Hi All
Can anyone please help establish an early, preferrably the original published source for using a magnet in a rear pocket as a holdout for a small magnetic object?

Many thanks

Greg

Ren Clark was using this as early as the 1950's, and had me write it up for his biography. However, this was never published. He had some very clever ideas for this.

Thanks Bill

I am producing a few of my own ideas and would like to include this information in a history & credits segment if that is ok with you.

I know Bob Cassidy, Victor Trabucco and Doc Eason have all developed very clever ideas and practical methods in similar areas and would be interested to learn about any others people may have seen.

Greg

Juan Tamariz also worked on this when he developped his color changing knives routine

I never thought of just sticking a magnet in a rear pocket. My early work along those lines was accomplished with magnets embedded in my Wizard's Robe or jacket, or in my Wizard's staff which was a good place to stash stuff.

Sure. Basically the way Ren worked with it was this: he had a fairly decent sized magnet in his rear pocket. The one he was using during the 1980's was a ceramic type magnet that was about 1 inch X 2 inch x 1/2 inch. He had a gold wedding band that his jeweler had made for him that had a steel core. He took a piece of coathanger wire and flattened it on an anvil. Then he made the core of the ring, and had the jeweler cast the ring around it. The ring had a hammer finish and was large enough that he could remove it easily if need be. He had a small rare earth magnet that he had dipped in the kind of liquid vinyl that people made hand grips for pliers, etc., from. The small magnet was very powerful and the vinyl coating kept it from talking.

He did a number of things with this, but the simplest one was to place a shim coin in his left hand. He would wave his right hand (with the gaffed ring) over the left hand, snag the coin and close his left hand, as if the coin were still in there. He would drop his right hand to his side and let the larger magnet take the shim coin and the smaller magnet.

He would wave his right hand (now clean) over the left hand, show it empty, and let everyone be amazed. When the moment was right, he would steal the shim coin again, drop it into his left hand, and make it reappear. If anyone questioned the ring, he could place it against the coin, and there was no attraction between the coin and the ring.

Not really the greatest routine, but Ren was thinking, and that's what kept him young.

Thanks too Lawrence.

I think the Doc Eason reference I made may be based on the Juan Tamariz idea.

Oh, and thank you Bill. What a fantastic place the Café is!

Cressey used to do some stuff with the magnetic marbles also.

Richard

The answer to the original question as I know it is this:
The booklet Conjuring With Christopher published in 1949
published by Holden describes the exact method of using a magnet in the back pocket
Christopher credits Aubley Dunham of Indianoplis for the idea.

Bob McALLISTER did a lot of work with the magnet in the back pocket. Many credit him with the idea.

I developed The MOGAR POCKET PAL Magnetic Holdout to use with knives and coins back when I was in high school.
That was in 1950. I never leave home without one in each back pocket.

If you are interested, The Pocket Pal is on the website. www.joemogar.com

Thanks, I was researching holdout options for my coins. I checked the website you referenced and will call them as the website keeps asking for user name and password and I don't have one. The Pocket Pal and Belt Buddy Plus look like what I need.

Thanks Joe

That's good to know.
I haven't visited this part of the forum for a while and it's been a few years since I asked the question, but I was pleased to see this topic had a new reply.

Such a simple and great idea. I am surprised it isn't used more. Well, maybe it is and those folks just keep it to themselves.
Thanks again
Greg

Worth looking at: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=109

Bob McAllister was the first person I saw use a magnet in the back pocket.
He had great ideas with it.
Some of these may have been published in his books/ notes.
Great guy, creative, a real worker. I miss him.

Steve Dushek has some great ideas for magnets and coins.
I know the original post was concerning holdouts but his coin book deserves a look.
His Wunderbar should really make a comeback with all the new thread hookups out there.
Exchange the "mercury" for ferrous liquid. Play with a magnet against the liquid.
"Freeze" the liquid with magnet. Do routine.

Chappy, please, can you tell me something more about the Bob Cassidy's researches on the subject?
Thanks