Hello!

I'm trying to make my Slydini silks tie by themselves. It would be even better if it happens in the spectators hands, but I'll settle for mine. Anyone have any ideas? I could see a pull helping but no clue on the handling. Thanks!

Change bag ?

Now wait , hear me out before you throw things. Purchase (or make) a change bag that has the function, but not the look of a typical change bag (i.e. no red velvet with gold fringe and a handle that looks sort of like an old-time church collection bag) Ickle Pickle has one they call a Tote Bag that I think would be suitable. It's just a simple drawstring bag. https://icklepicklemagic.com/index.php?r......tote+bag . There is also this - https://fabricmanipulation.com/magictric......5-3.html

Use the bag to store the silks, bringing them out of the bag at the start of your routine. There is a duplicate set of tied silks in the bag , which would allow you to switch the untied set of silks for tied silks if you routine it so you have some pretext for putting them back into the bag at some point, then removing the (supposedly) untied silks again and handing them to the spectator. If you could have the spectator reach into the bag and remove the silks themself, even better , but there is a risk they would prematurely reveal them as tied together. I don't know ... half-baked idea , right ? but it could work ...

I'm sure there is probably a better method for switching the silks , I'm just throwing out the first thing that comes to mind.

Since most Sympathetic Silk routines uses a false count for two silks already tied but shown separate.this technique might be used here.
Perhaps three silks held by spectators and collected with a switch to the tied silks pulled from between the shirt buttons
and the remaining "single" placed in your pocket (actually all three)

The ket is the pattern formed of "known" single silk handling and the showing of the two hanging as singles but tied.
These cans be placed in a spectator's hands - just be sure on the right end for the reveal at the end.

A mirror glass is one of the prettiest ways to do this effect with silks. Retention of vision is perfect. And it makes sense as you are "isolating" the handkerchiefs so they can't be manipulated. Though, you might have a hard time finding one large enough if you are using heavy weight material as is common for Slydini knots.

Or maybe you were thinking something more visual like Marconick's Prisoner Silk where the silk is released and ties itself?There is much better flexibility of working conditions using other methods.

General Grant had a nice routine where he uses a glass (different method than I mentioned above). See here starting at 9 minute mark:



The elements of this routine are covered in his lecture notes on silks.

I second General Grant’s method, saw him do it live at a convention yrs ago. This is the only method I use.

I checked in my library of lecture notes for General Grant's version of the sympathetic silks routine. It is called "Knot Me". It is in General Grant's Smooth As Silk booklet starting on page 49. It was published in 1993.