Hi to all magic friends
I want to hear some of your not every day kinda effects.
One of my personal favorites is the Razored Deck. I do not know who is the inventor of it, but it is a awesome trick. I fooled everyone at my IBM club meeting.
I learned it on Michael Ammars Topit Tapes. It is a great trick.
My second favorite trick is Iceman Cometh. I think Michael Ammar invented this miracle.
Both are incredible tricks but I am sure that there is a lot more out in the magical world.

I just wont to say I have been bitten by the Magic Cafe Bug. All I have been doing this week is reading and writing here at the Magic Cafe. It truly is the best magic forum site out there.

Bye for now

Does 'Chopping the Aces' count on:

http://www.wahlers.co.uk

A new take on Twisting the Aces. It's not on par with the McClintock Twist but strangely different.

Re-Inversion, just when you think it's going to a reversed card revelation, it ends with the whole deck reversing except the chosen card.

Groovy

The Razored Deck trick effect is
A spectator cuts to a card and then puts it back into the deck and back into the card box. You do not touch the card in this part of the trick.
Then you put a pocket square( handkerchief) on the table, and then you take out a double edged razor blade and put it into the card box, in-between all the cards. Then you say the blade is going to find your card, and you shake the card box up and down and then you dump all the cards onto the handkerchief, but all the cards are shredded but one and it is the spectators card that was cut to in the beginning of the trick.
It is a real Killer trick.

Oh the Iceman Cometh routine goes like this.
You get a spectator to cut to a card and look at . Then the magician takes the card and tears a corner off the card and gives it to the spectator to hold.
Then the magician takes the rest of the card and tears the rest of it into six pieces and clips then together with a paper clip.
The magician the takes the torn up and paper clipped pieces and put them into his hand and with a magical pass of the hand the card disappears only leaving the paper clip in his hand.
Then he says to the spectator "Do you see the word icicle on the card box." and they will say yes icycle in the word bicycle. Then you open the card box to find their card with a corner missing fully restored trapped in the middle of an ice block. You then chip away only the corner of the ice block that has the corner of the card missing and it matches perfectly to the card.You then give them the block of ice as a souvenir.

The card really is in the center of the ice block.
A chilling card effect if you think about it.

You can find the Razored Deck trick
Micheal Ammars The Topit tapes this is the link

http://www.ammarmagic.com/topitproducts.html

you can also get the Iceman Cometh at

http://www.ammarmagic.com/earlyammarset.html

Get the Early Ammar Vol.1

The Razored Deck effect, I believe, should be credited to Richard Himber. My favourite version is John Bannan's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Card Trick" in "Smoke and Mirrors."

Is there not a credit on the Ammar tape Brad?

The person to read for "different" effects, like card cases turning inside out etc. is Harris. Check out the Art of Astonishment books.

Paul Hallas

Thank you Mr. Paul I have herd about his books that teaches you to do all the crazy kinda tricks. That's my kinda book. I just looked on the video cover and it nit not say who invented the trick but I think he does mention it on the video.
Bye for now

My word, "Chopping the Aces" is an incredible effect.
Does anyone know whereabouts I might be able to learn this?
Many thanks
Stephen

Stephen,

The author to 'Chopping the Aces' is in the process of writing a manuscript and possibly putting this and his other work onto CD or e-format. He is collaborating with another magician and sorting other things out.

I'll pass him your e-mail address and he may contact you with some help.

Groovy

Thanks a lot, Groovy.
I really appreciate that.
:bg:

Mr. Hallas is correct - the "Razored Deck" was originally a Himber effect called "The Big Trick", and involved the use of a gimmicked "something" - now a collectors item. The first attempt to "normalize" the props and add some interesting presentation was, I think, by Scotty York. I cannot remember which pamphlet, but the work was very good. Includes a bunch of sight gags etc. to dress the effect up. Scotty published several pamphlets in the late 70's that include SY on coins, SY's cups and balls, SY lecture notes, etc., all with intro's by none other than Charlie Miller X3!
Best, PSC

chopping the aces is a fun looking effect. His handling is a bit sloppy though. totally tipped everything, but I think with time it can be cleaned up and made to look really good. The change is a great idea!

I quite like the chopping aces effect

There are so many effects that could go in the "Not the run of the mill card effects"

I love em all. Lennart Greens efects....wow!

Lonnie,

I'll tell the creator to re-shoot when he gets the time. I know he has managed to make the final turnover easier but I think you'll find that getting the change that quick is harder than you think.

He is'nt 100% happy with covering all of the deck either just to hide the move as it's even fishier and slows it all down.

He wanted to show both sides of the cards at the start and finish of the trick, eliminate Elmsley Counts, double facers but more importantly, a quick routine to suit his style. I think he's suceeded.

Also, Peter Duffie had this to say about it:

' This looks very cool. Great visual trick. You handle it well, too.'

As I said earlier, I prefer the McClintock Twist and so does he but it's different, ungimmicked and satisfying to learn.

Groovy

PS. Stephen Long, he's e-mailed you. Did you get it?

Yes, thanks.

If you are looking for not run of the mill, Lennart Green is as about as far from the mill as they come. Although his style is different, it is just that, his style. I think it would be hard for someone to duplicate many of his effects without copying his performance style. But man, what a great magician!!!

Lance

Hey Groovy,

I have worked out a pretty cool method for not doing the turnover if you are intersted in it just drop me a line. I have sent you my email address...or tell whoever to contact me about it.

My Fav "Not run of the mill card trick" is I dream of mindreading by John Lovick. For those not familiar, it goes like this. Magus explains he's going to do his favorite mathematical card trick. A spectator thinks of any card in the deck. The magus hands him/her a shuffled deck, and while the magu's back is turned the spec transfers a few cards from the top to the bottom. the magus takes the deck, looks through it and announces the thought of card. It doesn't seem like much at this point, but then the cards are spread to reveal the whole deck is blank.

John lovick admitts that it doesn't sound like much but it really does kill.

It is available in his More skinny lecture notes.

There have been several card effects having similarities to this over the years. One you might like by Roy Johnson was "Incredible Dreamer" in his book "Silver Special" (1989) and I think Supreme Magic used to sell one by Herb Rungay.

Paul Hallas.

Boy, this brings back memories. In the seventies I use to try to do effects only once just to see if they would work... the craziest one I remember is: I had a card selected, I believe it was signed but don't hold me to it; the cards were then cut... really, into pieces; the pieces were tossed into a real blender and water and milk were added; the mush was poured into the cardbox (I remember this as being messier than I expected) then the cardbox was reopened and the full deck was inside with the selected card being the only reversed one. Don't even ask about the workings!! It was a one time only effect, but I do remember I came up with a clever way of switching the messy cardbox and its contents.
Ah, memories of being young, talented and a bit nutty.
Greg