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templemagic Elite user Sunderland, North-East England 420 Posts |
I use the thread Jeff McBride uses - Gutermann Black Sewing Thread. You will have more difficulty getting it to remain invisible in many venues but it is non-reflective and it is very strong. I use a metal cane and it holds that easily.
Hope this helps, Robert |
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DoctorShadow New user 3 Posts |
Anybody know where I can get the Fukai cane? I've seen his thread...it's incredible.
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Philipp K Loyal user Germany 228 Posts |
Yeah ,
Jeff McBride uses thread from Gütermann, a popular German sewing company. It's great and easy to get (here in Germany). If you look for it on the internet don't forget to type it in correctly: Gütermann. If you can't type in the "ü" use "ue" for it instead; it's the same thing. Philipp
Doc Brown : If you put your mind to it , you can accomplish anything .
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c4rlito New user 34 Posts |
I came across an interesting discovery today which may please anyone looking for thread for Floating Rings or Cane. The Gutermann thread can be stripped! There are three thread which make up this thread. You can strip it down to one and it is then 1/3 the thickness but just as strong! Certainly strong enough to do the above routines. It will take patience and required more of an un-twisting than stripping action. But is obviously much thinner and with correct lighting, much less visible. Every little helps.
Best Wishes Matt
Best Regards,
Matthew McGurk British Magical Champion https://www.matthewmcgurk.com https://www.mymagiccourse.com/ |
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tropicalillusions Special user Tulsa Okla 631 Posts |
Rod winding works wonders very strong. Try Bass pro, or any good baIT and tackle shop, They use this thread to wind around the eyes on the fishing pole that the fishing line run thru. they wrap the eyelet on then usually apply a bit of finger polish to seal it. I have been using oo or double ot. comes on a small spool like sewing thread,,, very strong and light.
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Jim Sparx Inner circle Far Out, Texas 1144 Posts |
http://www.amazon.com/Sulky-Premium-Invi......e+thread
The both clear and smoke color is $1.33 for 400 plus yards
Et tu, Spartacus?
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/chispadeelpaso.html |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Sulky "Smoke" has been my "stage" thread for years. I will warn you, that is IS shiny, and I have been busted. Not often, but there are certain angles where a flash is unavoidable. A Marks-A-Lot black marker helps considerably.
Doug |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Ya know...I've been hearing a lot about Steve Fearson's X2 Stage Line. I'm gonna order some this payday. You can read the full description here:
FULL DESCRIPTION Incredibly strong yet remarkably hard to detect, Vectra X2 Stage Line is some of the most usefull thread you'll ever own. Don't be fooled by the name. Even if you've never set foot on a stage you're bound to find a use for this amazing and versatile thread! X2 is a very strong, dead black monofilament that goes completely invisible from just a few feet away under proper conditions. Twice as strong as the original Vectra Line, Vectra X2 is the best choice when you need something even stronger but still highly invisible. On stage, it's a DREAM. It's strong enough to lift large objects like floating balls, magic wands, soda cans, you name it. It's also strong enough to do other things like slam doors, make things move and knock over heavy objects. Breathe some new life into old effects and devices that use an easy to spot monofilament or string by replacing it with X2. You won't believe the difference! X2 does not need to be separated or stripped down, it arrives ready to use. You receive OVER 500 FEET of Vectra X2 Line on a convenient spool. BONUS! You'll also receive a sample of Stealth Black Master Wax. Just one tiny pellet of this amazing wax is connecting the ring to the decks in the demo video. The wax is supporting the entire weight of two decks! Fearson's Master Wax is the strongest magician's wax available, a must for high-end thread work. Vectra X2 Stage Thread by Steve Fearson Product SKU: MA-0189 Doug |
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
Doug;
I have Vectra X2... if you're looking for dancing cane thread, SKIP IT. That's the exact purpose I bought it for. Now either A; I'm WAY too energetic with my cane routine or B; it's just NOT strong enough to withstand the stress forces the more complex moves induce (around the body, hand twirl, even just a standard upward loop will snap it). Now what I WILL recommend X2 for is floating balls, ect. It is dead black, very thin and works very well for these applications. THis is another case of Fearson's hype exceeding the product. It will NOT, for example, slam a door. Worth checking out, but don't thread your cane with it or you'll end up impaling your specs. Yes, this nearly happened to me with X2. I'll stick with my sulky smoke. The wax is excellent, however.
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Thank you, Ekuth! I do not have a Dancing Cane, but that is useful info! Yeah, floating ball...specifically, my AstroSphere. If it does that well, then X2 is my STUFF! When you use the Sulky, do you treat the shine, or just use it as-is?
I had to be very careful with lighting. Plus, keep specs 10 ft away, but no closer than that. I also learned to keep the floating to a minimum. Two minutes max, start to finish. Magicians tend to like to float the thing forever, and that is just wrong. Like the Zombie, the "wow factor" diminishes quickly. Same with the Dancing Cane. Most I have seen just go on TOO LONG! It almost telegraphs the method! Even Jeff McBride overdoes it, in my humble opinion. I dunno. How long a performance do YOU think it should be? Once around, and maybe one or two more moves...and done? Or a complete dance that lasts 2 or 3 minutes? Doug |
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
Good questions, Doug.
I use my sulky straight off the spool; I've never had shine problems... but as I do ALOT of IT work, it's kind of ingrained that I'm blocking/shadowing out of instinct. Distance does help. I can say that doing my orb routine with the X2 I've had people as close as 3 or 4 feet and never got burned. Again, lighting, obviously. X2 is pretty darn invisible even under less than optimal conditions, though. Shorter is better with any float, I agree... generally. Now we come to the sticky part... cane work. The main trouble with the cane recently is that it's been discovered/picked up by the juggling/theatre community. "Flow Sticks" or "Flow Warriors" I believe is what they call it/themselves. They do it more as a form of performance art/juggling than magic. Unfortunately, they also use thread so thick you could tow a car with it. I've got David Mann's "Dancing Cane 101" and Jeff's "Revolution". I've studied Copperfield's routine set to Rhapsody in Blue (clocks in at just under 2 mins). I really think the length is dependent upon the performer himself and HOW you're presenting the cane. If you're going to do the cane as an 'offbeat' moment between effects, then the 'shorter is better' route is the best to take. If you actually want to do a Dancing Cane routine, it's going to have to be longer. Mine is done to "At Last" and clocks in at exactly 2 mins 15 seconds. Too long? Maybe. But my moves, expressions, outfit... everything is matched and timed to the lyrics and melody. I've had to move away from the mindset that the Cane is purely a 'magic effect' and more towards accepting the 'performance art' aspect of it, due to exposure from the Burning Man crowd. I love to do it, I love my routine (been working at it for 3 years plus), I make my own canes... so for me, it stays in- at the length it is. Yeah, I've been burned or had the audience figure out the method, but as with any other effect, I stay mum. The idjits move off and the people who appreciate the artistry of it stay; it doesn't matter to them HOW I'm doing it, just that it's a thing of beauty and art. I use it as my opener/edge builder and I never fail to get a crowd. Best response I ever got was when I performed it on the edge of a pool and floated the cane out over the water. So, to sum up... unfortunately it's been over-exposed. If you're going to do the cane, expect "there's a string!". Jeff gives some really great advice in "Revolution" about hand movements; basically your 'control' hand should move at half the speed of your 'free' hand. Body language/movement/blocking is a MUST to pull off the illusion. But I think if you can get over the magician's mental hurdle of "must protect the method" and just enjoy/do it as a bit of performance art (which is really what magic is, after all) then you'll have a much better time of it.
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Finn Jon talks about lighting for thread work. Bright front only. No overhead, back or even side lighting. No need to go "dim" if you use front only. On trick is to use camo technique.... marking pen to dye short sections with space between marking.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
I just ordered a 500 foot spool of Vectra X2. I'm gonna put this through its paces. I still love my Sulky "Smoke", since I have four, 440 yard spools. Pete is spot on about lighting. And you want to use a Marks-A-Lot black marker to "zebra stripe" it. I've tried others. The Marks-A-Lot works best.
Doug |
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
OK, my X2 arrived today.
It is much thinner than my Sulky. Strong though. Not strong enough for the Dancing Cane, but this is great for The AstroSphere, the Dancing Hank, stuff the I.T. is just not strong enough for. However, it is NOT "dead black" as the advertisement says! In fact, the instructions warn you: "IMPORTANT -During performance, Vectra X2 thread should always be under some degree of tension to remain invisible. A loose line with slack in it will reflect light and expose the thread to your audience." So, shine could be a problem. Again. So consider this, if you do stage levitation. Even Lance Burton had a bad "flash" during his birdcage levitation, so it happens to the best! That was Sulky thread though, I believe. Remember old timers, we used plain brown carpet thread and special use of lights back in the day. It can still work that way! The X2, though, I have to admit is the best I have seen yet. I really like their wax as well! Doug |
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-02-11 13:49, Dougini wrote: That is a strange comment to make about the thread when slacked off. |
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
Yes, and it's utter nonsense, too. I've done reflection tests using a portable gooseneck lamp using X2 and at least to my eyes, there is NO difference AT ALL in reflectivity taunt vs. slack. In fact, more the reverse.
Fearson's ad copy can be... *scratches chin* of questionable veracity.
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
In light of all this, I still think Vectra X2 is the best stage thread available! I have a few more tests to try...
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Man...I'm trying to tie a loop with the X2. It is HARD to see, as strong as it is! Epic fails the first few times I tried...
At least it does NOT have to be stripped. That is a BIG plus. I think I may get another spool for a spare, and some flesh-colored wax. The black wax they sent as a sample is fantastic stuff! Better than anything I've used. The flesh-colored ought to be phenomenal! |
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
Been telling you about the wax for a while now, Doug! Glad you like it.
Don't get me wrong, X2 has a permanent spot in my case; it's great stuff. Just not *quite* as strong as it's made out to be. But for orbs, ect... great stuff. One thing I've noticed: Unless you work with gloves or powder your hands, if you live in a humid climate or it's humid in the area you're performing, the thread does NOT slide smoothly for some reason... so watch this. Found out the hard way...
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-02-14 09:41, Ekuth wrote: Yeah...it's the texture. Plus, I am being careful, because it seems it could cut you! Running around my thumbs (loop), and doing the raising and lowering moves gives me an uneasy feeling that the thread could cut. Never had that problem with Sulky Smoke. The good thing is this stuff is INVISIBLE! Even in broad daylight, it's hard to see. Incredible stuff! |
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