Good point, thankyou, Ken. My searches so far have elicited something other than, "Never allow hunger to dull your wits". I'm hoping to find your translation is on mark, though, because I like it alot!

Hungry bear want sheep.

OK awesome coins so back to what this thread was about... I want to start learning this I hear Al is the way to go... What about no mat?

My long-ago Truckish instructors filled my head with idiomatic expressions drawn for ancient myths that pervade Turkish culture, and a was striving for a deaper meaning of the inscription rather than literal.

Just as the phrase "In God we trust" can be interpreted several ways, one must ask why this inscription is on a common coin.

methinks the phases can also mean something akin to "legal tender for all debts" be reference rather than esact translation.

Hoping a native Turkish linguist would wade in.

Or maybe weigh in?

Either one'll do, provided the water's not getting to deep.

Make that too deep.

Here's more on the sheep! : http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......art=30#3

Video A.S.A.P.

I know I'm a few years late to the party on this thread:-P. But Tim, that was outSTANDING. I am just starting with chink-a-chink and have the basics down. But your version is truly terrific. I'd love to learn how you are able to show your hands empty. Brilliant.

Thanks!

Ken

Chink-A-Chink and Coins Across have been favorites of mine since the late 1960's.

I like, as much as possible, to give justification to my props. One of the ways that I do so with Chink-A-Chink is, I perform the routine with Ice Cubes. I manufacture soft resin Ice Cubes (Ice Cubes Across) that are very realistic. In my routine, I accidentally topple over my drink glass thus spilling the contents onto the table, the fake Ice Cubes - no drink. I then perform the routine with the Ice Cube and end by putting the Ice Cubes back into my glass. I include a fake water spill with the set that vanishes and is turned back into an Ice Cube (the fifth Ice Cube).
I have been manufacturing my soft resin Ice Cubes since 2003.

Plus, I perform a Chink-A-Chink routine titled, "Hippity Hop Hats". A Chink-A-Chink routine employing miniature top hats. At the end of my routine, I pull a sponge rabbit out of one of the hats. A lead into a sponge rabbit routine.



Today the popular items to use are, wine corks, dice, bottle caps, brass weights, and coins.

The following is a brief history of Chink-A-Chink from my Ice Cubes Across (A new Chink-A-Chink routine) instructions.

History: The Coins Across and Chink-A-Chink have been among my favorite routines since 1969. However, the original beginnings of the effect that we now know as Chink-A-Chink, dates back long before I started performing it. It was Sean McWeeney who brought to light the fact that the effect Chink-A-Chink, is a lot older than was previously thought. In fact, it has a history dating back to the early to middle 1800’s. Plus, in 1877, Edwin Sach’s published his variation of the effect in his book, “Sleight of Hand”. In his book, Edwin Sach’s used four sugar cubes for his Chink-A-Chink like routine. It was Hank Yoe who is reputed to have performed a Chink-A-Chink like routine with coins sometime in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, and introduced the name Sympathetic Coins to the effect and to the magic community.

It was Max Malini, who popularized the effect in the early 1900’s. Malini used cut-down wine corks and is generally credited with naming the effect “Chink-A-Chink”. Later, Leo Horowitz took Malini's version, added changes of his own, and used covered sugar cubes. Many years later, Canadian magician Doug Henning, again modified the effect and performed Chink-A-Chink on television. Doug used seashells in his routine. Plus, Dutch magicians Fred Kaps and Tommy Wonder also performed and modified Chink-A-Chink to suit their own styles.

For many years, pre-fabricated Chink-A-Chink sets have been made available to the magic community. Besides myself (Antony Gerard), Auke van Dokkum of the Netherlands, François Danis of France, and Jim Riser of the United States have manufactured and supplied a variety of Chink-A-Chink sets. However, the trend over the past twenty years, has been towards justifiable items, instead of the metal towers that resemble nothing found in everyday life. Items like bottle caps, wine corks, dice, brass weights, coins, my miniature top hats, and my Ice Cubes are finding themselves being used instead of the artificial ones.

I first started manufacturing my resin Ice Cubes in 2003 and used them in my spilled cola glass joke. I did not start using them in my Ice Cubes Across routine until 2011. My Ice Cubes Across routine was inspired by my Coins Across routine that in turn was inspired by the “Four Coins to a Glass” routine as may be found on page #160 through page #164 in Modern Coin Magic by J. B. Bobo (1952).

Whenever I come up with a new routine, effect, prop, or idea, I also try to find other, nonstandard uses for it as was the case with my resin Ice Cubes. It took me over eight years to come up with an idea for them that did not entail one of my spill products. The thing that I like most about the Ice Cubes Across routine is, the fact that the performer is able to palm the Ice Cube from the table without touching the table. The Ice Cubes are about one inch tall and thus are able to be palmed while the performer’s hand is about an inch from the table top.

Ice Cubes Across is not the first routine that I came up with where the item to be palmed is palmed with the palming hand about an inch from the table top. In 1976, I created a routine that I titled, “Hippity Hop Hats”. It was a routine that employed miniature top hats in my “Coins Across” inspired routine. At the end of my “Hippity Hop Hats” routine, and as a segue into my Sponge Rabbit’s routine, I would pull a sponge rabbit out of one of the Top Hats. The following routine is nearly the same as Hippity Hop Hats, except Ice Cubes are used.

I also used to perform a Chink-A-Chink routine with a selected playing card. I would have a card selected, tear the card into quarters, fold the quarters into little tents cards (A-Frame's), and perform my Chink-A-Chink routine with the four tent cards. At the end of the routine, the fourth tent piece refuses to join the other three at which time I hand the fourth piece to a spectator. At that time, I pick up the three tent card pieces and unfold them. The four pieces have been restored and the fourth piece, that the spectator has, fits perfectly. I first started performing the routine in 1978, however, I did not put this routine in print until 1982. The "Tent Cards" may be found in my book "Last Call" (1982 - Pages #53 through #56).

Plus, I perform Chink-A-Chink with dice. At the end of my dice Chink-A-Chink routine, I like to follow it with a Dice through the table. At the end of my Dice through the table, one of the dice melts half way through the table. The melted die is from my "Red Hot Dice" effect.

I hope that you enjoy some of my Chink-A-Chink ideas.

Wow! Thanks for that trove of info. I had no idea. Fabulous!

Ken

I can't begin to tell you thrilled I am with my purchase of Antony Gerard's Chink-a-Chink routine and props "Ice Cubes Across". It's a splendid effect! The resin cubes are incredibly realistic in appearance and they handle extremely well - very easy to palm. The little 'water spill' is an inspired part of the equipment and has may possible uses. Great for misdirection. This is really an expertly manufactured apparatus.

And I just love the routine! It's well thought out and superbly explained. Just when you thought Chink-a-Chink might have reached its creative limits along comes this effect which demonstrates that there are still exciting possibilities for this old trick.

I don't know Antony personally but I must say how greatly impressed I was with how quickly he shipped the trick - everything neatly packed including the instructions. Many thanks!

Congratulations, Antony! You have a winner on your hands here. I hope others on the forum here will buy this trick and see for themselves what I'm talking about. They will be as thrilled as I am, I'm sure.

Sean

You are welcomed Ken. I hope that some of the information is of use to you.

Needless to say, I love history! In particularly magic history.

Hello Sean

I am very pleased that you enjoy my "Ice Cubes Across - A new Chink-A-Chink routine" and that you will be performing them. My magic company, Antony Gerard Magic, is a one man pony company. I create, test, and manufacture nearly every item on my web site by myself and I am constantly creating new items. Two of my newest magic items being, The "Bic" Pen Through Balloon Penetration and "Red Hot Dice". The "Red Hot Dice" may also be employed in a Chink-A-Chink routine.

If I come up with additional ideas or routines for my "Ice Cubes Across - A new Chink-A-Chink routine" I will E-Mail you the instructions and ideas.

Thank you again
Antony Gerard
Antony Gerard Magic
AntonyGerard@msn.com
AnttonyGerard.com
PS; And thank you for your research on Chink-A-Chink. It is greatly appreciated.