Arrived home today to find a beautiful Benson Bowl by RNT II sitting in a box on the counter. Stunning is all I can say. Heavy guage copper bowl turned to perfection by Jake and the crew.

Comes with a high quality embroidered bag, sponge balls, custom wood and brass wand, with two outstanding routines (Don Alan and Lance Pierce). Perfect and the ultimate bargain for $125. A great addition to any collection.

10 out of 10.

:dancing:

I don't want to knock RNTII -- but the cost? Have you ever poked around antique shops or places like Cost Plus? You can find awesome bowls for $10 or so. Of course if you like funny use my idea and get a toilet plunger!

Well I certainly don't' mean to knock Porper/Biro products either, but since you brought up prices Pete, 700.00 for a cocktail shaker? 79.95 for the vanishing dollars? 2.00 worth of metal and a 75 cent **** 2.75 total. Let's see, while we're at it, there is the Just In Case, great item, but the entire unit, less the gaffed key can be made from supplies from Michaels arts and crafts for 7.50. Porper cost 200.00 Let's not compare coporate pricing.

Todd,
thank you for your review and the appreciation for the work that went into this package.

Best Wishes,
Jake

OK OK... but a bowl is not gaffed. What Joe makes, and you should know this, is intricate mechanical stuff and the concept and routines are developed by us. If you had INVENTED the routine then it is worth a lot of money.

The bowl is 055 copper, sheared, cut into discs and hand spun on tooling that was handmade by us here. Wether it is a gaff or the actual mechanics in a machine shop making the tooling and spinning then a companies price is its price. You mention routines, we licensed both the Don Alan and the Lance Pierce routines, you want to talk about cost, licensing just for one yet alone 2 of the great routines out there costed a fair amount. The bowls are 055 actual copper, go to a store and get an 025 gauge bowl and see how many times you will have to replace it after a few drops.

We sent 2 dozen of these bowls to one of our vendors and before they reached his shop they were sold out and backordered by 15 pieces. We've been getting very positive feeback on this bowl, the rice bowls, the Jumbo cups and the Foxy II.Vs and the pricing associated with it.

Jake

I wish I could afford all the neato stuff you guys make!!!

Johnny mystic...will work for cups and such

Mr. Biro , when did you come up with your idea with the toilet plunger? Mike Caveney also has a benson bowl routine with a plunger in Magicomedy.
Thanks

When I was about 20 years old. Am now 72. Mike probably didn't know I was using it as I had not published it, just used it ... and a Tambourine (to cover noisy loads).

Jake, on reflection, please accept my apology. I know that some folks want really nice, custom made stuff... and things made by certain makers for their collections.

I too came up with a routine using a plunger several years ago...*sigh*...not only were my creative juices flowing at the time, other more private things were flowing.

I wonder if Pete and Mr. Cavaney came up with this idea while doing the exact same thing?

You see...I was in the john (loo), dropping a duece when I looked directly at the toilet plunger and had a brilliant...idea, why not use it as a benson bowl routine!

Lol!

johnny

I've been more than pleased with everything I ever bought made by RNT II (Don Alan Stainless Steel Chop Cup, Don Alan 50th Anniversary Chop Cup, Foxy I aluminum set, Foxy II brass combo set, Sisti stainless steel set), which is more than I can say for the items I bought made by Porper (Cap in Any Bottle, Mini Ghost Ring), whose prices are outrageous.

Got My Benson Bowl day before yesterday and have been playing with ever since. Worth every penny of the buck and a quarter!! I was fortunate enough to try the
prototype of this bowl for a year and love it. The one I was using was aluminium. This one's copper and it surpasses it! No movement of the bowl when You do the turn over and load the sponge or sponges.The bowl will accomidate a Standard eight ball,Que ball or 2.5 inch ball bearing. Havent't tried a bagel yet. You're limited only by your imagination on the final load.

MagiMan123
thank you for your kind words and additional bowl purchase!

Jake

I currently use a very thin, lightweight bowl that came with the effect from Tannens. What would be the practical benefits of using the RNT II Benson Bowl in doing the Benson Bowl routine? Are the "moves" or loads easier to perform with the heavier RNT II Benson Bowl than with a regular or lightweight bowl? If so, in what way are they easier?

Was the RNT II Benson Bowl specifically designed for the benson bowl routine? If so, in what ways do the design of the RNT II Benson Bowl make the handling of the routine easier or better?

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Michael

Still using my early 1970's vintage brass bowl from Ireland's (Magic Inc.) set for the Don Alan one-bowl routine -- not as nice as the Middle-Eastern-style embossed bowl they offered in the 1960's, but thoroughly superior to the unornamented plastic junque now being shipped.

I continually search antique shops, oriental and mid-eastern gift shops, and the internet for appropriate bowls -- and they simply can't be found!

Tibetan monk's begging bowls (the kind that ring when a wood stick is run around the rim) are often the correct size -- but most can't be reliably gripped and lifted when inverted on a table!

So I continue to search, until now.

Question: Is the RNT II Benson Bowl large enough to cover three fully-expanded sponge balls without compressing them? Photos make it look like the answer is "no."

The bowls will cover (3) 2" sponge balls with NO Compression. The photos make the answer look like NO which is part of the design of the bowl.

Jake

Jake,

Thank you for the answer to Santler conjurer's question. In what way(s) do the design and weight of your bowl help wit hteh moves and loading and does the weight and the design of the bowl make the moves and loading easier than a regular or lighter bowl?

Thank you very much for your help.

Best regards,

Michael Siegel

I have been doning the Benson/Alan Bowl routine since 1973.Thw bowl I used all thoes years was spun by Magic Inc. Brass and just large enough to use a bagel or hockey puck as a final load. I've always used Goshman 2" yellow balls.Depending on the surface I was performing on and the shape of the bowl when I would load the first sponge ball against the side of the bowl and remove my fingers the bowl would sometimes move as the sponge would uncompress. I got in the habit of jiggling the bowl to seat the ball after I removed my hand. Have not had that problem with the RNTII bowl.One more thing on the final load if You are loading something with weight or could move and hit the side of the bowl when you pull your fingers out try the Mr. Spock(Vulcan) greeting. Spread Your fingers out in a V formation.Little and ring finger go one way and Pointer and Bird fingers go the other. Let the load drop between your finger to the close up mat and then slid your fingers out.

Im skint,no job no work but every little bit of cash I get goes toward a prop or new cards,I think with magic the cost is nothing compared with the pleasure of using a beautifull item not to mention the reaction of people I think this is more important,Ok I know its not the brush but the artist who paints,Cheap stuff just doesn't bring out the best in us