Disclaimer: This product uses hydrochloric acid. Use at your own risk.

Now that I've got that out of the way…

Smokey Magic utilizes the very old method of producing smoke using hydrochloric acid and ammonia. If you feel comfortable playing with these chemicals and exposing your audience to the byproducts, then read on. I'm only going to review the apparatus and instructions.

Instructions
Though short, the instructions are very clear. You'll find a bit of background, both historical and personal, plus plenty of warnings. The effect does not come with the chemicals, but the instructions give tips on where to find them in South Africa, England and the US.

Without a lab, mixing the chemicals is a trial-and-error process. The instructions give good starting points and instructions on how to alter the mix for best results.

The details of preparing, mounting and using the apparatus are clear and concise.

Apparatus
I was very impressed with the quality of the product and packaging. Granted, most of it comes from suppliers of lab equipment.

I have to say that I didn't actually try this. The method has been proven over almost a century, so I'm sure it works.

There are a couple of things the buyer should be aware of:

1. The hookup, as described. requires that you have an extra buttonhole sewn into whatever shirt you're going to be wearing.


2. This should be obvious, but you'll need to wear a jacket.


3. The instructions suggest that you use duct tape to fix the tube to your wrist. This sounds like a bad idea to me, especially if you have hairy arms. You may want to consider alternate hookup methods.