A recent question about linking safety pins got me thinking about something, and I wanted to see what you all thought. I've always felt that linking effects done with objects that have some sort of opening in them -- safety pins, key rings, etc. -- are inherently weaker than those done with (apparently) hole-less objects -- rubber bands, finger rings, etc. It always seemed to me that the known opening took the reaction from "But that's impossible!" down to "Hmm, I wonder how he got it open and closed that fast."

However, it occurred to me that since this hunch has kept me from ever learning anything like a linking pins routine, I don't actually know if there's any truth to it. So what are your opinions? Does my theory hold water, or can a couple safety pins be as effective as solid rings?

Quinn

It all depends on the performer.
Solid rings, by their very nature, create an impossible situation, leading the spectator to assume that at least one of the rings is not solid and the performer is concealing the break.

Pins, etc., on the other hand have a natural opening, even though it may be closed.
This, of course, creates a "downside", too.
It would depend greatly on who you are doing it for and where you are doing it.

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Bruce Bernstein has possibly the most incredibly-clean linking pins version out there. To see it is to lust after the secret. It's just that strong.

And to top it all off, Bruce is primarily known for his mentalism. Go figure.

Hi.

I am discussing a related problem with a couple of friends: you leave people examinate your props. I am NOT saying to ASK people to examinate it, but I do not like perform and immediatly put in my pocket the prop. I strongly prefer to leave it on the table, either in formal close-up and in table hopping.

So I think that should be the key. I can link two rubber bands (Kenner, Out of control) and leave them on the table. I can link few pins, in formal close-up, and leave them on the table (Ganson, The art of close-up magic, vol. II - shame on me but I do not remember the Author of the routine).

I cannot link "linking rings" and leave them on the table - not to mention that stage linking rings are beautiful, small ones look (to quote Peter Marucci) exactly as they are: magic props.

Cheers

Stefano

PS: I use gaffed props, but chop cup, coin shell and so are somehow "passive" props, and you do not need to change them, because they are unsuspected, whilst changing color knives are "active", and usually people want to grab them... ok, it is quite a long, boring and OT topic!!!

S.

I do linking pins, rings, ropes, ring and ropes, etc so penetration effects are a favorite. However, I only do one penetration effect in a performance set. Any more is overkill!

An important point that's not been mentioned is visibility. Linking safety pins is really for one on one situations. You can use larger pins for larger audiences, but I've always felt that these larger pins screamed magic prop. However, I do occaisionally use the larger pins when the audience is clearly favourable (ie, no grabbers or hecklers in the crowd). For larger audiences, I would instead prefer to use something other than pins (eg rings or rope).

A strong feature of the Andrus version (with the larger pins) is that the opening of the pins is always in view, so the theory that you somehow opened and closed them quickly is eliminated at the outset.

Bye for now

Harold

hi,
can the andrus linking pins be examined
without switching?

Nope. They can be visually scrutinized right up close with little fear that the secret will become known but you can't hand the
"key" out.

A couple of years back I performed the Gaetan Bloom routine (I think it is not sold anymore though). The routine was hailed for it's diabolical non-gimmick-gimmick (I know, this doesn't make any sense) but to me the real beauty of it was that it made use of the same principles as the
"crazyman's handcuffs". The optical illusion of the pins melting thru each other is very good. Come to think of it, I used the routine from Slydini WITH the Bloom gimmick. Slydini's routine can be found in the first or second year of Apocalypse.