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Rainboguy Inner circle 1915 Posts 
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Yes, the Ireland balls were great...I have two sets...and yes....the sponge does, unfortunately, deteriorate with time...
And Ireland / Magic, Inc. instructions always have been like the American equivalent of Ken Brooke instructions.......those well familiar with both Ken Brooke and Magic, Inc. will know what I mean. Kinda Like Dick Stoner's original sponge frankfurters he supplied with his trick, "Eenie Meenie Weenie"........gosh what a GREAT trick! If only that trick could be made like they used to be.........they were GREAT! But back to Fakinis....just do yourself a favor......and buy 'em.....they're the best. When it comes to magic props, the quality of an item remains long after the price is forgotten. Better yet, when you plan on buying a new magic prop, do us ALL a favor......Buy quality and support your friendly fellow magician prop-makers....they need and deserve your support and respect to keep making quality magic props. Too many magic companies are going OOB due to global economics and The Internet. So, buy from PEOPLE who work hard to give magic a good name. Many of them are here on the Café, too. And to those of you who read this who manufacture magic equipment, please allow me to say "Thank You for what you do!" |
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AbsoluteZero New user 88 Posts
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Greetings.
I am a new member to this forum and I have been practicing ball manipulation for sometime. I have used Fakini/ JL/ DPG/ JieLi (a Chinese brand) for double shell and triple shell routines, and Fakini is the best overall. A few personal comments on the brands: Fakini - nice grip, vivid colours and good range of sizes are provided. However the ball is slightly too heavy for manipulation (depends on your ball vs. shell combination), but good for juggling. Best shells in the market, but they may chip and crack when you drop them. But I find the triple shell stack is a bit too thick. JL - a bit overpriced and the grip isn't as strong as desired. Sizes are very limited, nevertheless the colours are vivid; a fair choice of substitution for Fakini. I just got my set of JL balls very recently, so I can't give a lot of comments on this brand. DPG - a cheap Japanese brand with slippery plastic shells which may bend under pressure, however it provides 3 sizes: 40, 45 and 50mm. Not worth while using unless you have specific purposes. Limited in colours (white and red only). JieLi - a Chinese brand with the strongest grip of all. One set includes 4 balls and 2 shells like the DPG. Very limited in sizes and colours (white and red only). The shell exhibits some characteristics of Fakini and DPG at the same time. The shell is a bit flimsy and slightly transparent under intensive lighting like DPG, but it is covered with the material same as the balls', which makes manipulation an ease. JieLi comes with a glossy finish, but it will wear out gradually after extensive use. The finish becomes a bit dull (like Fakini) but doesn't affect its functions a lot. It is important to note that there is a visible gap between a shell and a ball when they are nested together (like DPG). A cheap and viable choice for beginners. I use different brands when I do different things, they all have pros and cons. Feel free to discuss with me further on this topic. Hope this information will help a bit. |
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bojanbarisic Elite user Croatia 462 Posts
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Great review my friend, good to see you here.
Bojan |
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Pasquale New user 65 Posts
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Too small - use 2 1/4" Fakinis....
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts
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Quote:
On 2011-11-15 13:08, Pasquale wrote: 2-i/4" is also to small!! Professionals only use 3" billiard balls. |
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AbsoluteZero New user 88 Posts
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Quote:
On 2011-11-16 01:30, wmhegbli wrote: I guess my hands are slightly too small for those. 2" is about the maximum size that I can handle. |
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JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts
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Very funny, Bill.
Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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leomagnus Veteran user 303 Posts
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Handled the JL's a while ago. They're nowhere near as good as Fakinis!
-Leo |
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-01-31 16:05, leomagnus wrote: As Absolute Zero mentioned, it all has to do with what routines you are trying to perfect and present. Fakini's are great, but they are not the end all and be all for all ball manipulations. That shell sticking can be a good or bad, depending on your moves you are trying to develop. If you are going for a stand Billiard Ball routine, they work very well. I find it requires additional finger placement when trying to produce a Fakini ball from a silk, as the ball tends to grab the silk. The shell cling feature is great for the penetrating ball though silk, but gets in the way for other moves and always having to 'break' the shell from the ball is a nuisance. With the new moves being developed today, such as the palm to audience multiplication moves, Fakini's are more difficult to work with. There does not seem to be a "perfect" set of Billiard Balls that will do all things. Ireland's Multiplying Golf Balls were near perfect, as they had a nice grip, and the coating on the shell and balls seemed to work with most magicians. Gone are the days of that type of open pour sponge, that could be coated with a solid layer, to bad. The shell was perfect in so many ways as well. It had grip from the dimples and grip from the coating. Manufacturer's could take a lesson from that Ireland shell, metal and coated on both sides. Let us all bow our heads to a long lost friend. Why Loftus Novelty did not do more research when they brought out their version, is in question. It seems they research their products very well, but this one they failed on the whole magic community. |
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yin_howe Special user Malaysia 985 Posts
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Quote:
On 2011-10-25 14:01, AbsoluteZero wrote: I have Fakini, DPG and have handled the JL and agree with Absolute Zero's points. As for the gimmick being loose, I found that 4 dots of blue tack or magicians wax helps.
"Talent without passion is talent wasted.."
https://www.youtube.com/user/yinhowe80/ |
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ibraa New user United Kingdom 51 Posts
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Fakini's great!
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leomagnus Veteran user 303 Posts
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On 2012-02-24 18:53, ibraa wrote: Amen! |
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soleil Loyal user 294 Posts
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How many of you find Fakinis slippery when you have sweaty hands?
I find rubber balls more suitable for sweaty hands and silicone (Fakini) for dry hands. What do you guys think?
"Art is the Artist. The Artist is God."- Goete
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volto Special user 603 Posts
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Collector's workshop deluxe wooden balls. The lacquer is very grippy and actually works better if your hands are sweaty. Yet they're fine if your hands are dry, too. And you can use a fabric dropper.
I don't know of another good quality wooden ball on the market at the moment, which is a shame. I guess just too hard to make well. |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts
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Wow, Volto! Nice set! Hey guys check it out:
http://www.vikingmagic.com/?nd=full&key=1908 I started using 1 3/4 inch wooden balls from Germany back in the 70's. I performed with those for years, before I got the Irelands. OK, back to topic! 
Doug |
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Kit Higginson New user 62 Posts
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Stevens offers the same balls in a 1 7/8 inch set:
http://www.stevensmagic.com/index.php?ma......d=112388 I haven't tried them but they do look nice! Kit Higginson |
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volto Special user 603 Posts
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That's the same set - the balls are 1 3/4" in diameter. The shell is 1 7/8" in diameter, so both descriptions are right, if that makes sense? The shell is nicely made - very thin. I bought them direct from Viking, who were great, as always.
There are some much better photos here: http://www.martinsmagic.com/?nd=full&key=4590&myaf=af_mm I reviewed them here: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=10 More than a year on, I still carry them in my jacket pockets pretty much every day and they're still looking perfect. I realise they're not for everyone - wood, sparkly, only one size, only one color, expensive - but they're definitely a good quality item. |
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joneseymagic New user Dave Jones 62 Posts
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I'm always surprised when people say the Fakini balls 'stick' to the hand, because I find them slippery. When I palm them, they initially feel sticky, but the gradually 'creep' away from my palm. Does anyone else out there experience this? Have you any solutions? I have very dry hands BTW
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Peter Pitchford Elite user Philly 423 Posts
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Quote:
On 2011-09-19 07:23, NaathanPhan wrote: No, I had a set of Dream and they are way different. The Dream set is small and silicone with a matte finish. Bob's are hollow, large, and with a mirror finish. I'm not crazy about the Dream set. |
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bojanbarisic Elite user Croatia 462 Posts
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Peter those balls are produced by Mr. Jupiter from Hungary.
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| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Finger/stage manipulation » » Better than fakini's? (1 Likes) | ||||||||||
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Posted: Sep 21, 2011 09:33 pm 
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