My favorite is the Blendo: http://youtu.be/D9xFI3htn3c

and the Black - White - Zebra

"Best" is relative. But here's the funniest silk routine from my kids' shows and which always gets a great reaction and lots of applause at the end. I can't remember if I published this routine in last year's _Linking Ring Parade_ for Ring 103, but it is one of the effects in my lecture.

_THE VANISHING SILK TO PEANUT BRITTLE CAN_

Basically I have a peanut brittle can sitting on my table. Then I vanish a small red silk and tell the kids:
"Guess what! It magically flew into that can of peanut brittle!"

Of course, a lot of the kids have seen spring snakes jump out of a can before, so they know more or less what's coming. But I drag out "the suspense" by pretending that the lid is on too tight. After struggling unsuccessfully to get the lid off, I tap it lightly against my table in an attempt to loosen it, etc.

When I finally get the lid off, three snakes and a duplicate silk fly out!
(Most peanut brittle cans come with only one snake, so I bought three cans and just added two of the snakes to one of the cans.)

I display the silk that "reappeared." Then I pick up the first snake and put it into the can. As I bend down to pick up the second snake, the first one jumps back out. I repeat that comedy bit two more times. Finally, I get all three snakes into the peanut brittle can. But then I remember the lid. I see it on the floor, and as I bend down to pick it up, all three snakes jump out of the can. Repeat that one time.

Finally I "get smart" and manage to get all three snakes into the can. Then I pick up the lid. But my hand holding the three snakes in the can makes it difficult to put the lid on. I pretend to try to remove my right hand and quickly put the lid on, but the three snakes jump out again.

Eventually, I get all three snakes into the can and manage to get the lid on.

The kids are, of course, more entertained by the "magician in trouble" part of the routine than the vanish and reappearance of the silk.

No expensive apparatus. But the entertainment quotient is high! And when all three snakes are finally in the can, there's a stupendous round of applause from the kids.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Come to think about it, I don't believe there is a silk trick that can be named "BEST" as I don't remember ever seen a bad trick using silks. Silk magic is very magical.

BOJAN! WOW! ('YOUSE' DONE GOOD!)

TO Café INST...............Are you a magician or a guy who does tricks???

Learn how to use a big dye tube and a rolled up sheet of paper!!!!!

CHANGE BAGS ARE ARCHAIC, OUTDATED, AND THE AUDIENCE IS SAYING TO THEMSELVES: "IF I HAD THAT BAG, I COULD DO THAT!!!!! Change bags (before they were "change" bags) were used in churches to take up the offering.

An early P & L instruction sheet mentions an "ORDINARY" CHANGE BAG!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!

Magic dealers would push the change bag, as it meant the sale of another prop!!!

Carl Lohrey (originator of the MISMADE FLAG) used a John Braun dye tube and a sheet of paper.

I try to be a magician.

Where can I learn this?

I have posted this information many times in this forum, here it is again, references for the best Dye Tubes ever made at 1960 prices.

http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rice's%20D......ubes.htm

Sorry the Braun Dye Tube has not been available for year, but is easy to make.

This book will give you all you need to know, but the Rice Encyclopedia has more information as well. They are out of Print of course. only available 2nd hand or in a very poor quality PDF CD with many errors and some information missing, and a lot of misspelled words.

http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rices%20Thr......Tube.htm

I can only fit one 18" silk in my palmo. The silk king magic dye tubes are much bigger than palmo, right?

Thanks Bill for your usual very detailed information (on using the dye tube)! I was about to dig up the information, and you 'beat me to it'!

Sorry Caféinst! I was a bit abrupt! Yes, the gaffs for effects like Mismade Flag, are larger.

The effect is really 'beautiful' when you use the paper tube with dye tube gaff. It is well worth the practice.

I put in the Mismade for the season of 1976, and it was a 'winner'!

See Bill's information above. Bill must have a phenomenal system for searching out information.

Again, sorry I was so abrupt!

I MAY HAVE a John Braun gimmick. If so, I'll either PM you or advise here.

Thanks, I use a very complicated system we all have, it is called "The Brain", and - of course Google.

I have purchased and used all this stuff I refer to in my posts. If it is from 1958 to 1980's, I most likely have experience with it.

Here's a link to the Silk King Studios Dye Tubes:

http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rice's%20D......ubes.htm

And here's a link to their Palmo:

http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rice's%20Palmo.htm

They're all BARGAINS for workers.......

And here's a "Change Bag Tip" Karrel Fox gave me years ago..........two paper bags nested together!!

PERFECT and INNOCENT-LOOKING....and ALWAYS AVAILABLE everywhere you go from any grocery store.....

But, sad to say, PAPER bags are slowly 'disappearing'!

Percy Abbott used paper bags for a zillion different tricks!

I'll go out to my storage unit this afternoon and check on silk gimmicks.

I was just teasing, Bill (about the 'system') I'm fairly well organized, it's just a matter of having time to get the brain "in gear"!

I'll reply in the Polly wants a cracker forum re the RABBIT FROM HAT. Your point is well made.

What is the advantage of using a paper tube with a dye tube gaff over a change bag when performing Mismade Flag?

The magic effect. It looks more impossible if you perform the moves correct. Silks passing through a piece of paper that was shown on both sides and rolled in front of the audience. To my way of thinking that is magic.

Just better magic then using a change bag.

The choice is up to you.

I've fooled people doing Mismade Flag closeup with a change bag. One person thought I was using sleight-of-hand. He wanted to see my pockets.

When I first saw a magician demonstrate an effect with a change bag, I was mystified.

I have had my change bag for over 30 years. It is just a red bag made out of velvet with a black interior and yellow ropes, without any pole. I notice that lots of magicians now-a-days use the change bag with a pole. Why? Do they no longer make change-bags like I have?

The Grant Magic Tote Bag shown on this collector's page
http://www.ronsmagicpalace.com/Rons_Magi......nts.html
was an alternative to the standard change bag that looked a little more innocent.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Sonny,

Yes, the bag in that picture is exactly what I have. So they don't make these anymore?

If you do a web search using the terms
drawstring change bag
you might find some listed.

Like this one:
http://www.larocks.com/magic/change_bags.htm#Tote_Bags

and this one:
http://www.magicinc.net/changebagdrawstring.aspx

and this one:
http://www.jimsistimagic.com/seamslikemagic/totebags.html

There are likely more out there, but I found those with a quick search.

----- Sonny

Lee Jacobs used to make one that looked like a bank money bag.

You even know an old guy that still has one! I use mine in my Robbery Routine for the vanishing and reappearing necklace! It is canvas colored.