|
|
runawayjag Inner circle 1085 Posts |
I was really on the fence about this one, Tommy Wonder's Wandering Chimes offered exclusively through Joe Stevens Magic in Wichita, KS. I mean, who needs to spend $500 for a version of Chink A Chink? Especially when I already perform a version with silver dollars in my work. Well, having worked with almost every version out there from used bottle caps ala Goshman to sugar cubes ala S. Leo Horowitz to the even more expensive four figure version by Eddie Taytelbaum, I decided to take the plunge. And, I'm glad I did.
The most appealing part was, of course, the configuration of the "chimes" which seemingly makes a shell impossible. But, as a friend pointed out to me, that only has meaning to magicians...laymen would never even suspect a shell simply because they are not aware of such a gaff. But, even so, the configuration appealed to me. The set is exquisitely made by Auke Van Dokkum of cups fame. I've owned his cups, his rings and one set of his coins and his work is easily on a par with the other high end builders of such props like Porper and Sherwood (cups,) Owen Magic (rings,) and Lassen and Schoolcraft (coins,) so I expected these to be very well made and I wasn't disappointed. The mechanics are ingenious. If you think along the lines of the equally ingenious Zoran Candles (which I also loved,) you'll get an idea of the principles involved. One unexpected pleasant surprise is the "grippability." Is there such a word? Virtually every set of cones that I've encountered always felt too small or too rounded or too tapered or, in a nutshell, too slippery to be comfortably and reliably picked up as needed. That's actually why I went to the coin version. Roth's brilliant idea of sliding the coins, in this application, makes the work effortless. Well, the chimes are easily and securely gripped instantly. I don't think it's the size. I think the fact that the round top is separated from the bottom by a small space gives the top an "edge" for the flesh to grip. And, it works beautifully. I know I'll get arguments on this statement but, despite the highly touted interview with the late Tommy Wonder, the instructions are really just so-so. Don't look for any ground breaking information on the classic effect (other than the mechanical aspect, of course.) In fact, I disagree with most of the thoughts on how to present Chink-A-Chink. If you buy one, you can be the judge for yourself, but I found the instructions to be nothing special, despite also having Fred Kaps routine. In his defense, I should state that Tommy Wonder's work on this routine was never completed due to his untimely death. Also, the instructions were written before the final actual product was made and the distinctions between what they had in mind and what they actually produced are evident. The manual really should have been edited to describe only the final product and not the prototype. Now, I want to be clear on one issue so there are no disappointements. These little things are NOT chimes. They do not ring nor do they make a musical sound when tapped or bumped against each other. They do not have clappers inside nor rings on the top, which most bells or chimes would. In fact, they look more, to me, like weights used on a balance scale. So, "chimes" is really a misnomer. I should also point out that the gaff does make a small, but audible sound when doing the "set up." I found it to be negligible but some of you may not agree. The props are, as stated, extremely well made with great precision and work like a charm. I plan to actually use these in future shows. I doubt that I'll present them as "chimes," but will work out a presentation for them. One thing I think we forget since most of us, including me, think like magicians, is that a three dimensional object of some size and apparent weight is much more mysterious when it magically moves than a flat "two dimensional" coin. When I watched a video clip of me doing Chink A Chink with these as opposed to a video of me using silver dollars, the chimes do look more visually stunning and impossible. I do think laymen will also be more "impressed" seeing these object move. Just my opinion. If you can afford them, I think you'll be delighted. The first time you try the routine with them, I KNOW you'll be delighted. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give them a 9 only because some might find the noise mentioned above to be a drawback and because the instructions, despite being 34 pages long don't really give you much more tutilage than the Mohammed Bey in Stars of Magic. If you're only buying them to add to a collection, they get a full 10. |
Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
Great review. Thank you.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
|
Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
John,
I was wondering if you could do a comparison of the Wandering Chimes and James P. Riser's Chink-a-Chink product? Whit Haydn is selling the Riser Product as well a Riser himself. http://www.chefanton.com/ScoundrelsStore......ucts.htm or http://www.jamesriser.com/Magic/JamesRiserMagic.html You have to scroll down the page. |
joseph Eternal Order Please ignore my 17407 Posts |
HERE is the ad for WanderingChimes...
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." (Einstein)...
|
runawayjag Inner circle 1085 Posts |
Unfortunately, I have not owned or handled a set of Riser's Chink-A-Chink, however, judging from the photos they simply appear to be a nicely made set of the typical Chink-A-Chink sets mentioned in my review. The rounded top (not the actual top, but the edge,) and the small diameter would probably make them awkward to steal as stated. The problem is not actually picking them up, it is picking them up secretly because the hand has to contort a little to grip it. At least, that has been my experience with sets of that type. Maybe it's my hand size, I don't know. But, the Chimes pick up easily and without contorting the hand in any way. Being hollow, they are also light which also adds to the ease of use. Hope that helps.
I have now done this for several real people and it does play well but, as I mentioned, I don't think the "shell impossible" configuration of the chime makes any difference to them. But, I still really like them anyway. |
Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
I am now a proud owner of the Wandering Chimes. I also have Riser's set and Chris Reesman's set.
I used to prefer Reesman's over Riser, simply because of the bigger size and lighter weight made them easier to handle. The Riser set is intended to be worked from the fingers, not the palm, and I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Now, at least in a formal setting, the Tommy Wonder chimes get top billing. These things are an absolute beauty to work with! Sure, maybe the construction is just a "magician only" thing, but sometimes that's all it takes to bring something off the magic shelf and start working on the effect again.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
|
Artie Fufkin Special user 853 Posts |
Having tried many Chink-a-Chink sets, I've never found anything to match the ease of use of the original SFS Chris Reesman set.
I found the Risers to display beautiful machining, but apparently not very well thought out in terms of handling......being way too small, and way too heavy for how small they are. I've not tried the Wandering Chimes, but considering the high cost of purchase, and the fact that my Reesman SFS set handles perfectly.......I won't "buy to try". I also have some confusion with the "look" of the Chimes..... they just don't look like anything I've ever seen in real life. Although I'd not purchase the Chimes, I'd would like to try them.....as it appears the handling may be equal to the Reesman's. For me, The Chris Reesman set remains the set to beat, at around $100.00 (when new), extremely light weight, easily passed off as weights for gold scales, and very easy to handle using only the palms. I wonder how many sets of these Chris Reesman made? I recall that he fell upon tough times, and that effectively stopped all production of his Chink-a sets......which is too bad. |
Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
I agree. It's going to be hard to beat the Reesman set for basic utility and price. I wish they were still available, but alas...
As a collector, the Wandering Chimes are an excellent addition. I wouldn't dare have these rolling around in my pockets the way I could with the Reesmans. This is definitely a "special occasion" set and Tommy discusses this aspect of the set in the interview. It is true that these aren't technically "chimes" as the make no noise (except for the unintended sound that I can't really hear anyway) Part of the hesitation in performing this(along with it being a concept piece at the time) was the absence of sound. Tommy was looking for a mechanical ringer that he could actuate on command to simulate the bell sound at the appropriate moment and never found one. With today's technology, Auke suggests an electronic solution via iPad or a similar device. As I'd probably set this to music anyway, the addition of a chime sound if deemed necessary is just an edit away.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
|
Artie Fufkin Special user 853 Posts |
Don't get me wrong, if the Wandering Chimes weren't so expensive, I'd be right in there buying a set.
Auke is as fine a craftsman as there is anywhere. I'd love to give them a whirl, but once effects get up over $150.00, buying just to try out (especially when one already owns a perfectly functioning version of the effect) is a bit too rich for my meager bank account. For those who've handled a variety of Chinka's, one look at the Wandering Chimes shows some unique features that would appear to make handling an ease......and this is confirmed by what John (and now Dave) say above. One thing about the Reesman set that stands out is that the individual Chinka's are "light as air", but look large and solid to the spec. Reesman used sheet copper as his raw material (as opposed to machining out of a solid piece of bar stock), and in a complicated process he soldered these things together with invisible seams. He spun the cone portion of the Chinka just like one would spin a cup for the Cups and Balls, then affixed a bottom to the cone......so inside is that lightweight standard.......air. I actually recall reading something along the lines that Reesman came up with a method to make these that was so complex, nobody really made any money off these Chinka's based on the amount of time Reesman had to put into making each individual Chinka. |
Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
Artie,
If you ever get to Las Vegas, you're welcome to play with my set.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Tricks & Effects » » Tommy Wonder's Wandering Chimes (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |