Ya the Full performance here https://youtu.be/hyLGu4au6sE is really appreciable, its worth.

Magic

Hi all,

Just to answer a few common questions:

The reset time of 10 seconds is the longest it will take. With some practice, you can do this in under 5 seconds during the motion of fastening the chain back around your neck.

The chain is ungimmicked. It's just a standard necklace that can be examined and worn normally. You can use your own if you wish.

This can be performed with any shirt or T-shirt, as long as it has buttons. It can also be performed with any ring.

Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben,

It's good to know that you can reset it faster than 8-10 secs, with practice. But it's even better to hear that, apparently, the reset doesn't require you do some odd, unnatural move. And instead, you will only have to fasten the necklace around the neck.

I'll wait for reviews. I'm honestly hesitating between RRC and this one.

SNAG by Ben Howard through SansMinds

Review:

SNAG appears to have the potential to be a worker with some modifications to the setup. But before you even get to practicing SNAG or modifying the setup, you likely will have to purchase a new chain from somewhere. Why? Let's just say that the gimmicks have certain properties that are imparted to the chain when they are stored in close proximity, which renders the chain useless for the method and impossible to set up. SansMinds chose to package the chain and gimmicks literally together in an envelope inside the DVD case.

It would be good if SansMinds put as much thought into the end product as it does into hyping and selling it. Maddening in-and-out-of-focus videography throughout the instructional DVD coupled with the demonstrator (not the creator or the performer in the trailer) not wearing a particularly suitable shirt for the effect and repeatedly flashing the gimmick, doesn't exactly inspire warm, fuzzy feelings. Combined with the boneheaded packaging of the gimmicks and chain together and a poorly thought out setup, and you get sort of a comedy of errors.

Too bad, too, especially for the creator of SNAG. The method is ingenious and the illusion created could be surprising and convincing. Strong features of SNAG are that the chain (once you purchase a working one) is not gimmicked and once the borrowed ring and chain are pulled free of your shirt they can immediately be handed out for removal of the ring from the chain. Your hands begin and end clean. There is never anything in them other than the borrowed ring. That said:

You cannot reset SNAG in front of people (unless you want them to think you have a skin condition).

Angles with the setup taught are treacherous with anyone standing to the right of performer's center, as is made inadvertently evident during the video explanation and explains why the performer in the trailer turns his torso conspicuously to his right for the load and reveal. I think that SNAG could be made far more angle friendly with a simple, inexpensive (pennies) modification to the setup I have in mind. Unfortunately, after collecting the modest materials needed for the modification, I discovered the issue with the chain so I wasn't able to test-drive the idea.

There is another aspect of the setup that likely will require modification if you want to set up well in advance of performing SNAG without having to worry about something slipping off. The same inexpensive item that I think can resolve the angles issue could also resolve this issue.

BOTTOM LINE:

Unless and until I locate and purchase a replacement chain, I won't be able to assess how well my imagined modifications to the setup will work or how I ultimately would rate SNAG in the venerable borrowed-ring-to-impossible-location genre.

Hi E.S Andrews,

Thank you for your review and it's great to hear your thoughts. I'm intrigued to heard more about your modification idea, it would be great if you could PM me more about it!

It does sound like you have a faulty chain somehow. I'm sorry about this, I will arrange for a new chain to be sent out once you pm me, or email me at contact@benhoward.co.uk

Kindest regards,
Ben

Thank you for responding so graciously, Ben.

I hope you took the less positive aspects of the review as criticism of SansMinds and not of you or your effect. I do think the effect
could be more of a worker with some fairly easy alterations of the setup.

I will certainly PM or email you my thoughts about it!

Regards,

E.S.A.

I am left handed and it looks like the critical moment happens when the hand is put inside the shirt but because how men's shirts are fabricated, it is very difficult to insert your left hand between two buttons. Does this mean that I will not be able to do this effect without switching hands?

You would have to train your non-dominant right hand to do the relatively quick and easy load maneuver. It isn't complicated. I am left-hand dominant as well, although somewhat ambidextrous. It is more natural for me to use my right hand for this, but I could certainly see doing it left-handed if shirts were made the opposite.

I PM'd the creator my thoughts about modifying the setup a couple of days ago but haven't received a response yet. I won't be able to try out the modifications until I get a new chain.

If you watched the WPR, they also imagined an alternative handling as well, and which is totally angle proof. I'm wondering if it's not the same idea as yours...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNLgY523pm0

Ben messaged me and pointed me to the WPR of SNAG. Yep, same basic idea for how to modify the setup to improve angles and cover. I shared an additional modification with Ben to help keep the setup in place.

A thank you to Ben, by the way, for putting me in touch with SansMinds for a replacement chain.

Also, as David Penn notes in his WPR, you can use most any (relatively thin) ordinary necklace chain to perform SNAG.

If anyone would like to see a no-nonsense 30 second video of Snag you can see one on my Instagram here: https://instagram.com/p/BUVB6kMFTha/

Thanks,
Ben

Thank you very much Ben, it makes me feel liking buying the effect better than with the original video. The load is quick, it's quite neat. WPR talked about the reset which takes a little bit long but overall I like now this version very much because the chain is ungimmicked and it can be done with a shirt. I would not use this for strolling but for a one-time effect, this seems great to me.

Could it be left loaded and do the revelation later? I.e. Load it into the "mechanism" and reveal it later (in an even cleaner) fashion?

Hi Sashac,

Yes, I have a few exciting ways to do this. I will film a clip of this tonight. It's a slightly different set up but it looks awesome!

Thanks,
Ben

Ben - is this available to buy from you directly from us the U.K. - this seems to not be in stock most places

I had the pleasure to test this for a friend.
Everything is already said. Idea and method are great.
The chain which is supplied with SNAG is not faulty but chosen wrongly.
You can not perform it right out of the box and need to buy a new chain...

Looks good

Can it be purchased from you in the U.K. ?

Artin is correct.
SNAG could be terrific.
Ben's Instagram video shows the basics very well.
SansMinds says they are awaiting a new batch of chains. I hope they've selected ones made of an appropriate material this time. The chains they supplied with the first batch won't work.
If anyone wants to know what kind of chain to purchase, feel free to PM me. I've ordered a few different ones that should work from a major online shopping site.

Hi Michael,

Most stores will be getting new stock mid next week.

Thanks,
Ben

Hi all,

Most stores have Snag back in stock now.

Thanks,
Ben