Could you compare the two effects and their impact on the audience? I know they are differnt effects but you can share your thoughts on visual impact, reliability of the props, etc. I have some experience with the Water suspension but I've never performed the Hydrostatic glass. I would specially apreciate the comments of magicians that have tryed BOTH tricks live and have seen the audience reactions.
But everybody is welcome of course,
Best,
Soleil

Try to find Alan Shaxon's routine with hydrostatic glass. I blows the water suspention off the planet. Also Harry Anderson's version with a bottle of milk. I think it is available from http://www.stevensmagic.com Ask mark@stevensmagic.com

I've performed both effects in my stage act.

To state the obvious up front: I think the effectiveness of either effect is going to depend entirely on your presentation and technique. What looks great in your hands may not look so good in mine. I feel that both effects have the potential to be strong showpieces, in the right hands.

To answer your question, though: I have dropped the Chen Lee Suspension and am currently performing the hydrostatic glass. I used to use the Chen Lee Suspension as a lead-in effect to Snowstorm in China. The reaction was OK, but seldom much better than that. The overall audience reaction to it was along the lines of "Well, that was neat" rather than "That was amazing!" It may be that I didn't play it up well. I feel that my technique was fine. In close quarters, I think that there is a problem of sound: when you pour the water into the tube, the sound is a clue to what's going on. In larger venues, or with music to cover the noise, this might not be a problem.

The hydrostatic glass is working quite well for me, regularly getting the "That was amazing!" response I like. My routine is based on Alan Shaxon's (which I read in the March 2004 issue of MAGIC). I'm continuing to refine the routine to maximize the impact (I've only performed it in public for lay audiences a few dozen times). To be honest, I'm a little concerned with what the audience may figure out later, after the show. I hate to think that, after the show, audience members consider the effect and decide, "Well he must have [insert actual method of the effect here]." But for now, I stand by the effect and really enjoy performing it.

In terms of reliability of props, the Chen Lee Suspension is very reliable (I used a homemade version, since I didn't like the look of the glass in the ones that were available). For the hydrostatic glass, I make my own gimmick based off of Tommy Wonder's description in "The Books of Wonder" and it is VERY reliable. Lots more to be found here on the Café by doing a search for "Hydrostatic glass".

Thank you Pete Biro and Ronin,
I will for sure get the Hydrostatic Glass and try to find the Shaxon routine.
I am quite happy with my Chen Lee water suspension. The routine is original, not overdone and mysterious. I like that part of mystery to the effect, especialy when you pass through the silk. The props are reliable and the impact is really good for me. I always perform it on music so I don't really have the problem of sound, but I understand that for parlor presentation it could be a problem. I fall in love more and more with water tricks because they are not so often seen performed and because magic with liquids is mysterieous and has no explanation to the audience if properly done.
Best,
Soleil

I actually use both in the same routine. The routine is set to music, and I think they are both good effects.

Regan

Soleil: read above and someone mentioned where the Shaxon routine is in MAGIC magazine.

I found a used copy of MAGIC Magazine with Alan Shaxon's Hydrostatic Glass handling it Denny & Lee's last Spring when I added the Glass to my show. I bought one of the Steve Dick models, called "Superior Hydrostatic Glass". The issue of MAGIC Magazine was March, 2004 and featured Alan Shaxon on the cover with an accompanying story on him, including a reprint of his Hydrostatic Glass routine that first appeard in his book, "My Kind Of Magic".

Some magic shops might still have back issues of MAGIC Magazine available for sale.

Why not contact magic magazine for the issue?

Pete,

I'm sure Stan can supply the copy, but what we really need to sell magicians is expandable storage space. How could things so concealable take so much space? I even have a stock of "backup" glasses for my Chen Lee.

I like the magic of the Hydrostatic glass but I really get more applications where the Chen Lee fits. (You know that you can do this with a coffee can and a glass mug too!)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

When you take a look of the effects only of these two tricks:
IN the Chen Lee Water Suspension - the first phase is the water suspension, then you pass the silk and you have a water vanish, and the third phase is the water reappearence. You have three strong visual effects.

IN the Hydrostatic glass - the trick begins with a scince phnomenon everybody knows, therefore not a magical effect, followed by a baffling visual water suspension. The third phase is the water "release" also extremely visual.

So we have here two routines each of them having three magical effects inside. In the second there is no cover - refering to thye tube of Chen Lee, you cannot see what's happenning inside...
As a conclusion, The Chen Lee Water Suspension has more magic involved but loses some ponts because of the opaque cylinder; The Hydrostatic Glass has less pure magical effects incorporated but you use no cover.
For me, although a don't have the Hydrostatic glass, I can say the two effects stay exactly on the same level of magical impact.
Just my thoughts,
Best,
Soleil

Years ago when using Chen Lee Water Suspension I rested the tube on top of a square piece of cardboard and after pouring the water I slowly removed the cardboard. This worked better for me than pouring through the open ended tube. I could sort of pinpoint the moment when the "magic" happened. After removing the cardboard I passed the silk handkerchief. When finally I passed the glass through, instead of water out came "wine". This last bit, again, agreed to my way of working.

After reading John Booth's Marvels of Mystery (IMHO one of the best books of magic ever published) I made myself a Hydrostatic Glass and after trying it in public I found that, for me at least, it got a much greater reaction than the Chen Lee so I have used it in place of the Chen Lee ever since.

It's a pity Booth's original book or the compilation John Booth Classics (Supreme Magic) which includes it, is no longer available but if you have access to a copy by all means look up his routine for Hydrostatic Glass. I have used Alan Shaxon's idea as a closer sometimes and it works in that spot but, at least for me, Booth's presentation comes out stronger and I can use it anywhere in the act.

Thank you Magimarco,
you bring a nice and important tip here about the little cardboard. I saw Duane Laflin using this idea with his Scuare Circle. This helps pointing exactly where yhe magic moment is and helps getting a sure applause.
For me, the drawback of the Chen Lee water suspension is that you must use so many props - a cylinder, a glass, a second glass or pitcher, a silk, a magic wand or pencil. And all this put down, taking...
One of my little improvements is not using the wand to push down the silk thru the tube - I use my fingers and it's possible.
Second improvement is to use a cardboard on which you put the tube befor pouring - like it was pointed by Magicmarco- but her, once more you must use one more object which distracts the audience from the magic. The solution is to put the tube...on your hand!!! Then slowly move down your hand and the water vanishes at that precise moment.
Now the routine is more direct, more magical and really practical.
Best,
Soleil

Why didn't I think of that? Resting the tube on the hand is a simple and great idea. Now I have the urge to give the Chen Lee Water Suspension another go!

Feel free to use this tip, Marco,
It's because of your suggestion that I came up with this simple solution.
Its more difficult to see the simplest things in magic, sometimes...
Thank you all,
Soleil

To get rid of the pouring noise I have changed the grip. the left hand holds the tube at the top front and thumb inside. the fingers angle across the front of the tube rather than point straight down.

this allows me to do it with the witherspork toward the inside front of the tube instead of the usual position at back. the left hand and fingers hide the overhanging hokus. the left thumb can apply pressure inside the tube so that nothing rattles. with the thing at the front of the tube, the angles from low down in front are less critical.

by tilting the tube forward slightly during the pour, the liquid can hit the side of the inside of the witherspork eliminating the noise. the back of the left hand covers any view over the top during this operation.