I just wanted to say the "Fakini" balls are the BEST billiard balls I have ever used.

Great colors, and they handle like a dream!

But the price....Oouch!!

Actually, I prefer Shimada's multiplying balls. But they are harder than h-e-double hockey sticks to get.



Later,



Dorian

Steve,



Have an extra set I could buy? They are so hard to come by and I believe they are worth every penny...

Sorry Mike, I don’t even have a set myself right now.

I do know that Aldo Colombini sells them thru Mammamia Magic. Aldo has Fakini add an extra different colored ball with his.



You also might try Denny & Lee.



_________________

Life is not a problem to be solved...

but a mystery to be lived.

If my buddy Denny can't get em'....no one can!

Oh No! It's a Fakini shortage! Whatever will we do!

I found a supplier of Shimada and Fakini Multiplying Balls. If you have an interest email me and I will tell you where to buy them.

Thanks Billy, I appreciate that.

I also have a set of Shimada’s balls that I got from the man himself. Steve is right, very hard to handle (insert second ball joke here) the cool thing is that each ball has a shell. Shimada has this great move where one ball instantly becomes four. It has to be seen to be believed!







_________________

Thank you,

John Zander

***************************

The Award Winning

Comedy Magic of

John Zander

http://www.ZanderMagic.com

http://AllMagic.net

***************************

Myself I prefer the Vernet Multiplying balls they are easy to handle and they have grips on them so they don’t slip.



:magicrabbit: Wow a Rock and Roll Rabbit

I have sets of both the regular Fakini multiplying balls and his golf ball. I must say that I love them very much. They look good and “stick” to your fingers. They do have a small problem that must be overcome. The nature of the material used causes them to stick in the shell and it sometimes takes a bit of work (extra movement) to get the ball out of the shell. This is easily overcome by putting a small felt dot inside the shell.



I also have a set of real billiard balls (from a snooker set) that I used to use (before Fakini). A friend cut a ball in half (actually a shave more than half) and then, using his lathe, he made a shell for me (actually made two shells). These balls are beautiful, can be handled by a spectator (why would you want to?), and “click” loudly when struck together (something the silicon Fakini cannot do). They are heavy.



Finally, the set I use the most, are real golf balls painted with red enamel. The shell is from a kids toy set and is simply one of those plastic golf balls cut in half and painted to match. The kid’s toy golf ball is larger than the real ball and thus makes a perfect shell. Why, if I have Fakini, do I use them most, you ask? (As well you should!) I perform over 2/3 of my magic in club/bar venues. Sometimes, parts of my act gets “borrowed” without my knowledge or permission. I would hate to have to replace my Fakini! The golf ball set cost me less than $5.00 to build.

The reason the Fakini balls are harder to come by is that he has been ill, and I believe he lost his wife recently. Someone told me that he has stopped making them, and once all the dealers' stock has been sold, there will be no more. So get 'em while you can!

Thanks for the felt dot tip mumblepeas! I got my first Fakinis (golf balls) from Denny a few months back and really like them but have been struggling for a good solution to the sticking problem. I'll try the felt dot tonight!



(I just love this little guy!)

I personally love the Vernet multiplying balls. They are extremely visible, very easy to grip, I have a whole routine around them and their ball climax.



Click here for a RealPlayer performance by yours truly.



_________________

Rich - Penna.org.uk

Friends,

When I was still doing the effect, I was using Ireland Golf Balls. Over the years the rubber has deteriorated. They were a great set. Easy to handle. Thin shell. With all the interest in magic these days, I wonder why nobody is making them again?

Does anyone know how the Fakini Golf Balls compare with those that were made by Ireland? If it is against the rules to talk about this in detail, I would appreciate a private message.

Hal

The Fakini Golf Balls are excellent. Every bit as good or better than the Ireland Balls. The Fakini s _ _ _ l is very well made.

However, the Ireland Balls have some good points also (I used to have some Ireland balls , but yes, the rubber eventually dried up and somewhere along the line I lost the s_ _ _l. I'm assuming Magic Inc. no longer makes them ?)

Good news for you: At Target and Wal-Mart , KMart (other places, too, I expect) you can purchase "practice golf balls" made of soft foam rubber. They feel and handle just like the old Ireland balls. Denny & Lee Magic sells a single Fakini Golf Ball s_ _ _l. Buy the s_ _ _l from Denny and several packages of the soft rubber golf balls from Target and you're in business. http://www.dennymagic.com Or if you still have your old Ireland s_ _ _l you are even better off. The soft rubber golf balls only cost about $3.00 per set of 4 at Target.

Use one set of balls until they wear out (should last for years) and store the spare sets in the 'fridge to keep them fresh, same as you might with balloons.
(At least, that's how I think you should store them. Does anyone know the best storage conditions for rubber balls and other rubber or foam rubber items to keep them from drying-out ?)

I use one of the soft rubber golf balls along with my Fakini set so I can do the move where the solid and the s_ _ _l are thrown up into the air and caught with the hand. The soft rubber ball expands just enough to stick firmly in the Fakini golf ball s_ _ _ l. It will not drop out when tossed up in the air.

I've had the idea that the soft rubber golf ball will almost compress enough to fit into a modified Sanada gimmick. See Jay Scott Berry's work on using the modified Sanada gimmick for bare-handed sponge ball productions (Illusioneering 2000 lecture notes, Sanada 2000) I think if you cut a slit in the soft rubber golf ball, then carefully hollow it out a bit by pulling out as much of the interior foam rubber as possible you can glue the slit closed again afterwards and the ball should be just barely compressible enough for use with the Sanada gimmick. This would make for a nice , open bare-handed production of the first ball, then work in the other thing and you're on your way...........

I need some help. I'm looking for 2inch, 11/2 inch, and 13/4 inch billiard balls.

Really I only need one or two ball of each size. Right now I need the 2inch ball the most.

If you can help just send the price including priority shipping (it should be around $3.50.), and your address...Thanks

abracadabra4you@aol.com

I need some help. I'm looking for 2inch, 11/2 inch, and 13/4 inch billiard balls.

Really I only need one or two ball of each size. Right now I need the 2inch ball the most.

If you can help just send the price including priority shipping (it should be around $3.50.), and your address...Thanks

abracadabra4you@aol.com

I suggest that you go to a craft store. They have wooden balls in various diameters. Apply a coat of white sandable primer. When dry, sand with a fine grit sandpaper and then polish them with a piece of cloth. When you have a nice smooth surface paint them whatever color you like and you're all set. If you like, you can add a thin coat of clear varnish. This will give the balls a slight "tack", which will make them a bit easier to palm (ala the silicone Fakini balls).

Another excellent alternative is a set of Goshman Multiplying Sponge Balls (Chicago Ball Trick). These are what I started with and they are very easy to handle. The balls are made of a very dense sponge, making them easy to handle, and they're cheap!

The balls do deteriorate with hard use, but inexpensive to replace. The shell clings well to the balls, but the ball rolls-out easily.