I hope this is the right place to put this...

I've read different threads that mention particular pen effects. My question is: Are there any books/dvds that deal with nothing but magic with pens? I really enjoy Recap and would like to explore more with this very handy prop.

Million Dollar Mind Reader from the Art of Astonishment series seemed like an interesting idea, but I could never quite get it to work consistantly, although it seems like it really should work.. All you need is a pen and paper.

Also, Dan Harlan has an interesting trick in one of his videos that uses a pen and a quarter to achieve a series of vanishes and reappearances of the quarter from the pen cap.

Avoid Penomenon, and the pen vanish from newmagicsecrets.com - they were two of the worst purchases I have ever made.

I highly recommend a free website where you can learn to twirl your pen following frame by frame videos. It's a tremendous help and something cool to add to your pen tricks. Check it out: http://www.pentrix.com/

Oh, and may I also put in a plug for the Banachek-Dela PK Sharpie and the less expensive PK Pen. Both are trick pens that effectively do the same thing. You can wow your audience with them.

yours,
Scott

Oh yeah, I forgot about pentrix... I know some people who can do that stuff and it looks really cool, although I've never had the patience to learn it.

A few you might want to check into:
"Capper Silver" from the Early Harlan DVD (the Mullet Years) just released by Meir Yedid is the routine mentioned above. IM me if you want one.
Then there is "Karate Cap" from the Ultimate Impromptu series (I don't recall which volume). Basically, you appear to thrust the pen into its cap which has been tossed into the air.
Also, "Now U Z It" appears both on Early Harlan and in the Impromptu series and is not technically a "pen" effect. It is a penetration/restoration of a borrowed dollar. The pen is the second most important prop.
In addition, there is "Penned-In" on the Premium Blend DVDs (Vol. 5), which is a routine that Gene Anderson and I put together. A borrowed dollar changes into an I.O.U. while the spectator is holding it, then it re-appears inside a pen.
Finally, if you can find it, "Shrinky-Ink" is an effect I put on the market a while back which allows you to gradually, visibly shrink a Bic Stic pen down to a very short length and end clean.
Other creators have come up with some great color-changing, vanishing, appearing, multiplying, bending, vanishing, dancing, writing, up-the-nose-shoving, travelling, etcetera-ing pen effects, but I know of no single collection for all the ideas.
--Harlan

I don't know of a single DVD/Video/Book that has a series of Pen routines, but I can recommend ReCap by Greg Wilson. He has it on Off The Cuff, and ReCap Revisted on On The Spot, but I here the original is much better. If you do find a book that has pen stuff, let us know!

Adam

I do this effect all the time. You would be shocked at the reactions I get. This effect is also printed in the back of one of the Paul Harris books. I can't remember at the moment which one. If I had to guess I think it is vol 1.

There is an effect called Doublex/aka electronic rating pen you can use this for the Million dollar mind reader,Recap and the original effect it was created for all in 1 table hop.

Deffinatley check out Dan's Premium Blend vol 5. I just recently was able to see this, and the pen effect is great.

Here's a thread on impromptu with a pencil many of the ideas could be used with a pen. Gregory Wilson's Recaped is spoken of highly here at the Café. I think there might have been a thread on Pen Magic at one point or maybe it was this thread.

Deffinatley try to get ahold of Dan's Shrinky Ink. I recieved it in the mail today and it is exellent. I have performed it a few times already for Members here at the credit union.

Banachek's PK Pen is really good, especially if you get bugged to do magic at class or at the office