I received the Billiard Ball set today, they are satisfactory looking, they have nice sheen to them as in the photos. They are a soft sponge type of material and compress very easily, but not to easily. There is a little flash as we use to call from the mold process, but this is easily removed. There is a definite seam, and maybe this can be trimmed with an Exact-o Knife. It is nice bright red color and almost a perfect match for the shell.

The shell is very strong, I have had those other junk silicon balls, and the shells would compress with very little pressure. Not these you can squeeze them and they hold their shape. The shells also fit snug on the balls, so you can do the ball half way through the silk effect, and even throw them or juggle them without worry of the shell coming off. As there are 2 shells, they can be on 2 balls and knocked together, making a nice solid sound if you wish.

I have dry hands and had no problem with the balls moving between each finger of the hand, as in rolling the balls. They are very comfortable to work with and feel nice between the fingers and do not force the fingers at all. The balls rolls out of the shell easily, as it will not lodge unless you force the ball farther into the shell. Sort of a natural break.

The shells are very thin and only look like a seam line from a short distance. I actually picked up the wrong ball without a shell on it, it is that convincing. Very happy with the shell, as I was afraid it was soft and not be able to keep it shape. That is not the case.

The balls do not have a cling feature, but they work like they do. Maybe it is because of the compressibility or the dull feeling material.

Anyway, I am very happy with these Billiard Balls and will be ordering more to make a complete set of 8 balls. I can work with the 2" size with ease and it will look good to the audience as well.

I would say these balls should come out of a cloth Billiard Ball holder very easily, as the smooth surface will assist in this. These as mentioned do not have a sticky feeling and will not grab the material.

Only drawback is that I cannot find them in another color for a color change.

I would say if you are struggling with solid 2" balls and are feeling like you are fighting a losing battle to control them, then get a set of these Billiard Balls. You will be able to concentrate on getting a routine down, instead of worrying about dropping the balls or making your fingers spread farther.

Best $13.00 investment for 2012 I have made in magic. Are they perfectly made, no, do they have Minute flaws, yes. Will I use them, yes.

The package took 13 days to come from China, for some reason it entered the country from New York instead of San Francisco. Yes, the package had tracking and it was helpful for piece of mind.

Oh! and Jim, I throw them on the kitchen floor and they only bounced about 30 inches high. I dropped them on the floor from 4.5' and they only bounced a few inches from the floor.

I am very interested in the fact that they may be squeezable out of a Downs bag. Also, what about the sound when you hit them together? Does rubber make any loud sound? Thanks.

Jim

Hi JIm, they sound like wood balls hitting together the shells on the balls. Without the shells the do not make any sound. When I bounced them of course it was only a quiet thud sound.

If nothing else they are get exercise squeeze balls to strengthen your hand grip.

As with everything, these have plus and minuses about them.

Neil Foster liked to steal his balls from a container or top hat, his steal method was to place the balls on long hat pins, These were shoved from the outside near the brim so they would hang down on the inside with the a ball stuck on the pin.

I would hate to put needle holes in a ball that I paid a hundred dollars for, but at this price, I have no problem sticking with a needle/pin.

I have never associated the production of balls between fingers as "Billiard Balls". The only people who know them as such are magicians. So to the audience they are simply multiplying balls. Therefore, I see no reason why one shouldn't consider bouncing them since most balls bounce.

Binky, this is a magic and magicians discussion site. Are you sure you belong here? Every Art and business have their own language they use in that art or business. Magic is no exception. That language usually referred to as "Jargon" is what real magicians use when talking among themselves. This makes it easier for everyone to understand each other and what they are saying.

Multiplying Billiard Balls refers to a special set of balls and how they are handled and performed in routine. Multiplying Balls could mean anything including close-up magic. There are many Multiplying Ball effects, but when discussing the Multiplying Billiard Balls, it only means a special set of balls and the handling that go with that effect.

Then there is the manufacturer, he can name his product anything he wishes, In this case and forum of discussion, that is what the manufacturer has done, he named his trick or set of balls, Pro Multiplying Billiard Balls. Again, that is what this forum is discussing.

So before you make any further embarrassing statements, you might want to educate yourself and read the forum before posting outrageous statements that are totally wrong.

As far as the bouncing comment, they also sell Multiplying Golf Balls, and as anyone knows, Golf Balls bounce. Many performers that use this product do bounce them.

As with many a magic product, the reference to Billiard Balls is that they are to be like the "real" item, thus the name. These usually consist of other materials then the real item, to make it easier for the magician to pull off his manipulation routine.

There is nothing written in stone that a real Billiard Ball cannot be brought into play if the performer wishes.

If you are going to comment on things you know nothing about, please educate yourself, we would not want to confuse those that are trying to learn.

Now, put the Binky back in your mouth and toddle off, thanks.

Posted: Feb 3, 2012 7:40pm
The more I work with these balls the more I like them. I forgot to mention that they are very light, I find this an additional advantage, not a disadvantage.

Also like any manufactured plastic shell, it does brighten up if a light source is behind you. So if you intend to perform with a light source in back of you, on stage or outside, then possibly painting the inside of the shell black will stop this. The alternative is of course to perform all your moves with the shell in front of the body as in a more surrounded performing situation.

I guess what I was trying to say is that unless the magician says something like, "And now.. the multiplying billiard balls" the audience has no reason to assume that a 2" ball that appears is a "billiard". Therefore, the audience (unaware of your "jargon") would be fine if your ball could bounce. My impression was that you were stating earlier that no (jargon) billiard ball should ever bounce in any performance because(actual) billiards don't bounce. But unless your entire audience consists of jargon-friendly magicians, there is no reason that the balls can't bounce (in the mind of the average audience who is unaware of your jargon). Another example would be a "silk" routine. Your un-jargoned audience does not use "SILK" as everyday slang so it could be a "scarf", "hanky", or "dew rag" to them for all they know.

I believe the name "Billiard Balls" come from that the original audiences who saw the trick DID perceive them as billiard balls, snooker balls to be specific.

Jim

I'm sure, but today's audience would not have the same perception which was the point I was trying to convey.

Listen Binky, we are not discussing anything about how the audience perceives a magic prop. What are you talking about. It is like you don't understand English. You don't acknowledge what has been enlighten to your brain at all.

We don't care what the audience thinks the props are, we perform with tools we have. We only care if the audience is entertained by our demonstrations of magical powers. It the audience thinks it is only a ball that is fine. If they have never seen a ball in their life, then they may be more interested to watch the demonstration of the feats.

Now maybe you have never been to Billiard Room, but they are all over the United States. Why don't you leave your home and open yourself up to the world. That way you won't take forums off topic that have nothing to do with what you don't understand about the art of magic.

As far as your example goes, every woman in the world knows what silk fabric is, it is their nature to enjoy silk on there bodies. Your example does not hold up as usual.

If you truly do not understand, go to a topic that discusses general topics on magic, and the differences in a group of artist talking and the outside world. Being a minister, from your web site, I think you would understand this concept. I am sure you don't tell your members, that you have to come up with a way to get money out of their pockets this week. No you call it tides, and offerings, and anything but what it is "CASH".

I see you are not even a magician, and that is what bothers me the most, some clown coming on here and tries to destroy topics. Why don't you take some of that cash and buy a book and read it. You might learn something. Start with "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms, and then the Tarbell Course, study the introduction chapters at the front of each book.

If I were working in a platform situation where the audience could clearly see the dimples on the golf balls and recognize them as golf balls, I would never bounce the Fakini golf balls. In addition to the discrepancy in the height of the bounce, there would be the discrepancy of the noise difference between the sound a genuine golf ball would make hitting a hard floor like the wooden floor of a platform or stage and the sound a Fakini golf ball would make hitting it. Anyone who ever held a golf ball much less played the game would immediately realize that a golf ball that bounces like a rubber ball when it is thrown to the floor is an anomaly. Also, Fakini balls bounce more like Superballs than the way even "non-super" traditional rubber balls bounce.

When I was a teenager in the 1960's, I once bounced an Ireland golf ball in a performance for the teen magic club that met in Earl Edwards's Magic Shop in Norfolk. I thought it was a neat move because the audience's eyes following the bouncing ball provided misdirection while I made a st**l of another ball. This was in the back room of the shop on a small stage complete with curtains, battens, sound system and lights. My mentor--Earl Edwards--let me know in no uncertain terms that I shouldn't have bounced the ball. When he explained why, I acknowledged my error and dropped the bouncing move immediately.

To quote Ian Malcolm's comment to John Hammond in "Jurassic Park": "Just because you could, doesn't mean you should." (I am to a certain extent happy, though, that John Hammond did not totally agree with Malcolm's reasoning.)

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

When I seen Tim Wright do his back spin bounce and catch at Abbott's, it was so surprising and added humor that the sound was never thought of at all. Over thinking these things is ridiculous to say the least. I believe at that time Tim was using Fakini Golf Balls.

Dropping a sensational moment in an act is a mistake, sound or not. Magic is not logical and if a magician did not want sound he could cancel it out with his magic powers.

I don't think I would say that bouncing a ball qualifies as "a sensational moment." Just my opinion. But to each his own. If there really was magic in the world, I would imagine that it would have its own set of laws, rules and logic which even magicians would have to obey. That's why in the story of "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves," only one specific magic phrase--"Open Sesame"--would open the secret cave. "Open Barley" and "Open Rye" would not work, although Ali Baba's brother Cassim tried those words and many more without success. In the story of Aladdin, Aladdin discovered that the genii of the ring had no power to undo magic done by the genii of the lamp. As Bob Sheets would say: "It's the rules." Even Moses had to follow certain rules to accomplish his miracles. Because he broke the rules, God forbade Moses to ever enter the Promised Land.

I think one of the most inviolable rules of magic is that--if granted three wishes--you can't make the last wish "I wish to have three more wishes."

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

WOW! That is a lot of crap.
-------------------------------------------
I guess you would have had to be there and experience the moment.

Getting back to the topic, Bill, these balls are only available in red? I wish I could get them in white. Another very interesting thing is the sh**l you described as having a very thin edge to it, like a wooden one. That is one thing about Fakini's--the shell has a decernable edge.

Jim

Jim, I inquired about other colors and sizes, they are not available.

Bill, many thanks for the 'heads up' on this. I have sent for a set, mainly because my red Fakinis come over as pink (maybe it's a man thing - lol).
My white Fakinis are ok, so I'll be happy with just a red set.

Dave

Yeah, Bill! Thank you from me as well!

Interesting topic. I used to bounce my Ireland's as well, until a fellow magi informed of why it is not a good idea, and I see it rings here as well. Besides, it wears the paint off anyway.

Doug

Well, I did it again. I found a dealer on Ebay that is selling a set of 1-3/4" size of these soft rubber Billiard Balls. For some reason these are a little more expensive with this Hong Kong dealer.

I have to compare the handling of the smaller size with the 2" size. Free shipping, but really the shipping is in the price, and a large profit margin compared to the other dealers on Ebay.

Now I have to decide on a killer routine!

* Shamada
* Chavez
* Lewis Ganson
* Frank Garcia
* Alan Wakeling
* Geoffrey Buckingham
* Walter E. Cummings
* Ade Duval
* Ron MacMillan
* Laurie Ireland

or a mix of all of them.

Posted: Feb 15, 2012 3:59pm
I received the smaller ball set today, just to complete this and inform everyone.

The small set is only 1.5" NOT 1.75".
The shell does not match the ball like the 2" set.
The shell does not fit as well as the 2" set, it is very loose fitting.
The smaller set's shell is very shiny and thicker plastic then the 2" set.
The balls are the same semi glean balls as the larger 2" set.

Very disappointed in this small set of balls. Double the price and double disappointed.

Not recommended, don't waste your money!

They did come in only 15 days from Hong Kong, through San Francisco.

Posted: Feb 16, 2012 5:30am
I tried my idea of painting the large 2" inside of the shells black, that is not correct, it make the shell darker then the balls. I will get some red paint and try that next.

Just ordered 3 more sets of the 2" balls. These are so easy to handle, anyone should have no problem with them.

When I opened the package when it arrived I smelled something familiar. It finally came to me, it was the faint smell of a rubber ball I experienced as a child. These may be made out of a rubber product.

I think these balls are the closest thing I have handled that are similar to the old Ireland golf balls.

Sorry to hear that the smaller size was disappointing to say the least. but I see you like the 2". I have not tried these myself so I can not input on them but I do love my Fakini 1 3/4 balls.

I am one of the few that do not care for the Fakini, they have to many drawbacks for me and what I am trying to accomplish.

I did just order the JL Mirage Multiplying Billiard Balls to see if they will work for some new material I am learning. If anyone cares I will express my thoughts on them when they arrive by the end of the week hopefully.