I finally caught a video of me performing this for someone. You won't be able to see the trick very well in this video but you'll defiantely see the reaction. After performing the old thumb trick my thumb pops off and lands on the table. It was published in Linking Rings about 3 years ago. It's alson in my BAR TAB pdf on my site. There's a discussion here on the Café about it where you can learn how to do it here.

When I teach this simple trick in my lecture most magicians don't seem to care for it at first until I show it to someone non-magician and they see the reaction it gets.

Anyway, here's the video. It was shot at Curly's bar during the Abbott's get together this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ygc3pFi3FQ

Ron Jaxon

IT's funny. This video is getting the same reaction from magicians as it does in person from magicians. Just like in my lecture the magicians think it's a lame trick. After the lecture I find some non-magician and perform it for them and then the magicians end up liking it.

Beleive me if you try it you'll get a lot of laughs.

I'll tell you a couple of other things about it. Some magicians have commented in other discussions about it that it exposes the T-tip. It does but not as a magic method. It exposes it as a site gag.

It's also been suggested that one shouldn't perform this trick in an act if they are using the T-tip to vansih something. I can see the logic in that but I've actually found the oposite to be true. Let me explain that. It rarely happens but it is possible for someone to see the t-tip. I mean they can find them at Wal-mart in magic sets so it's possible for people to have seen them. OR maybe the light made the t-tip shine and they saw it. Let's say you vanished salt then reproduced it with the T-tip. Then a minute later you perfom this thumb off. They might think "Oh, that's why he had the thumb on. To do that joke".

It's better when they don't see the t-tip and I've only had it spotted once or twice since I learned how to use it properly. But I just wanted to explain my thoguhts on this.

Anyway. I'm sure you al have a t-tip. Try this simple trick out sometime. It won't always get a reaction like this video but their screams come more often then you might think.

Ron Jaxon

Ron, I was there when you peformed this. And it was very cool to hang out with such a creative person.
I think this idea is great, but I think a fake Latex Thumb, in thumb clip, is a better idea, I mean this is basicly the same as Cut off the pinky. That one is more visual. Also the TT was exposed on a international movie recently. I have even seen magicians who perform the vanishing silk and people comment. "OH you got one of those thumb thingys." Sankey also had one where he would palm the TT and flash it.

Please PM me on when you will send me the Spool.

Hi Ron:

Do you have a learning manuscript for the TT, similar to the IT manuscript? I'd be willing to pay for it.

Thanks,

Jim

NO I don't have any manuscript on the TT. It might be an idea to make one though. Not necessarily of TT tricks but tips. I use the TT to help explain some of my magic principles and theory's. I'll keep that thought in mind.

But for now this might interest you. Darwin's Encyclopedia of Thumb Tip Magic. I have a few of his books on the TT but I see he now has a DVD set on them. I haven't seen the DVD's yet but if they're anything like his booklets I'm sure it's great.

Ron Jaxon

Great effect, Ron. Just tried it on my wife and she ran screaming down the hall. With all the magic she has seen over the years, if you get that reaction out of her, it will work on laymen big time.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just did it for my wife while she was practicing piano so at first she just thought I was being silly with the "old" thumb removal thang but she about went over backwards from her bench when the thumb hit the key board!
THANKS Ron!!!!!!!!
MickeyThumbless

LOL. Finally. People are seeing how big of a reaction this gets.

A little tip. If they are holding a drink ask them to put it down before perform this trick. I had a girl end up soaking wet when the thumb hit the table.

Ron Jaxon