I continue to work on my Boot Camp drill with the included bottle caps. Challenging, to say the least. In the meantime, I've solved my 'gripping problem' with the SFS Golden Shells. Three coats of clear Plasti Dip. I can now grip and maneuver the shells with ease. Now, back to those maddening bottle caps...

I'm sure many people will disagree with me, but, in my opinion, you don't need to use bottle caps unless you are going to go a scam people on the street or will be using bottle caps instead of shells for your performances. The shells you have been designed for the 3 shell game, whereas bottle caps have not. People may tell you that using caps will improve your skill because they are harder to handle compared to the shells, but I think all that happens when you use bottle caps is that you end up using a different technique.

For example:

The SfS shells have the Chanin dip and have bevelled edges to facilitate the movement of the pea. Bottle caps do not have these things unless you modify them, so the way you handle the shells compared to the bottle caps is different. I don't think that the way you handle bottle caps carries over to handling the shells. While practising, I have found my own ways to make loads seem less obvious which would not be possible to do with the caps, but I have also found tricks for the caps, which are not needed for the shells, due to their design.

If you want to use the shells in your performance, practise with the shells. If you want to use the bottle caps, practise with them instead.

I didn’t find the caps any more, or less difficult than the shells. In fact, the caps were easier to pick up than the sfs shells. In performance, I prefer the shells because darned near everyone has heard of the 3 shell game.

Thanks a million for your terrific post, licker98. Quite apart from your sage observations, I needed an excuse to chuck the bottle caps, and you provided it! I'm not sure that the time I've spent with the bottle caps has improved my skill, but it certainly has given me a new appreciation for the relative ease of using the shells! Will pm you anon regarding the question you asked me.

Jakeg, my hat's off to you for the fact that you can use those caps. They ARE easier to pick up than most shells (particularly the metal ones), although, as I mentioned earlier, the application of Plasti Dip (or one of the other substances that Glenn suggests in the Bonus section of his dvd) makes picking up the shells MUCH easier - even with dry hands like mine I can do it.

Again, thanks to you both for your guidance in this thread.

Saw him perform it in the closeup gallery at the castle, his presentation as usual was amazing and those silver shells were be-a-u-tiful

They are beautiful...and VERY heavy - the heaviest of any of the shells sold by SFS. But they sing in his hands...