are two common methods with and without a TT.

Bob, is the silk in roll to add fiber to your diet? We probably will have lots of rolls at Kutztown and I hear you are bringing the silks.

Mr. Sanders,
Where would I find the two common methods?
Are they the same as bill in lemon?

Hernan,

The honest answer is "I don't know". I do dollar bill in lemon and use still a different method for that.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Is there any video demo link to this effect ?

The adaptations are endless as to where to find the signed bill or silk, as are the routines.

Bob points out a good one for doing at dinner shows. We adapted our bill to lemon to a bill to roll for these venues. You pick up the basket of rolls on their table, have them choose one and their signed bill is found in that roll.

A fun modification for this is "Dollar Bill in Silly Putty". There is no reason it should not work with silk.

Get three eggs of silly Putty from the Dollar Tree. Combine the three lumps of silly putty so there is enough for the trick. Put that lump into one of the eggs.

Go ahead with a dollar transposition etc. with a TT while the spectator holds the egg. After the initial trick with the bill, open the egg and find the original bill in the silly putty.

Play Dough does not work as well. It gets crumbly.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

The late Doug Henning 1st did the Silk to Apple on television. The next month a dealer released his version in the magic magazines. It was advertised for years, until his retirement. Can't remember his name.

Hi:

Just to follow up on the Silk In Apple as performed by Doug Henning.

The dealer who released Silk in Apple was Gene Elmo. He invented it in the 1930's and gave it to Slydini, and even Dai Vernon. Then Peter Pitt used it, thinking it was Vernon's trick. But it was Gene Elmo's all along. It had been advertised for years in the magic magazines, then Doug Henning saw it and used it in one of his specials (I think #6). At the end of the special, if you read the credits, you will see Doug graciously thanked Gene Elmo.

After Gene Elmo passed away, I bought his business (Elmo Magic Supreme)in 1999, and renamed it Dazzling magic. I advertised Silk in the Apple a few times in 1999 and 2000.

Jeff Hobson then put Silk in the Appple on his DVD, without any credit to Gene or myself. He said that it was an old trick that had been around for years, and no one knew where it came from.

I basically took silk in the apple off the market for a while because sales had
declined, and because a lot of people started doing it without purchasing it from me. I decided not to fight it or worry about it.

So now you know...the rest of the story!

Marty Hahne
http://www.dazzlingmagic.com

Just FYI, Lybrary is selling what they call Slydini's version for $10. Madhatter currently has the trick on sale for $6, gimmick+DVD of Alexander de Cova's refinement, new approach and methodology.

Wow $6? It is $24.94 now

That is what you get for mentioning it, the price just went up do to demand! The good old American Capitalist idea of supply and demand.

I bought the trick from Gene Elmo back in the 60's and did it in more upscale shows. It was as good as it gets.

DeCova credits Hobson in his DVD. It is basically Hobson's handling with maybe two small changes (one involves a gizmo). Is it an improvement? Probably. However, I doubt if the audience thinks so. To them a signed bit of colth vanishes and reappears indide an apple.

Jeff's is on his DVD. Both require that you locate and buy a specific kind of apple corer. Even them you have to make adjustments to the apple corer.

The silk vanidh that Decova uses in his routine is worth learning

Just to clear my name on this. . . . I was taught this trick by Peter Pit himself He said he learned it from Slydini and Dai Vernon. No one had given me more information since then until recently. I apologize for not having all of the credit information however, I am sure that I have given enough of my own twists to the presentation and method to merit a version of my own as explained in my DVD.

Jeff,

Nothing could clear your name! You're a class act!

It's good to see you on The Magic Café. Don't be so shy.

What kind of rumor could we start to get you here more often?

Bob Sanders
Magic by Sander