Update: I spoke with Joe Porper and he apologized for the oversight and said he would send the instructions right out. Besides being a great craftsman, Joe is a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

I ordered another card clip and dye tube while I was at it.

You don't really let anyone stare at the ring and the angles are all covered. You will see by the photos in the book. Thanks for your purchase.

Thanks for the voice of common sense, Pete Biro. You are absolutely correct. Why would you want to write with the pen??? And Koran's version actually had a ring with a giant gap in it, but, if the routine is done correctly, the gimmicked ring is not only never seen, but never even suspected! You are correct on both points (although I would argue with you, and did with Ken Brooke, on your thoughts on size when it comes to the final load balls for Cups & Balls.)

The only thing I question is why Joe included the matching ungimmicked ring? It added to the cost, I'm sure and it is completely unnecessary. The original Himber Staggering and Towering did not come with a matching ungimmicked ring. Oh well.

The ungimmicked ring is for those that want to do things differently. Like maybe wear it, hand it out, switch, whatever you want to do.

One Idea THAT JUST THIS MOMENT CAME TO ME. Have the gaffed ring on the stem of a wineglass, concealed by your hand. Have someone slip your ring off your finger and drop into the glass. Cover with handkerchief (steal the ring) and it is now on the glass stem... break glass, switch rings...

Ring on string.

Ring on chopstick...

The extra ring is fine with me, it gives many options.

You can have a stooge wear it in the audience,
if you into that sort of thing. I like to have at least 3, yuk yuk.

If you use it as a everyday ring, is must have size to choose.
Pete, Can we choose size for the ungimmick ring ? Thanks

Having the ungimmicked ring available in a choosable size would really complicate sales matters. The ungaffed ring is not really necessary for a "worker." It's there for the fellows who need to "pass the dagger for examination."

If you don't know this reference, read your Al Baker material.

Greetings,

Porper and Biro did a really nice job with this set of rings. They are worth every single penny. The Himber Ring routine doesn't get any easier or better than this. It's money well spent.

I think using an ungaffed ring and switching in and out, etc. totally defeats the purpose of this fabulous ring. If the ring is examined, then goes on and off sticks or cords or wineglasses, it's a puzzle...how does that ring open? If the audience is never even aware of the ring and truly believes you are working with three borrowed rings, then it's an unexplainable feat of magic.

It makes for a handsome looking set in the case, but I still think the duplicate added unnecessary cost. On the plus side, I would have paid the same price for this wonderful prop without the duplicate. Just my opinion. Now, I'm done.

I would NEVER use the ungaffed ring to switch in/out for a linking finger ring routine with borrowed rings. The audience has no idea of your ring being "RUNG IN"... the fair ring is meant for those that think of ways to do a DIFFERENT effect. if they wish to.

The price?

It would be the same with our without the extra ring.

You are paying for the secret and the quality of the gimmicks, and the pencil. The fair ring had NO impact on the price.

I just want to be sure my post was understood. What I meant is that I would gladly have paid the same price for the set, even without the duplicate ring, and still consider it well worth the price. This is a rare thing for me: a keeper. I think the last two tricks I seriously added to my actual performing work are the Cig Thru Quarter (thanks, Don Alan,) and Trans-location (thanks, Chris Korn.) By the way, I know Don Alan and Chris Korn didn't invent these items but it was their performance and their consultation with me (not to mention a little tutilage from both guys,) that convinced me to add them.

The Porper Ring and a thing called, "Der Nagel," will be the next two. In my little world (and nowhere else,) actually adding a trick to my show is the highest praise I can give it and these two more than deserve it.

For those of you who are not students of Al Baker, let me explain that reference. It applies to almost all the stuff we do in magic.

In Magical Ways and Means Al discusses the fact that many magicians run when nobody is chasing them.

A magician was doubling as the villain in a Chautauqua production. After the curtain closed on the first scene, the hero said "Hey! It really hurt when you stuck me with that dagger! What did you use?"

"I used my own. It's a real dagger."

"Why didn't you use the rubber knife we always use?"

"I couldn't pass it for examination."

The thing is that the audience is never supposed to be aware that there is an extra ring.

Like Pete says, it is there for you to do extra things with.

Thanks for the clarification, Bill.

Magical Ways and Means was one of those books that changed my way of thinking about magic. I used to have a tendency to embellish things too much. Al Baker's thoughts on simplicity got rid of that for me.

That's one reason that I cringe when I see posts about really involved final loads on the cups and balls -- "Let's use another set of cups for the final loads and then we can do the whole routine again in miniature."-- ARRRRRGH!!!

The routine that comes with these rings gets past all of the unnecessary complications and gets right down to what counts -- linking and unlinking the spectator's rings in the most open and magical way possible.

I don't think you can get any better than that.

Chatting about this today. What is great about something along these lines... say you are at a function and asked to do something.

You work WITH EVERYTHING BORROWED... three rings from three people and with some other items, say a mental bit, or any impromptu work without and noticable props you can KILL...

I do the "Linking Finger Rings" since my first professional engagement on the Hannover fair in 1974. With the "Borrowed Coin In The Borrowed Bottle" this two tricks became my signature pieces.

The first ring I got from my friend and teacher the late DANY RAY from France. It was a 14k gold wedding type ring and this I used for half a year until I had on one night a drunk spectator who pulled at the two rings on the outside of the chain of three and the gaff popped open....! On the next day after this "accident" I went to a befriended jeweller and we both worked on a new design for the gaff. We finally hit on a signet type gentleman´s ring with an oval shaped shield which had a blue stone (lapis) imbedded. The thing was very, very expensive, because it was made out of 18k gold and it took the jeweller hours and hours of work, until we found the right mechanism to open and close the ring so that a spectator can even pull on both rings on the outside of the chain. but the gaffed ring doesn`t open anymore.

Let me tell you something about wedding rings. If you work with three of them, they´re can be hardly identified by the owners. In my opinion you MUST use rings with stones to make them easier to identify. It is for this reason, that I never use wedding rings anymore. And now I tell you a little secret, which I invented for my routine:

I choosed for the gaff the design with the oval stone, because this type of ring is worn by older gentlemen. If I find a man with a matching, or near matching ring on his finger, I don`t have to switch rings anymore. The man is wearing the ring for ages and has no idea anymore, how it really looks and this, friends, makes my routine to a miracle. After the rings are linked I hand the chain to a lady. who has her ring in the chain also to show the other two people the chain....and the gentleman identifies my ring for his, and that friends, is REAL magic, believe me. I saw the faces of well versed magicians drop as they saw that.
You`ll find my routine with patter on the "Himber Ring DVD" distributed by Joe Stevens.

ESPecially and MAGICally

Ted Lesley

Nice to hear from you Ted... yes your routine is one of the best, and yes, those of you that want to see it, get the Stevens video.

One thing, tho... here in the USA men wear all different styles of wedding bands, and are easily identifiable by the owners... and this routine is OK to borrow rings with a stone, just not all of them.

We have had a lot of problems here with people CLAIMING that their rings were damaged or the stones came out, became loose, etc. so most magicians shy away from them.

This happens mostly with ring flight type effects, but some have had problems with other borrowed ring tricks.

When do we see you again???

Dear Friend Pete:
Nice to read your comments on my routine. The watchmaker´s lens I use in my routine isn`t for comedy purposes only, it is there to give each and every ring I borrow a closer look. If a stone is loose I can see and feel that. If that happens I give the ring immediately back telling the lady or gentleman he or she should not wear it anymore before they have it examined by a jeweller.

I make sure, that I get the best rings I can find in the audience. Until now, I had never problems with them and I do the routine nearly fourty years. 5 ore 6 times I got a ring with it´s stone loose or other faults.

If you do a trick like this, make it a habit , that you are insured against accidents and I am sure, that you will sleep better if you have done just that.

Since months I am working on a new "twist" on the "Linking Finger Rings", which will destroy the audience, believe me.

There is another "little secret" I`ll reveal here for the first time: Never, I repeat NEVER use the trick as a "Closer" in your show! It will be most of the time an "applause killer". Make it your second before last item and you will wonder what happens. For sure, the "Linking finger rings" will be the most talked about trick in your show, the trick can destroy an audience.
Thanks Pete for your nice comments. Folks, Mr. Biro explains on the DVD on the Himber Ring (remember you get it from Joe Stevens Magic Emporium) also a very interesting "Finesse" which I like very much. So buy the DVD as soon as you can......because we all need the money!

ESPecially & MAGICally

TED LESLEY

Ted: Funny, last night I brought out the Video to look at again, and I had FORGOTTEN, but that lovely lady helping you, in the green jacket... is MY WIFE, LINDA.

She was thrilled to see the tape (she never had seen it)!!!!

Best, pete

Dear Friend Pete:
Now you understand perhaps, that mindreading exists...!
Give your wonderful lady Linda a big hug. She did a very good job and that pays as you can see....I made her immortal.......(!)

Best wishes
TED