Octopalm: Anti-Gravity Gel
Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
(Based on 3 reviews)
Octopalm: Anti-Gravity Gel is a new way to stick just about any lightweight object to your skin, without the sticky residue. No more double stick tape. No more glue dots. No more sticky adhesives. No more tacky wax.
Octopalm is the most revolutionary adhesive since magician's wax. This is a completely new chemical design that, when applied in small doses to the skin, can give you the abilities of a gecko's touch by adhering small objects to your hand, arm, fingers, even your forehead. Objects want to stick to YOU. No sticky residue means you have the freedom to produce, vanish and change small objects at will, like never before.
Ever wanted your skin to be magnetic to just about anything? Solved. Ever wanted to quickly hide a coin on the back of your hand? Easy.
Touch your skin and it feels smooth. Press a coin to it and it fuses to your hand like superglue. Take the coin off to find no sticky leftovers. The uses are endless. New, never before seen utility item Adheres almost any small object to the skin Provides gecko-like ability to do impossible tricks Leaves skin smooth - no residue or stickiness Thousands of uses - possibilities are tremendous Packs small Far superior to skin adhesives like wax, glue dots, double stick tape Easy to apply of the fly Long lasting - A little goes a long way Includes a 90 minute instructional video with multiple tricks, routines, tips, tricks & performance ideas
Reviews
(Top ▲)
I typically avoid reviewing products like this. What does one say about a jar of “anti-gravity gel?” But I’ve been working on something that I thought might benefit from the use of a sticky substance, so I went for it.
It ended up not working for my application, but you can’t hold it against the product. The product description calls for a “lightweight object,” and I guess my object is just a bit too heavy.
So the only way I can review this is to just go down the list of promises and see if they hold true.
Touch your skin and it feels smooth. Basically true. It’s obviously still a bit tacky, but not so much that it feels unnatural.
Press a coin to it and it fuses to your hand like superglue. The phrase “fuses to your hand like superglue” is complete hyperbole, but you can get coins to stick. Small coins like dimes are a piece of cake. I even tried 100% silver half-dollars. You’ll need a bit more of the product and, even then, you’ll want to be sure to hit the center of the coin, but it basically works.
Take the coin off to find no sticky leftovers. True. The substance doesn’t seem to rub off onto the object.
Packs small. True. For smaller objects, you need a very tiny amount. Even bigger objects don’t require much.
Far superior to skin adhesives like wax, glue dots, double stick tape. Apples and oranges. Yes, it’s more undetectable than these products, but doesn’t have near the sticking power.
Easy to apply on the fly. I’m going to take some issue with this statement. To really get the product to work, you need to rub it in for anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes, then let it dry for an equal amount of time. The more you put on, the longer the prep time. So if you think you’re going to reach in your pocket, grab some, and be ready to go seconds later, it’s probably not going to work (plus it’s a bit shiny on the skin until it dries).
Long lasting – A little goes a long way. Absolutely true!
Includes a 90 minute instructional video with multiple tricks, routines, tips & performance ideas. Actually, it’s 1:50 long, but I don’t think anyone is going to complain about more material. Unfortunately, there’s no index to the video and the “how to use it” section is at the end. So it’s pretty frustrating if you’re looking for something specific. The tricks are pretty basic, but that’s not always a bad thing.
Once you get rid of the “hype,” the product pretty-much works as described. However, there are a couple of things you need to be aware that aren’t mentioned.
It ended up not working for my application, but you can’t hold it against the product. The product description calls for a “lightweight object,” and I guess my object is just a bit too heavy.
So the only way I can review this is to just go down the list of promises and see if they hold true.
Touch your skin and it feels smooth. Basically true. It’s obviously still a bit tacky, but not so much that it feels unnatural.
Press a coin to it and it fuses to your hand like superglue. The phrase “fuses to your hand like superglue” is complete hyperbole, but you can get coins to stick. Small coins like dimes are a piece of cake. I even tried 100% silver half-dollars. You’ll need a bit more of the product and, even then, you’ll want to be sure to hit the center of the coin, but it basically works.
Take the coin off to find no sticky leftovers. True. The substance doesn’t seem to rub off onto the object.
Packs small. True. For smaller objects, you need a very tiny amount. Even bigger objects don’t require much.
Far superior to skin adhesives like wax, glue dots, double stick tape. Apples and oranges. Yes, it’s more undetectable than these products, but doesn’t have near the sticking power.
Easy to apply on the fly. I’m going to take some issue with this statement. To really get the product to work, you need to rub it in for anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes, then let it dry for an equal amount of time. The more you put on, the longer the prep time. So if you think you’re going to reach in your pocket, grab some, and be ready to go seconds later, it’s probably not going to work (plus it’s a bit shiny on the skin until it dries).
Long lasting – A little goes a long way. Absolutely true!
Includes a 90 minute instructional video with multiple tricks, routines, tips & performance ideas. Actually, it’s 1:50 long, but I don’t think anyone is going to complain about more material. Unfortunately, there’s no index to the video and the “how to use it” section is at the end. So it’s pretty frustrating if you’re looking for something specific. The tricks are pretty basic, but that’s not always a bad thing.
Once you get rid of the “hype,” the product pretty-much works as described. However, there are a couple of things you need to be aware that aren’t mentioned.
- The product has a scent to it. I find it to be similar to sawdust and it’s pretty strong when you first apply it
- The creator says you need to apply it flesh-to-flesh. That means you’re going to end up with sticky stuff on at least two areas (the application area and the finger or thumb you use to rub it in). You’ll need some way to get it off the second surface.
- Removal requires an additional chemical, such as mineral spirits. That means you need to be very careful if this sticky stuff is going to get in the way of a routine later in your show. Getting it off doesn’t take long, but you do need to use the second product.
(Top ▲)
Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift
Octopalm Review:
A 2 hour video download, a small tub o' "stuff" and a mere $10 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect/Method
This isn't an effect or a method per se. It's a utility device. As mentioned in the ad copy, it's a gel that allows stuff to stick to your hands. This allows you to do some pretty incredible things that normally you may not have been able to do.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy is pretty solid. The only thing I would take issue with is probably something that they were just using hyberbole rather than dishonesty, and that's the claim that objects will stick to you like Super Glue. That's not true. Also, it mentions that there is no sticky residue. That's true, but only if you make sure you give the gel time to dry.
Product Quality
This product is well made, and does what it claims. The video download is well produced, well lit, well mic'd, etc., etc., and it's full of great content. It covers some new/original effects from Jim Bodine (the creator of Octopalm) as well as some updated (read: improved) handling ideas on some classic effects. These updates are made possible by Octopalm.
Here's the skinny on the actual gel. I have super dry skin. Nothing sticks to it at all. I followed the directions for applying Octopalm, and it made a huge difference. Suddenly, stuff would stick to me, but it wouldn't make my hands all gross and sticky.
The video claims that after applying it, it will last for hours. I would slightly disagree with that statement. It depends on how much you apply, how you use it, and how often you do the effect that requires its use. In some cases, I think it could last a couple hours, but if you're constantly sticking stuff to the area where the Octopalm was applied, the you'll, likely, need to reapply sooner than two hours.
The way it works is you apply it to the area of your hand/finger/etc. that will be used for whatever effect you're planning on doing. Depending on the effect and the location of the gel, you may have to wash it off before going on to the next effect. I found that leaving it on is not a problem at all. I was able to move on to other stuff with no problem. THey suggest Turpentine or Mineral Spirits to remove it. However, Simply washing my hands with soap an water was enough. In fact, typically it wore off well before then.
They had a simple way for removing it during a stand up show if you're working out of a case. They did not, however, address removing it during a close up show. But from my experience, there is no need to wash it off.
Final Thoughts
I have extremely dry skin, and this stuff worked like a charm. Within minutes of putting it on, I was able to do moves that I haven't been able to do for years (back when I had less-dry hands). There were moves that I thought I'd lost the knack for. Turns out, my hands were too dry.
This is also for you folks who don't suffer from dry hands as well. It allows for some incredible effects and possibilities that could not be done otherwise. For $9.95, it's hard to not highly recommend you give this stuff a try.
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM
(Top ▲)
REVIEW: This is possibly the hidden treasure of the year! You would likely expect to pay this much or more for just the anti-gravity gel itself. However, for that price, you get a wonderful download video by Jim Bodine, magician with over 40 years experience, including several stunning performances using this utility.
I have been performing a similar version of coins across without this product for years, but this product allows you to do moves and show your hands empty in an amazing way. After the product is applied to your hands, it is NOT visible.
The 90 minute video has many excellent ideas and routines, and if you exercise a bit of creativity, you could come up with many great uses.
CAUTION: This product does have what seems like a strong pine odor at first. The odor wears off pretty quickly. I don't see this as a problem. I have performed just minutes after applying without any problem and if you apply 10 to 15 minutes before performing, the odor has mostly faded away, and is only a problem if you have people sniff your fingers at close range (... that would be weird... try to avoid the temptation).
VERDICT: Great product that has literally unlimited uses. The product is good, and the video ideas are worth several times the asking price. Just get it.
I have been performing a similar version of coins across without this product for years, but this product allows you to do moves and show your hands empty in an amazing way. After the product is applied to your hands, it is NOT visible.
The 90 minute video has many excellent ideas and routines, and if you exercise a bit of creativity, you could come up with many great uses.
CAUTION: This product does have what seems like a strong pine odor at first. The odor wears off pretty quickly. I don't see this as a problem. I have performed just minutes after applying without any problem and if you apply 10 to 15 minutes before performing, the odor has mostly faded away, and is only a problem if you have people sniff your fingers at close range (... that would be weird... try to avoid the temptation).
VERDICT: Great product that has literally unlimited uses. The product is good, and the video ideas are worth several times the asking price. Just get it.