I think the number of blades depends primarily on the position of the audience in relation to the illusion. If the audience's eye level is below the tops of the boxes, and the assistants hang on to the boxes I see no reason to even use blades in the tops. That would be three blades.

If the audience is level with or slightly above the base box and multiple assistants can keep the other boxes in-hand, you might need one for the bottom box. So, four blades.

If you are performing it alone, or the assistants are setting all the boxes on the floor, you would probably need six blades.

Best I can remember, John Bundy uses four.

I had to do a double-take when I watched John's version of the Mismade. When only 4 blades came out at the end, I wondered if the other two had been removed out of camera shot.

His version sits deep enough on stage that the audience apparently doesn't get a direct view of the top of the bottom box when they are all separated. Also, his routine doesn’t allow for all of the boxes to be off of the stack before one is being replaced on top of the bottom cube.

I am now thinking that maybe I can get away with using only four blades.

Mine, built by Mephisto in Belgium, uses 7 blades. It has the "number switch" restoration. I'm considering selling it.

Since the bottom box and the box next on top of it, have no blades between them, a simple flap as in the Stack of Boxes would cover up the top of the bottom box.

When the second box is placed on the bottom box, the flap hinges up and into the next box, the flap is black on the bottom and is behind the girls head when she is in position.

With flap.......no angle worry!

Blair Marshall
"ShaZzam!"

I had a design idea that I wanted to share with you all. My current mismade is designed in the stock, primary kindergarten colors, I was talking to Dan Wolfe of Smoky Mountain Magic about a card pip design, and he came up with this:

Looks good, and very similar to design as Osborne's "Queen's Cut" cutting in sixths illusion. you may want to look at that and incorporate those design ideas into your mismade. A queen costume may help make things easier.

s