At the begining of my manipulation act, I produce bare handed serveral silks, a silk fountain, and then produce a silk streamer from the middle of the fountain. I would like to then produce my six foot silk at the end. I would like to do it without apparatus. I have tried to load the six footer in the load bag after the silk streamer but it makes the load too big for the fountain. Maybe a body load? I really would like to stay away from excess body loads (since I have loads for cards I'm producing). Any ideas?

Hi Darkwing:

Have you thought about attaching it to a flagstaff? A very old (but terrific) idea is to paint the end of the flagstaff to look like a magic wand - the whole thing sits in your top hat (or box, etc). When it's time to produce the silk, you just reach over and grab the staff, and you have a wonderful, easy production!

I believe T Nelson Downs and Neil Foster both performed this effect in their shows.

Ron Reid

This is Tony Clark's current finale, a flag staff production with a 6foot silk attached.

Just for your interest

Maybe you just need to adapt to the larger load size. I use a six foot tie dye that I made and it always receives the best reaction. Yes, at first I hated the fact it made the fountaint that much bigger but I adapted. A steal to ad it in really does not work to appear to open from the center.

Use the trap fold and work towards the middle in a careful manner and it will not all that much to it.

OR you may consider using a sheer silk to reduce the bulk.

Try E-Mailing Duane Laflin to see if any of his videos will cover it. http://www.laflinmagic.com

If I am not mistaken, Peter White (www.pasilks.com) has fountains with six-foot silks listed on his website:

http://pasilks.com/silk-fountain.html

If you don't need to buy one, Peter should be able to give you some advice. He is very helpful.

Amos McCormick

Look at Chanin's book. Or maybe put the six footer in the fountain and the streamer inside of it. A six footer in my fountains make it the size of a small volleyball but it does away with apparatus or body loads. I steal it from a table or hat.
Richard

Thanks Richard, I have Chanin's book and got some good ideas from it. I already steal the fountain from a hat, the problem is the six foot silk. When I pack in the silk, it is really streching the capacity of the fountain. I really doubt I could get a streamer in after the silk.

As a side note, do you have a catalog on your feather bouquets?

David

Do you wear a vest? If so,you could sew reinforced loops at each side of the silk, fold in a compact pack under the vest with the loops (thick fish line) just at the lower edge of the vest, and when you are showing the other silks, catch thumbs in the loops and produce the 6 footer. Thayer's had a big flag production with this method. don

A couple of ideas on the Silk Fountain. Use a 6 mm 6' silk as it will pack smaller. Also use 6 mm silks on the fountain as it will pack smaller and open slower because of less spring in the silk.
The idea on the fishing line (braided fly casting line )can work. I do a similar thing with two bouquets (one in each leg). You catch the string and separate your hands to bring the bouquets up and out to your hands. Don't be to energetic or you can cut with thumbs with string burns. The silk could be either in the vest area or the pants area. Maybe make an outer pocket on the vest that pops open as you pull out the silk.
Can you change the fountain load to a box table? it is a quick and easy way to make the steal from the top.
Paul Diamond used to teach a silk fold to silks that worked very well with 6' and then you could load in the small of your back for the steal. His Sympanet in Silk Lecture. It is still available on tape. Also use a silk winder to pack the streamer smaller for production.

Yes, I have I feather flower ( and other props) catalog. You can download the pdf catalog and realtime movies of many of the effects at my website (hughesmagic.com). Hopefully , the complete website will be completed very soon. Or if you send me a snail mail address(hugmagic@raex.com), I'll pop a cd rom with the catalog, movies and price list on it to you in the mail. Same goes for any other members who might have use of one.
Richard

Hi Darkwing,

If your'e still looking you might try the 6ft. silk production that Jeff McBride does on his Commando tapes(?).

It's a Blendo effect done wite a Mirror Tube. No body load, and it plays well.

Manyfingers

Laflin has a DVD just out last month on silk steals. I haven't seen it, but It might have ideas.