Brett, I think it is too bad that you had to deal with that so soon.

Just a note... I don't think John Cornelius can be credit for INVENTING the muscle pass... POPULARIZING it... Yes... Do a bit of research...

I JUST BOUGHT A DIGITAL DISSOLVE AND I LIKE IT.....sorry just trying to jump in on the excitement.

Thanks for the pity Sammy - I'm over it as the new Teflon discs are more slippery than ever.

As one of the older, if not oldest, geezers in this group I am proud to say that I was friends with Steve Dusheck in the late 1970's before he had a couple of life altering crises. I still have over a half dozen of the effects that he developed. One of these is a Copper Silver Transposition made by Steve and his dad who was his working partner at that time.

This was a time well before teflon inserts were around, so the smooth sliding aid in my set is a thin rectangle of paper strategically affixed to the right spot. It has to be replaced periodically, but that is a pretty easy process. It works very well. Steve dubbed the move required to perform the trick as "The Dusheck Shove." After thirty-five years of periodic use, my set looks as good as the day that I got it. Of course I have allowed the English Penny components to develop a rich Patina.

Here's another small background factoid on the original effect. Steve and Jerry Mentzer were pretty good friends. Therefore Steve gave Jerry permission to include a complete set of instructions for C/S transposition in Jerry's Close-up Calvalcade Finale. Steve, who has a great sense of humor, asked me what I thought of Jerry's "black and black illustrations."

BTW if anyone is interested in acquiring my original C/S transposition they can PM me. I *might* be convinced to part with it at this point in my life.

Thank you Tonylew!

Welcome to the Café by the way! I have been a fan of Steve's ever since "The Wunderbar". Dusheck was the inspiration that started my IT work so many years ago! Thanks for that info, Tonylew!

Doug

HI Doug,

I am sure that you will appreciate the fact that when another magic producer came out with an effect similar to Wunderbar, he promoted it by saying that you could talk normally while doing his trick.

In the 1970's Palmer Tilden owned Sterling Magic, a company that went from crafting coin jewelry to producing magic coins at the urging of Tony Slydini, Palmer's mentor. At that time Palmer was frequently commissioned by Steve Dusheck to craft the coin items that were beyond the machining capabilities of Steve and His dad. Steve introduced me to Palmer who has been my friend ever since then. Sadly, he is now suffering from an advanced case of Parkinson's disease.

Palmer lived and worked relatively close to me in Northern California while Steve resided in Pennsylvania. Periodically, Steve would ask me over the phone why "your friend" Palmer was so late in his deliveries, completely ignoring the fact that it was he who had introduced me to Palmer.

Regards,

Tony L. Lewis

Thank you for that info, Tony! Wow! The things ya learn...

Doug

Yes, good stuff here from Tony on Steve, speaks even further to the man's integrity as to his creative nature. And like my good buddy Doug here, I truly enjoyed/appreciate the history from someone that was there. C/S Transpo is one of Steve's very best pieces of coin magic. Thanks Tony.

-Mb

I'm sure I'm not the only one on here who didn't know the origins of Sterling and why Steve chose Sterling to do business with. Thanks for taking the time to post your memories on this forum, Tony. I have so much respect for Steve Dusheck's inventiveness, humility and respect for the magic community and love to hear stories about him.


Ha! I guess there's nothing new in coin gaffers (occasionally) taking a bit too long with their custom orders.

Regards,

Alan

I bought Digital Dissolve and have had fun playing with it. I also enjoyed getting Mr. Dusheck's handling as part of the package, and learning the history is very interesting to me.

I have to say, though, that as much as I enjoy it, the biggest value for me was that it inspired me to duplicate the effect without using the gaff. It was quite a blast for me the first time I did it using regular coins and sleights only. Another milestone for the novice! Anyway, a great effect and it doubled as an instructional tool for me as well even if that wasn't intended.

Barry

I've been exploring ways to duplicate that effect for a long time. Even the EG2EG came from that line of thinking.

While you're exploring what Dusheck's gaff can do - have a look here

Yes BT, when you start to play with these gaffs (as most initially do) then you might begin to search out how it can be done via SOH and a lot of this stuff can be done that way. Actually a lot of what gaff coins can do comes from a thinking magician attempting to rid the effect of the tricky moves to make it happen and thus render it easier to do, not to mention make it easier to sell. I mean, you can learn how to cook a hamburger with all it entails (preparation and cleanup), or you can more simply go buy a Big Mac from MacDonald's, ready to eat & go, and absolutely delicious, perfect everytime! That's why there's a big market for gaff coin magic, it's easier to do while delivering powerful magic. Makes sense I suppose.

Obviously it works as there are tons of gaffed coins out there that can do all sorts of things and there are varying levels as to the quality of the magic and apparatus, from cheap (Dime & Penny) to very expensive (Triple Threat or SuperFly). I have some of them but am always glad that I endeavored to learn the sleights, practice them and make the actions smoother and more natural. Nowadays, I rarely see the need to buy a gaff coin or set, no matter how cool it might be. But I will say some of the more popular ones like C/S Transpo, Scotch & Soda, sh**ls etc., are a lot of fun and present some amazing magic to folks and that's what it's all about.

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Test Case:
*Incidentally, Chris Kenner's SuperFly gaff version of his 3Fly looks pretty much like his ungaffed version IMHO. Perhaps there is a real example of where the gaff doesn't really justify any greater (at least seen) difference as to the effect, though the gaff coins are pretty cool. Just my 2cents but you be the judge. With either method, Kenner is a remarkable worker.

3 Fly (Ungaffed/@ 2:30 mark) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM6zuzlaUVA

SuperFly (Gaff set) http://coingaffs.com/coingaff_shop/superfly.html
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But perhaps mixing the two coin magic disciplines is what's best, as even gaffed coins need to be manipulated, or at least you can do so much more with them subjecting them to the sleights as well. Eric Jones is a great example of someone who is quite good in both areas of SOH and Gaff work with coins, and uses them interchangeably in his work that way. That, to me, is what all good coin guys should strive for as the more you get a good handle on, the more you are and will contine to grow and be with this stuff.

Mixing Gaff with ungaffed??? Yea that's what I have been doing for the last 30-35 years or so!!!
That way you get to do sleight on the offbeat!so it can't be a gaff because you did this. And it can't be a sleight because you did that! But the hard part Is not HOW but WHEN!!! And for WHO!!!

In reply to the gaff/non-gaff posts - have a look at Rannie's version where you essentially start and end clean - no touch - even get a one handed vanish of that last coin. Chastain's version: Phlye comes very close to this.

Gaffs- IMHO use them were it counts.

Yea I had a no touch handling where they change to Chinese coins at the end in 2005! in my fight plans book.

Several postings back I mentioned that Palmer "The Wizard" Tilden, the founder of Sterling Magic, mnufactured several of Steve Dusheck's creations such as Wunderbar, Lethal Tender, etc. I regret to say that Palmer died in October of 2011. He contracted an extremely serious form of Parkinson's Disease a few years ago.

Palmer DIED, Tony? I hadn't heard that. Sad. Johnson Products is my only gaffed coin collection now. I buy/use a gaffed coin for just one reason:

To augment something I already do by SOH. Coins Across (Dollar & Half Dollar), Coins Thru The Table, and various takes on those. That's where the [ comes in. It adds an impossibility factor. The DD just adds to that, but really the effect is fine with just a [.

That said, I do like DD! It would be in my collection today, were I not strapped financially! I'll say this...the times I talked to Dusheck, I realized what a genius this man is...

Doug

Curious, what type of coins did Steve use to make his slips?

I believe English pennies and Kennedy Halves.

Jim