I've bought heaps of loops, and yes, you will go through them fast --if you don't handle them correctly. But after heaps of practice and testing their breakgae point (by accident) you will learn how to handle them. Don't quit using them! Keep on...BUY MORE!!! I've found the forum in the secret sessions forum, amd it's got great info on loops and things, how to make them.....
By the way, thanks guys for putting in all your thoughts into this forum.
Shadow Dancer...

If not Loops then what alternative? What books or DVD would you recommend?

I'm an ITR man all the way. I swear by it. I've tried loops but they break too easy for me. I think I'm just heavy handed



alan

I made my own loop Wednesday afternoon and played with it a bit the rest of that day and Thursday morning. When I got to my parents' house and then tried doing a psychokinetic fork (which I did with no problems in my apartment), it snapped without the fork moving one inch. Since this is the first loop I've ever made/used, I'm not sure if it was simply a matter of not knowing the breaking point, or if the silverware at my parents' house was just too heavy.

I suspect it was a little of both. My silverware here is the kind you can do spoon/fork bending with; theirs is the kind that you can *try* to bend and only hurt your hands. Also, my loop was probably not as strong to begin with as the Mesika loops or one of the other commercial products, since I used the source described by Michael Ammar on his IT DVDs.

Speaking of ITRs, though, are you able to duplicate the loop-type effects by using a body hookup, or are there some you can't do?

Are Ammar's IT DVD's good? I was leaning toward them or Jon LeClair's Who's Afraid of IT?

I guess we should realize that loops can not be used for all kind of effects.
When I got my first Finn Jon loops, I used them for a floating bill routine and this worked very well.

It is true that you can wear the loop all day, but it would be wrong to expect a loop to last more than the first day.
I only wear a loop when I am dead certain about that I will be using it. Bringing them along just in case would cause that you will spend to many $ or to much time making them.

The pros about the loops are that you need no hook up at all.

Cons is that you have to watch the light conditions (at least with the Finn Jon loops)

I don't float anything anymore. How I see it, is that when you float a bill or a cigarette, the spectator MUST know that there is a gimmick somewhere.

The case is quite different if you do a psychokinetic thing, like with a fork.
I do this in the spectators’ hands, and scare their shoes off.
The only important thing you have to have control over, is that there should be no heavy forks around. These can't be moved without danger for breaking the thread.

Sven

Loops rock! Ties rock! You can float soap bubbles with loops and make them bounce around - its very pretty.

The trouble I have had with loops is I sometimes forget that I have one on my wrist only to find it a couple of days later. If only I had remembered it was there I could have used it at a moments notice.
Michael

I always get amazing reactions from the haunted deck in specs hand using loops.
Has anyone bought the companion book from Yigal Mesika with various additional routines?

No, not yet. I've thought of buying it, except in Australia the price is pretty expensive and I'm not sure whether the book is worth it. Is it anyone?
Shadow Dancer...

I've heard elsewhere that the book is not that great. If that's the feeling here, is there a better alternative?

Book is not that great ditto
loops rock
I hate body hookups

I heard about some fishing elastic as a resource to build your own loops. Have you guys ever hearded about it?

:o)
Betoo

Hello Beto,
I have beeing looking into that a while back, basically cause l think The Ties is a bit expencive investment. There are some equipment used to tie flyfishing that are good for making your own loops, but it is still kinda complicated.

Elastic fishing lines are a bit too thick, because loops are a close-close up prop, and I feel it is important that it remains as invisible as possible.

But buy the very elastic Invisible thread called "Miracle Thread" (I know Penguin Magic sell this), and then visit your local sport fishing dealer and see what they can offer you, in my country they called the tiesystem: Scarenet Vello (0,4mm - 1,7mm) the cost was around 20$,but I have no idea if they sell this world wide, but good luck!

-e-

You don't need loops to do a ghostly touch routine!
Get Banachecks PK Touches

I recently purchased the Yigal Mesika booklet (19 pages) called "Animated Miracles". Love it.

Although two routines (The Animated Fork and the Self Revealing Card) already come with "Loops", it is still a worthwhile investment. You get eight more routines and some of them are very powerful. The Floating Ring for instance.

I only wish Messika would come up with "AM 2"

Hi Eirik,
Thanks for your help. Guess what, I went to a fishing store ( fishing happened to be one of my hobbies by the way) and I found something called "Elastricot". It is used to prevent your bait of going out when you throw it. I paid 4,60 R$ ( about 2 U$)and I think it will last my entire life ( hope I pass throught the 90 ehehe). You will have to separate a fine thread, as you normali do with the IT. Well, I guess that's all. Now I'm seraching for tricks that use this very smart tool, while making my own effects. I would apreciate some tips on that!
See yah!

Beto

Hi Beto, like elgranmago said, the Yigal Mesika booklet called Animated Miracles is a great recource to get you started. I am fortunate to have a copy of Finn Jon's Loops notes, a lot of the same effects are thought there but it also has a couple of pages concerning the mentalism aspects of this nice prop.

If you get the Animated Miracles booklet, it will help you get your imagination running, and you'll start making your own routines. Lucky for you, when you start making your own Loops it will not cost you too much to break them. When you buy Loops from your magic store you always get frustrated in the beginning, because they will break on you a lot.

Practice them with smooth and gentle movements, and you'll have one around your wrist at all times, always ready to perform..

-e-

Personally I prefer ITR with a body hook up. I use elastic loops only for a pk spoon moving effect, but I feel that this method cancels out the idea of thread and the shadow your hand creates by performing it makes the loop completely invisible.

Bye
Wolf


Hi,

I always have a similar problem as I continually forget my loop on my wrist, breaking it regularily when I change my shirt.

Wolf

I have never used loops only It reels and body hook up. I have used the fishing elastic type like from Kundalini rising. Are loops much more elastic than those.And in case anyone is interested you can buy a spool of regular invisible thread at a fabric store under the name metroflock.One spool is more than one person will ever use.