Beer?

Thanks, I think I will.
:cheers:

Hmmmmm, I have used and continue to prize:

elastic p*lls, in my case rigged with an aligator clip
df playing cards
special knife for the old knife trick
rare earth magnet sewn in the seam of my black shirt
expanded *hell for coins through the table

-=tabman

I have to say that I get far more use out of a double back card than a double face.

Reis, I love double face cards yet I totally see where you’re coming from. I have been learning some new effects using double backers and things may change soon.

What about D'Lites? They must be considered a great gimmick.

Question, if you actually have a fake prosthetic hand then would a TT in that situation be considered a gimmick? What if the TT is built into the prosthetic? Hmmmmm…

Back in 2000 I gave a summer lecture on magic at Normandale Community College. As part of it I needed definitions of such things. After some serious thinking about my philosophy of magic I came up with these.

Effect: What the audience sees. Often used interchangeably with the word trick by magicians.

Magic: A visual and/or mental representation of the impossible made possible.

Subtley: An action viewed by the spectator, but does not register and makes the effect possible.

Sleight: A manipulation usually with the hands that is unseen and unknown by the audience that assists in acomplishing a trick.

Move: An action that is disguised in some fashion to closely resemble a normal action.

Gimmick: An unseen device used by magician but unknown by the audience that helps to accomplish the effect.

Gaff: A familiar object that has been secretly alterd in some fashion. AKA Fake or Feke in some older books.

Misdirection: A series of various techniques to manipulate the audiences attention.

Prop: Any item real or artifical used by a magician and seen by the audience.

Teed Off: What I will be if I find these definitions in someones book, video or magazine article without crediting me as the author.

Frank Tougas: My Name

Very nice Frank!!!

Excellent definitions!

The last two are hilarious.

Your definitions for Gaff and Gimmick are very helpful. In addition, I now understand feke. Now I see that most of the items are categorized as gaffs rather than gimmicks. The pull and IT are gimmicks while others appear to be gaffs.

If I had a chance now I'd retitle this post to the top gaffs. These definitions are certainly helpful.

So, would it be o.k. if we compiled say our top 3 Gaffs and top 3 Gimmicks?

Gaffs
1. TT
2. ]
3. CS

Gimmicks
1. IT
2. Pull
3. Magnets

Thank you for sharing and clearing things up.

Kind regards,
Rich

Not worrying about gimmick vs. gaff:
1. Shells
2. Magnets
3. Himber Wallet (or similar)
4. Large sponge items which can appear small
5. Double-stick tape

Frank:

Great definitions. The difference between "Feke" and "Gimmick" is the important one. The "Foo Can" and the "Phantom Tube" have a "feke." A thumbtip or a pull is a "gimmick."

Gaff may be a little more general than feke, because of its origin in Carney (gaffous) and use in stunts and special effects as well as its use in magic, gaff can mean any kind of trickery. "What's the gaff?" so I don't think it is quite the same as Feke or Fake.

I prefer "Feke" because it is specific in application and unique.

1. Topit
2. Magnets
3. Shell
4. TT
5. IT

Thank you Mr. Haydn I spent quite a lot of time thinking about it. I wanted to make a good impression for those impressionble college kids.

Frank Tougas

Fekes: lota, phantom tube, foo can, mirror glass, mirror box or table, Square Circle, Doll House illusion, multiplying candles, billiard ball shell, silk to egg, egg bag, devil's hank--a "feke" is something used in a trick that is known and seen but that is not quite what it appears to be--it is a familiar object that has been gaffed in some way.

Gimmicks: thumbtip/fingertip, elastic pull, holdout, ball or cigarette dropper, various reels, dye tube gimmick, lock pick, invisible thread, zombie gimmick, swami gimmick, take-up reel, cigar "hat pin"--a gimmick is an unseen and unknown secret device.

Fekes and gimmicks are generally specific to the trick they are intended for.

I think my top 4 would have to be:

1.TT
2.Shell
3.IT
4.Magnet

Pulls, Clips, reels. Never seen but are invaluable.

To go to the other end of the spectrum. A fake finger, used in Meir Yedid's FINGER FANTISIES, is wonderful.

People realize it's fake, it MUST be, after they think about it. But when you do it people go wild. I guess it's more of a Prop.

The thread is Gimmick so add TT and Shell to my first three and you have my list.

We just devoted the latest IBM Ring 19 meeting to performances with Fekes and Gaffs. Some of the items used were: IT loop to move a fork, FISM Flash to end the Starcle trick, TT for silk tricks, finger-tip dye tube for a silk routine, Matchstick through solid brass block, Trebucco holdout for a coin routine, Crocodile Coin used with a topic for a silent coins vanish, Coin in Nest of boxes, and more.

Gaff had it's origins with, um, halfs.

Neo magnets definitely should be on the list. I don't like to get into the definitions battle because too many things could really be defined by both terms.
But that aside, NEO magnets have made and will continue to make the impossible possible.

So what is the top 5 fake gimmick, gaffed feke, gimmicked gaff, or gaffed feke gimmick?

A thumb tip

Well, being a newbie I've found I'm using my TT and Invisible Deck more than just about anything.

A deck of cards and 5 coins. I try to keep it simple:]