Hi everyone. I've been into magic for about a year or so, been performing close up a few times. I’ve just got myself mouth coils and I thought it would be quite simple to work out, but unfortunately the coils didn't work out the way they are supposed to. Example, broke halfway, starts getting wet, stuck etc. And does anyone know where can I get like 50 ft. mouth coils? Do feel free to PM me if you’ve got any advice for me! Thanks!!

Hi, Which country do you live in? I know a place here in the UK, which has 25 foot ones, and I think there is a site that might sell 50 foot ones. Go to http://www.magicbox.co.uk/ for the 50 foot ones and for the smaller ones go to http://www.davenportsmagic.co.uk/ for these. If you don't want to go transatlantic, then look on http://www.hanklee.com/. He has everything. Just wondering, why do you want 50 foot ones if your having trouble with the normal size?

Regards,

Luke

PW,
If you pull mouth coils out of your mouth - despite their name - I'll track you down and severely lash you with wet noodles!

LOL!

Seriously, there are few things more disgusting in magic, and a quicker turn-off for the audience, than watching a person pull soggy paper out of his mouth!

Yes, I use mouth coils. But I pull them out of my hand, a handkerchief, or anyone of a dozen other places, NONE of which involve putting the ***ed things in my mouth!

Oh, sure; many members will now write in saying they always pull mouth coils out of their mouths and their audiences just love it.

Well, let me assure you and them that they are dead wrong! Audiences may laugh and/or applaud but they certainly won't respect or like you! And, if you are giving their kids ideas, then they DEFINITELY won't respect or like you.

Besides, if you don't pull them out of your mouth, you'll have far less problem with their breaking or tearing, and no problem at all with their getting wet.

My position is well known on this issue and my very definite views have appeared frequently in this and other forums.

I like mouth coils; in fact, I love 'em. But NOT out of the mouth; not them, not cards, not money, not your fingers, NOTHING!

If we all acted with a little dignity, then we wouldn't be complaining so often about magic not being taken seriously.

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Don't let Mr. Marucci scare you off.
As a small child he was attacked by a large pack of feral mouth coils, which unfortunately, scarred him for life as to the proper handling of these props.

There are several deep philosophical questions in this universe.

Is there a God?

What is the meaning of life?

Is it OK to pull a mouth coils out of ones mouth?

We all must of course find our own answers to these age-old imponderables.

Peter,

All I can say is Ouch!
Actually I have used the mouth coils from out of my mouth, but for some reason mine never get soggy or the likes. But to each his own. (Actually I was just hoping to be whipped by a wet noodle...)

But you have got me thinking on why it has to be from my mouth. The routine I do could be altered easily.

My guess is that you didn't enjoy Tom Mullica's routine with the cigarettes then? This is an actual question, and not a snide remark. Curiosity…

John

The other day I did one of my kid routines and thinking of Mr. Marucci, used the coils from my hand.

It was a young group of kids as an audience.

The program was part of a high school's Child Development Class. After the performance, I talked with the teenagers about the structure of the show. Warm up, pacing... without revealing any secrets.

I chose not to do my usual from the mouth routine.

Peter, are you getting to me??? (mini lol)

I have only used them for the past 27 or so years.

So I will continue my research.

Have a safe and nearly normal HOYC (holiday of your choice.)

Harris

I agree with Peter, I think it gives a negative impression to pull anything out of your mouth.

There's a magician, Jay Owenhause (sp?), who comes to my town every year and does a show in which he attaches a coil to the back of the boy's shirt. When the boy is walking back to the seats he says "wait a minute, I think the tag of your shirt is coming off" he pulls and a 25' rainbow ribbon from behind the collar of the boy's shirt. It always gets a great laugh.

John asks:

Not a whole lot. (And, although I have to admit that it was done with considerable skill, it's much like Dr. Johnson's comments on the dancing dog: "It's not so much that it can dance well as it is that it can dance at all!")

I wouldn't enjoy anything that involves the performer putting things in his mouth and/or taking them out of it.

The same goes for any other bodily orifice - although I'd rather not think of that!

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

To try and answer your question, P.W.:

Wetness; this is common for an object left inside the mouth. Place the coil to your mouth, not in it. By this I mean pinch it between your lips and start to pull immediately. No one will notice that it isn't inside your mouth.

Breaking; this can happen. Try pulling straight out with even tension. You should have better success that way.

50 footers; try the links above, otherwise, as you exhaust the first one with one hand, have your other hand ready to plant the second one. This method could go on ad infinitum, or ad nauseum as you prefer.

Lastly, be careful that you are truly, indeed using mouth coils. Peter's last comment leads me to think there might be types specific to other regions.

You can try http://www.murphysmagicsupplies.com/
They also have Holiday color and money mouth coils.

I am pretty sure that Murphy’s Magic Supplies only sells to dealers.

Also, I want to point out that P.W. never said he was performing for children.

Peter, I respect your knowledge and I have learned a lot from your posts. However, do you really think it is fair to say that an audience won't respect me if I pull a coil from my mouth? I respect Jeff McBride and he teaches about pulling coils from the mouth in his DVD's.

Daniel, it all depends on the audience and entertainer.

Thanks everyone on your advices. I really appreciate it! I'll work out a routine using mouth coils which doesn't comes out from the mouth, since I too feel that from the mouth is sort of disgusting.
Thanks a lot again!!

Daniel Ferrara writes: "I respect Jeff McBride and he teaches about pulling coils from the mouth in his DVD's."

So?

Dai Vernon exposed the cups and balls on TV; it isn't necessarily right just because a well-known figure does it!

Same with Jeff and mouth coils.

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

I agree with Peter. I have the DVD in which McBride does the mouth coils and explains their use. McBride also pulls cards from his mouth and as Peter says, it can make an audience feel sick. It's not big, it's not clever and I don't think many people are remotely impressed. A mouth coil looks like what it is, someone pulling feet of rolled up paper from their mouth. Where's the magic in that? Have one hidden in a newspaper (as McBride also shows on his Magic On Stage DVD, though he calls them hat coils) and you have a more magical effect without the possibility of making your audience nauseous!

Mouth coils and Hat coils are two completely different things. However, I agree with you that there are many great effects that can be done with mouth coils without having them in your mouth. I am just saying that if someone wants to use them that way, and they like the response they get from the audience, there is nothing wrong with that. As long as they are responsible performers and not doing this for children who might try to copy the illusion.

I have to disagree with your statement that mouth coils look like what they are. There are many tricks that look obvious if they are not performed correctly. It's not about the prop; it's about how the performer uses the prop.

Yeah, maybe it's just me but it's one of those things that even when I saw it as a child it didn't seem very magical, whereas most magic astonished me. I never thought, “Wow, where's all that coming from?” I just thought, “Why is he doing that?”

P.S. Surely the only difference between a mouth coil and a hat coil is the size?

The construction of mouth coils and hat coils is different. Because of the difference, mouth coils come out twisted while hat coils are flat ribbons.

By the way, Tony Hassini teaches how to make your own mouth coils on his IMS Paper Magic video. If you make your own, you can make them whatever length and in whatever colors you want. Not a bad idea, in my opinion, and at considerable savings.