[quote]On Dec 15, 2018, Kaliix wrote:
Why the need to switch ropes? Don't you have all you need at the end of Professors nightmare? Just put away the "extra" ropes and hold back what ever you need as you put away what you don't.

I haven't been on the Café for a while, so this is a bit late. It's a fair question, Kaliix and Dick. I want to end PN with (seemingly) a single long rope, the two knots (seemingly) gone. That's why I'm interested in making a switch to a single un-knotted rope.

Hey Plunk! It's a free country! But, why do you want to try to "top" the already great finish of the PN??? In my book, I gave you Karrell Fox's GREAT FINISH FOR THE PN!

Do what you want! You'v been working with three simple pieces of unprepared rope! Now, you want to stick the pieces in some hokey prop, and switch them??????

PROFESSIONALS KNOW WHEN T0 QUIT!!!!!!!!!!

Be the plunk:
IMHO (and feel free to disagree) , the PN has been overdone. It is high time for a FEW PERFORMERS to do something great at the end.
Like you said, make them into one rope. Then do a secret, invisible switch, and hand them out. make them into one rope a la Pavel.
then do the switch. If you can switch a deck, you can switch a rope cleanly too. I am coming up with a rope switch for an extended rope!!! not only wrapped and in the hand.

I suggest the most effective switch would be to switch behind a chair. Just have one rope hanging behind a chair, and in the act of moving the chair, the rope in your hand is dropped on a hook, while you pick up the second rope with the same hand.

I agree, Pop!

I just drop gaffed bit of rope into my prop case, and a moment later, I pick up a rope about the same length. NO ONE has ever mentioned anything about it. I wrote that in the first few posts!

KisMif

Thanks Dick and Pop, excellent ideas from some magic masters.

Of course, one COULD coil up the rope, place it into a P&L Duck Pan, add $5.00 worth of FLASH PAPER, throw in a LIT MATCH, clap on the lid, jerk off the lid, and, bring out the ungaffed rope! ---but only an inexperienced klutz would go that far to PROVE something to people who really don't give a dam!

Then again, perhaps using a P&L red velvet bag on a stick would add more flash. Naah....The flash paper may cause irreparable harm to the red velvet!

IMO, the Professor's Nightmare has been too often "butchered" by inept performers. Performed well, with a good PRESENTATION, the EFFECT is amazing, entertaining, and, good magic.

Clap on the lid, "jerk off" the lid,??
yes I understand. no need for that.
you are right. if done well, the PN blows minds. yes Dick, good point.

I do a routine with a deck switch. Put the deck in my jacket pocket as I move a drawing pad...the reach into other pocket with second deck. I’ve never been called on it. Simple enough to do with rope, either in pocket or case, or behind a chair.

YES! Do it naturally! Don't try to be sneaky! Dear old Al Baker said it WELL! ("Don't run when you aren't being chased!")

Thanks imgic and Mr. Oslund. A humbling reminder that if you never have been caught, while run when the "cops" haven't caught you (hehe)?

Sorry, but it appears that you have returned to your previous style of writing. I was unable to "translate" your comment.

I think he’s was trying to say, “Don’t run if nobody is chasing you.”

Then, why doesn't he just say that?

He did, just in a slightly different way, though the "while" instead of a "why" might have thrown you off.

That question belongs in a Mentalist room...

Thanks for your answers my friends!
WoW! I never noticed I was getting so many answers to my rope switcher post. Sorry it took me so long to realise.

The thing is that I am after a rope switcher "device" to use it in the cleanest way possible while doing an act that I am preparing (for some years now). I understand that using a change bag or just leaving the rope in a briefcase and retrieving it again later may work during a normal show, but they wouldn't suit me for my act I'm afraid.
Just think that you wouldn't do that for a deck of cards when doing a close-up show, right? I guess that's why deck switchers are so loved

Using a mirror tip jar / glass could be an option, indeed, but I would need a really big one as I am using a very long rope (made by Pavel by the way). I will give it further thinking and perhaps something will come out of this.

Another idea that came to my mind was to mimick something similar to a silk switcher. I bought one of those in a convention years ago and it is a clean switch as you hold the switcher in your hand and while you put one end of silk A inside your fist , you pull from underneath from the an end of silk B. I don't know how to find that in google to show you what I mean..... anyhow those are my thoughts. I will post something if I ever find a clever solution . thanks again!

Asimagu, sounds like you want to switch the Walking Knot rope. Boy, that is a challenge. You might look into hiring a female assistant to bring your props to you on stage. There may be a way to execute a switch with an assistant, through movement and misdirection of the on stage audience members.

In essence, what you are trying to accomplish is trying to switch a elephant with a horse, and not be noticed.

My advice would be switch to the non-gimmicked rope version. Tony Clark just came out with a version. And the Jim Steinmeyer version is still around.