I would really like to add a rope routine to my repertoire, but am kind of low on funds right now because I am buying a lot of other magic stuff at the same time. So instead of me buying a lot of different books and tapes on rope magic the n selecting one routine, which would cost hundreds of dollars, I would really appreciate it if you guys could recommend one really good one to me.

I’ve heard that Sander's Three ropes and a baby routine is good. I’ve also heard that Daryl, Aldo Colobini, and Mac King, not to mention Pavel, all have great routines. Which one, however would you call the best for close up or stand up parlor situations. Thanks a lot.

If you want to be able to do different routines and get a great basic knowledge on rope magic get Daryl’s Easy to Master rope magic series also try to get Jean Merlins books on rope magic.
Jean Merlin was a genius with rope, he put out four books/booklets on rope magic that any one can read it only contains pictures, no text but the material is great.
For a complete rope routine you could also get Vito Lupos scissorless rope routine, a great cut and restored rope routine without using any scissors end the rope can be examined by the spectator at the end of it. But you still don't have to steal anything of the rope could end clean.

Jonas Karlsson
Vibono Magic
Sweden

Save your money. After trying every routine under the sun over the last 30 years, I mastered the Tabary routine on vol 1. It's the only one I use now. It has the added feature of using the same rope over and over. No cutting required. The tape will pay for itself in saved rope.

Hi:

If you're low on funds, I would say that "Three Ropes and a Baby" is a good choice. You use the same rope over and over, and it's included with the routine. It's very nice rope - the Elite Rope.

Ron

I would say you go with jumping knot of Pakistan. If you seen Daryl do it I am sure you would love it. I think I read that your performing in somewhat of a stage setting, I think you should stop buying other magic and save for Pavels super walking knot. That is my personal favorite rope effect.

DJ

I recommend a simple cut and restored rope routine. I performed the scissorless routines a lot, and I found that it is far more powerful to use scissors and really cut the rope (or have a spectator cut the rope). The problem with the scissorless versions is that you shouldn't do both the cutting AND the restoration by magic. When you magically restore a magically cut rope, people tend to think that there was something fishy about the cutting in the first place (which is, of course, the truth). Apart from that, I have never seen anybody mime a real cutting of the rope convincingly. So my conclusion is: just cut that rope! There are plenty of moves that will do the job. You can hand the rope for examination before and after the routine. What more can you get from a rope routine? I believe MacKing's (other) rope trick is such a routine, where you actually cut the rope three times and restore it magically. If I am not mistaken, David Copperfield did this routine (slightly altered) in one of his TV specials.

Don't do knot routines. Knots cannot be seen well enough from a distance.

Best

Frank

I, frankly, do not like scissorless cut/restored rope routines... It is just me. Kinda makes no sense to a layman.

Your low-cost option here is George Sand's "Sandsational Rope" booklet. It's a classic cut and restored routine. You'll need to update it a bit, but he's got the basics in there.

Not in answer to your question, but in response to some of the others: I moved away from the scissorless routines and starting buying more rope and making bigger messes! More fun is a good thing!

-Crippen

The Tabray rope routine Vol. 1, hands down. The video is $30.00 and is well worth the money.

Yep Tabary definitely. I am currently working on the routine and the video is a delight!

Buy it!

Good luck with your venture in rope magic, just don't get yourself 'tangled up'.



Kevin

The Tabary routine is great but it is his routine and it is a routine that has been put together using the works of others. Don't get me wrong I to do a routine similar to the Tabarys routine but not al the time, it is just not suitable for all occasions that is way I think you should learn different moves and techniques to be able to do rope magic for all kinds of spectators in all venues.

Jonas Karlsson
Vibono Magic
Sweden

Daryl's FISM winning rope routine is nice too, and is no where near as complicated as Tabary's. It is an extended 'professor's nightmare' with a rope sequence before the stretching.

It's on his 'Easy to Master Rope Magic' videos released by A1 Multimedia.

Kevin

If you're low on funds, I recommend that you buy the Dover Edition of the Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks compiled by Stuart James.

It's chock full of things you can do with ordinary rope and ways to gimmick ropes yourself.

As far as a routine... why not learn a few rope tricks, pick the ones you like, and put your own routine together? You'll have somethings that's yours exclusively.

Dennis Loomis

For cut and restored rope routine Sheigo Tekagi, I one of the best around I'm not sure if you can still get his video.
Also greater video magic vol9 Salvano.

vinny

I like Aldo Colombini's Rope routines which are well explained on his videos.

Darryl's routine plays well to both kids and adults. The prof. nightmare at the end also allows you to change the patter (if needed) to suit a specific audience.

i've been wanting to find a new rope routine, but the response for this has always been great. further more, the handling is easy.

cheers,

john

I second the vote for Colombini, especially Professor's Math

I’m in search of a rope routine for my family shows. Any ideas. I only do the cut/restored at the moment.

Granted, saving rope is nice...But in my opinion the best rope routines out there are the ones that eat up rope. I feel that a simple cut and restored routine with some minor additions is a lot more magical than that professor’s nightmare routine with all the fancy moves and gags. Tabarys routine is superb, however I feel it’s a drop too long and a little "over-magical" for lack of better terms. There are also some points to it that are a drop clumsy, like the showing of 2 ropes without separating them. I say get the Daryl tapes and compile your own routine. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with a routine that doesn't eat up rope (I perform my own when I tablehop), I just feel the ones that do are better...Mac King's routine is genius in that regard. He does a basic cut and restored (with a comedy dialogue) in a couple ways then adds some cute and common twists like pulling the ends off while having a solid loop of rope and some other clichés (very common, but my point is, who cares. it still looks great...) His whole routine stays very basic until the end where he removes your brain and throws it in a blender. He cuts up the rope into a bunch of tiny pieces and opens his hand as the rope falls and is now seen restored with a bunch of knots.... he then proceeds to slide the knots right off the rope thus restoring it once again, leaving himself clean and leaving you in a state of @#$%^&%$#^*!! (It took me 3 times to watch his ending before I figured it out.) My point is, his routine is a very basic cut and restored until that killer ending (which I believe is his own creation, unless someone can inform me otherwise) yet many magicians believe that his routine is the best out there. So that's some food for thought. In my opinion, make it a cut and restored and K.I.S.S. the routine. Less is more...just ask Mac.

Tabary #1 is the one I've settled on. Elegant.

Coldthorn