Price$39.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedOct 09, 2009
Short
Kreis Magic
(Based on 1 review)
Reviews
(Top ▲)
WHAT YOU GET
You get a gimmicked bolt and a matching regular bolt. You also get instructions in English and Japanese, and a link to instructional video.
WHAT I LIKE
The quality of the gimmicked bolt is very good. Your participant is not going to see anything.
The method is very good. When done right, it looks very magical.
It is super easy to use.
The instruction is very basic, written instruction. There is also a link to a video instruction. You may not need it. The effect and method are pretty simple.
The effect is completely angle proof, depending upon how you hold the two bolts. If you hold them upright, then you can’t have anyone behind you seeing the gimmicked bolt. You could use your body to shield the gimmick. If you hold them down, you can perform completely surrounded.
The ad is very straightforward. They describe exactly how the effect looks.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
In the ad they say you can hand out both bolts at the end. That is true. You could do that. However, there is a slight chance that a participant could discover the secret of the gimmicked bolt if they were to tug at it a bit. If they just inspect it as most reasonable people would, they are not going to find anything.
I think it would have been nice if you had a duplicate un-gimmicked version of the short bolt as well.
The other drawback is figuring out how to include it in a routine. See the suggestion section for an idea.
AT A GLANCE
The skill level required: 1 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 1 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees, depending upon how you perform.
The reset time required: 2 minutes
The DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
This is a very nice piece of magic, provided you can come up with a reason to show two bolts and make one shrink. I suppose you could just say: “Hey, do you want to see a bolt shrink?”, but that may only play well in limited circumstances.
Have in your pocket or in a bag three items: The large ungimmicked bolt, the identical but gimmicked bolt, and an eraser.
On the back of a business card or any other card, write:
You will pick the small bolt, I will pick the large bolt, and the eraser stays on the table.
This is your prediction. Set it on the table, with the writing face down, and say you will get to the card in a moment.
Take out the three items and place them one at a time on the table as you say: “Let’s try something with three very different items.” Lay out the eraser first as you say “an eraser”, then lay out the un-gimmicked bolt as you say “a bolt”, and finally, go to lay the gimmicked bolt down, but instead, hold it next to the un-gimmicked bolt and say: “and an… identical bolt. Wait, this won’t work”. Hold the un-gimmicked bolt in your left hand and the gimmicked bolt in your right hand. Shake both hands, then compare the two so only you can see and say: “Still no good.” Shake them some more until you are satisfied as you say: “Ok, that will work.” Lay down the two bolts as if nothing happened and say: “An eraser, a long bolt, and a short bolt.”
An alternative method you could use, that wasn’t described in the instructions is you could take the gimmicked long bolt in your right hand and the regular one in your left hand and squeeze the right hand very dramatically. Compare the two and say: “still the same”. Squeeze a couple times more and before showing the two bolts, say: “OK, one of these bolts is now just a tiny bit shorter than the other”. The will be surprised at how much smaller it is.
Lay then all out in a row, perpendicular to you and your participant across the table. Say to them “push any two items toward me”.
If they push the two bolts, then you say: “Ok, you selected the two bolts. Now, pick one of the bolts for yourself and one for me.”
If they push one of the bolts and the eraser (let’s say they pushed the small bolt and the eraser), say: “OK, you left the large bolt for yourself. Now, slide one of my two items over a bit.” Mime the action of them sliding one to the side.
If they slide the eraser to the side, you say: “That leaves me the small bolt and you the large bolt.” You grab the small bolt and have them grab the large bolt and leave the eraser on the table.
If they slide the bolt to the side, you say: “OK, you selected the bolt.” You take the small bolt, they take the large bolt, and the eraser is left on the table.
In the end, the eraser is always on the table, and they have either the large or small bolt. Depending upon whether they have the small bolt or the large bolt, either you read the prediction, or you have them read the prediction.
If you have some duplicates of the smaller bolt, even if they aren’t completely identical, but close enough to pass a visual test, take one secretly from your pocket. Grab the small bolt in the same hand as you are palming a regular duplicate small bolt and take the business card with the same hand. Hand them the business card and drop the regular card in their hand as you palm the gimmicked bolt and give them to them as a souvenir. If they give them back to you, you take the bolt, but insist they keep your business card.
You get a gimmicked bolt and a matching regular bolt. You also get instructions in English and Japanese, and a link to instructional video.
WHAT I LIKE
The quality of the gimmicked bolt is very good. Your participant is not going to see anything.
The method is very good. When done right, it looks very magical.
It is super easy to use.
The instruction is very basic, written instruction. There is also a link to a video instruction. You may not need it. The effect and method are pretty simple.
The effect is completely angle proof, depending upon how you hold the two bolts. If you hold them upright, then you can’t have anyone behind you seeing the gimmicked bolt. You could use your body to shield the gimmick. If you hold them down, you can perform completely surrounded.
The ad is very straightforward. They describe exactly how the effect looks.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
In the ad they say you can hand out both bolts at the end. That is true. You could do that. However, there is a slight chance that a participant could discover the secret of the gimmicked bolt if they were to tug at it a bit. If they just inspect it as most reasonable people would, they are not going to find anything.
I think it would have been nice if you had a duplicate un-gimmicked version of the short bolt as well.
The other drawback is figuring out how to include it in a routine. See the suggestion section for an idea.
AT A GLANCE
The skill level required: 1 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 1 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees, depending upon how you perform.
The reset time required: 2 minutes
The DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
This is a very nice piece of magic, provided you can come up with a reason to show two bolts and make one shrink. I suppose you could just say: “Hey, do you want to see a bolt shrink?”, but that may only play well in limited circumstances.
Suggestions
I think the biggest drawback with this product is how do you present it in a way that makes any sense? Here is an idea:Have in your pocket or in a bag three items: The large ungimmicked bolt, the identical but gimmicked bolt, and an eraser.
On the back of a business card or any other card, write:
You will pick the small bolt, I will pick the large bolt, and the eraser stays on the table.
This is your prediction. Set it on the table, with the writing face down, and say you will get to the card in a moment.
Take out the three items and place them one at a time on the table as you say: “Let’s try something with three very different items.” Lay out the eraser first as you say “an eraser”, then lay out the un-gimmicked bolt as you say “a bolt”, and finally, go to lay the gimmicked bolt down, but instead, hold it next to the un-gimmicked bolt and say: “and an… identical bolt. Wait, this won’t work”. Hold the un-gimmicked bolt in your left hand and the gimmicked bolt in your right hand. Shake both hands, then compare the two so only you can see and say: “Still no good.” Shake them some more until you are satisfied as you say: “Ok, that will work.” Lay down the two bolts as if nothing happened and say: “An eraser, a long bolt, and a short bolt.”
An alternative method you could use, that wasn’t described in the instructions is you could take the gimmicked long bolt in your right hand and the regular one in your left hand and squeeze the right hand very dramatically. Compare the two and say: “still the same”. Squeeze a couple times more and before showing the two bolts, say: “OK, one of these bolts is now just a tiny bit shorter than the other”. The will be surprised at how much smaller it is.
Lay then all out in a row, perpendicular to you and your participant across the table. Say to them “push any two items toward me”.
If they push the two bolts, then you say: “Ok, you selected the two bolts. Now, pick one of the bolts for yourself and one for me.”
If they push one of the bolts and the eraser (let’s say they pushed the small bolt and the eraser), say: “OK, you left the large bolt for yourself. Now, slide one of my two items over a bit.” Mime the action of them sliding one to the side.
If they slide the eraser to the side, you say: “That leaves me the small bolt and you the large bolt.” You grab the small bolt and have them grab the large bolt and leave the eraser on the table.
If they slide the bolt to the side, you say: “OK, you selected the bolt.” You take the small bolt, they take the large bolt, and the eraser is left on the table.
In the end, the eraser is always on the table, and they have either the large or small bolt. Depending upon whether they have the small bolt or the large bolt, either you read the prediction, or you have them read the prediction.
If you have some duplicates of the smaller bolt, even if they aren’t completely identical, but close enough to pass a visual test, take one secretly from your pocket. Grab the small bolt in the same hand as you are palming a regular duplicate small bolt and take the business card with the same hand. Hand them the business card and drop the regular card in their hand as you palm the gimmicked bolt and give them to them as a souvenir. If they give them back to you, you take the bolt, but insist they keep your business card.