Can anyone point me in the right direction for the proper equipment and routine for the effect of rolling a paper tube, inserting a white silk and blowing it through the tube to change its color -- AND THEN REPEATING THIS WITH 2 MORE WHITE SILKS, each changing to a different color? Thanks.

There is only one effect by Ade Duval that used the blowing technique. That is described in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic, it is available on CD, the full 4 volumes.

Abbott's Magic sells the "Abbott's EZ Dyeing Silks, that is actually the Al Baker Version of dyeing 3 silks. It is one of the 1st stage tricks I purchased as a teen.

https://www.abbottmagic.com/Abbotts-EZ-D......oryId=-1

For the blow method you will have to refer to the Rice books. and purchase the large plunger dye tube from them, if they have any left, and buy the silks separately as well. You may have to make an adjustment to the gimmick, depending on which version you choose from the books.

Rice's Dye Tubes: http://www.silkkingmagic.com/Rice's%20D......ubes.htm

In other words, the trick has not been on the market for like 80 years.

Here is the CD Rom version: https://stores.silkmagictricks.com/produ......B3vD_BwE

Tannen Magic use to sell a version, but it has not been on the market for around 48 years. Did not bye because it was expensive for the time.

Hope this information helps you.

Fantastic, Bill, thanks for the info. Jack Chanin personally demonstrated this routine for me in his magic shop when I was a kid. Instead of buying it, I bought a vanishing goldfish bowl box, which, as Chanin had warned me, required stagecraft that as a 12 year old I did not possess. Now I want the routine so that when I tell the story I can actually demonstrate it.

"Abbott's Magic sells the "Abbott's EZ Dyeing Silks, that is actually the Al Baker Version of dyeing 3 silks."

Bill, the Abbott's page for the trick says one silk gets dyed. It doesn't mention 3 silks.

Laflin Magic had a version of the silk blow dye a few years ago, that they called "Magic Lollipops". Within the past 10 or 15 years. It hasn't been on the Laflin Magic website for a few years now, so it must be out of production. It's performed on a couple of his DVDs (I can't recall which ones), and I remember them selling the props & routine.

Also, Trixie Bond was selling a version as well a few years ago, performed with coloured liquid (I think that's the original style), according to this thread:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=54

I had a version of the silk blow dye props, which I had purchased at a magic auction, but sold them years ago. It was a stand to hold the 3 plunger style tubes in individual compartments, and you would initially drape the white silks across the top. In the instructions, it talked about rolling up a paper tube, pushing the white silk inside, taking a drink of coloured liquid, and then as you blew through the tube, the white silk came out as the colour that matched the liquid. It's easy to find coloured liquid today because of the abundance of gatorade flavours.

- Donald

Well, you can check with them, as when I purchased this back in 1964, it came with 3 white silks, and 3 colored silks, plus the gimmick.

Just call Greg Bordner, the owner, or you can email him, his address is on the website.

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Now that Donald mentioned the silk blow with the would stand, and colored liquid or Lifesaver candy, that may be what you are referring to instead of the Ade Duval version. The late (deceased) Don Lawton made this effect popular, as he performed it for many years. He was a magic dealer as well.

Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki helped me work on magic with Pop Away Wands, for The Wizards' Journal #29, and came up with a wonderful Mis-Made Flag effect in which three white silks are blown though the empty wand (after it has already outlived its Pop-Away Humor). They turn into a red and blue silk, but one stubbornly stays white. Then he blows through the red and white silk together (accidentally dropping the blue silk) and gets the red and white stripe version of the flag. And so on, until he finally pushes his magic wand through the tube and it becomes a flagpole on which the stars and stripes now are attached. It could be done with the traditional paper tube, but it is much more fun with the wand - you can really get some altitude blowing the silks through the plastic tube!

Thanks for the information, guys. Chanin did not use a stand of any kind as I remember. Maybe he just had the tubes in his pocket. Jim, that's a heck of a mis-made routine!

Many years ago, Magic, Inc. released a trick called "Harrison's Silk Blow"......it uses a stand that holds "the necessary" and displays four white silks and four different flavors/colors of Lifesaver candies.
Pick up a white silk, roll a small piece of white paper up into a tube, tuck the silk, in, touch one of the flavors to your lips. blow on the tube and voila....the silk pops out in that color.

Repeat this three times, and for the final fourth silk, touch a multi-color pack of lifesavers to your lips and then blow out a rainbow silk.

Nice effect. Pretty, colorful, and mystifying. Long off the market. Laflin had a similar effect using lollipops that was ok.

I'm lucky to own two of the Harrison Silk Blows.

The thing about Magic props is, if you see something you like, buy it..'cause Magic Prop manufacuring is still essentially and almost always has been (with a few rare exceptions like sponge balls) a cottage industry.

Ya snooze, ya lose!

Rainboguy is right, if you see something that may be you will buy in the future you may be disappointed as in the future it is not out there.

I think that the late Don Lawton did the routine as well, or better, than anyone! Before he died, someone at the Castle produced a VHS tape with an interview of Don, Don did the silk blow dye, on the tape.

Rainbow Guy, and Dan Ford have said it well.

Jack Chanin was my friend, and also a "brother" in the SECRET SIX. All of us, when we were young, have made "errors in judgment" as you did with the fish bowl vanish!

I was fortunate, when I was about 21, to meet Jack, and, have a session with just "he and me". Wow! What an experience! In about one hour, I learned the "real work" in doing the cut & restored rope! I've used what I learned that day, for over 60 years. --Jack KNEW!!!

Warren, Chanin was an excellent magician, well respected by many, but not so respected by magic dealers. He would demonstrate a trick with his presentation and routine. Those that purchased it, would get home and open the bag, and find that what they seen was not described in the instructions at all. He did this for all his magic he invented.

So what you seen was not was you would get if purchased. Al Cohen was somewhat the same way. They never updated their instructions, so there was no way to get what you thought you were buying.

I once purchased Chanin's Flying Saucers disc, it was before jumbo coins, so he riveted 3, 3 inch disc together and came up with a very nice production and vanish of 3 silver disc. The instructions only told you how to spread and collapse the disc. It has not routine and no sleight of hand moves explained.

Al Cohen sold me The Mark at a magic convention. He did an excellent demonstration. Opened the instructions and it was not explained to what I witnessed. I ask hime several times if he would give his added handling, and he never would supply. I even purchased another one several years later, hoping he would have updated the instructions, as the way he demonstrated it was totally different and did not use the stickers. It was actually a stronger magic trick.

I think Al Cohen could change the routine for the performing situation he was in, such as a magic convention and not have the best angles to work with. I did also buy a bottle production and he had a different set up for that as well but the instructions were workable for performing on stand up shows.

If you did not look up the Abbott's trick I referenced, here is the web page.

https://www.abbottmagic.com/Abbotts-EZ-D......oryId=-1

Chanin, made / had made a lot of his own idea in magic effects, so I cannot say what he showed you all those years ago. As a performer, he was said to be one of the best.

Ok, here is some dope on the silk blowing effect. The Don Lawton routine is in the book "Lots of Lawton". Great routine with a lot of tips on Peformance. Lawton used the traditional Harrison apparatus. Trixie Bond also made the original style apparatus. Duane Laflin was selling the tube and routine about 5 years ago.
Tip you can use a piece of metal pipe or plastic for the gimmick since no one sees it.
Abbott's still makes the EZ dying silks. I just saw several of the gimmicks in stock at the Get Together. It is a very well made sliding dye tube. It probably is best for the blendo type effect not the silk blowing.
Hope that helps.
One of the best versions, I have seen in recent years is Tim Balster and Robin. They do it all the time as a part of their silent stage act.
Hope that helps everyone a bit.

Agreed, Richard!

Don was a big part of my rich heritage growing up in St. Louis, which was a terriffic place for some of the greatest magicians ever. I have "Lots of Lawton"....great book.....

Here's more information on Don:

https://geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=Don_Lawton