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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
The other day while cleaning up some of my stuff, I came across a piece of magician's rope dating back to the late Sixties.
I couldn't help but notice how the quality of magician's rope has drastically changed from the Sixties till now. While the current hanks of rope being sold in magic shops today aren't bad, to me they are still quite inferior to the quality of rope sold in magic shops just a few years back. Does anyone know how and why this occurred over that time period? Thanks, Gerry |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I would guess that the rise in prices of COTTON, is a factor. Denny Loomis and I 'usta' buy SPOOLS of rope at the start of a season. In fact, Denny broke the record for rope orders at Abbott's!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
Dick,
You could very well be right about that. I have to say the old magician's rope just felt great when you held it in your hands. Gerry |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I understand! Since reading Ralph Hull's "Fifteen Minutes With A Piece Of Rope", when I was about 15, I've been very interested in rope tricks!
I remember buying several hanks of "TV" rope from Frances Marshall, back in the '70s. It was thicker than the standard rope, sold by the dealers. I didn't use it for C&R!!! It was reserved for the Nightmare, ring and rope stuff, and, gifts for friends who used it for the same! My supply has shrunk! I'll be 86 on December 11, so, I figure that I have a "lifetime" supply!!! I haven't seen or handled the BARONIAN rope, but, I hear good things about it.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hysterical...OOPS...historical note about rope factories, Gerry!
For YEARS, the FORSYTH rope factory in Forsyth Georgia, made ROPE for magicians. IIRC. the owner of the factory, was interested in magic, OR was a magician. Many of us old pro's., if we were passing through Forsyth, when on the road, would stop at the factory, and buy, at very low prices, whatever pieces of rope were in their "leftover" bins! Apparently, when they made rope, there would be "scraps" or "odds 'n' ends, left over. There would be many pieces, 10 or 12 feet long, and, some 2 or 3 feet long. They were happy to sell them, and magicians that knew about this factory, were, of course, happy to buy them! Unfortunately, the last time that I drove through Forsyth (about 35 or 40 years ago) the factory was closed, and a fine source of rope had "disappeared".
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
It used to come from the Forstyh Rope company. It was uncoasted window sash cord. Since window sash are hardly used any more, the product ceased to be produced.
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Race Blakhart Special user Selma,CA 624 Posts |
Quote:
On Mar 1, 2018, Dick Oslund wrote: I love these tid-bits of information you share, Dick! You could write a whole other book just full of little tid-bits. I'd buy it! |
Race Blakhart Special user Selma,CA 624 Posts |
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On Nov 24, 2017, Dick Oslund wrote: Dick, the rope you sent me in 2016 was of much nicer quality than what I was previously familiar with. Was that some older stuff? |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Trevor! It "musta" been from "old stock"!! I was using the Karl Germaine, Ken Allen, Slydini, Carver. "Conway", rope routine that Denny Loomis and I "put together" in the very early '70s, to open the high school program. Denny used it, too, but, not to open. Denny and I would "buy out" Recil's stock at the start of the season!
If we were on the road, in "Doodaville, New Mexico", it would be "awkward" to run out of rope. When I changed the High School opening, I had two or three SPOOLS, left. When you aren't cutting up 7 feet of rope, five or six times a week (I didn't do it for the elementary schools) a spool lasts longer! Last fall, I sold my last two spools to Colton Raelund, whom I am mentoring. I had showed him the late Warren Stephen's clever "loop method" of the C&R, and, he thought it was the greatest idea since sliced bread! Richard! I guess I had forgotten, or maybe I never KNEW, that magicians were using a "by product" of the "window industry"! (Sometimes, I DO forget things!) Who am I, and, what am I doing here?
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Race Blakhart Special user Selma,CA 624 Posts |
Dick, I'm happy to know the last of the good rope went to Colton. I'm always waiting to see his name on tv or something. There's a kid with some DRIVE and a GREAT mentor!
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