I just purchased the Fakini multiplying balls 1.75 inch set and love them.
I also received five 1 inch balls, five .5 inch balls, and seven .25 inch balls.
What I am wondering is what to do with the smaller balls.
Any suggestions, routines, books,other posts, etc. dealing with smaller balls?
All the ball manipulation books I have only deal with the billiard ball size balls.
Thanks
Ian

Ian,

Where did you find the 1" Fakini balls?

It was my best ebay purchase yet.
White multiplying ball set,
2 blue 1.75 balls,
2 yellow 1.75 balls,
5 orange 1 inch,
5 green .5 inch,
and
7 white .25 inch.

How much you ask?
74 bucks.

I don't know where the seller found them.
There is a phone number and address on the containers,
so I imagine you could contact them directly.
419 255-8658

"I imagine you could contact them directly.
419 255-8658 "

The number goes to Frank Radke(Fakini himself)

Should I not have posted that?
I thought it was a company number.

I realize that 2" balls may be too big for your hands but you can learn to use them. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can learn on something much smaller and then change to a larger size. The angles change significantly with the larger balls.

I would reccomend the white as they have the most visibility from stage.

I would offer a brief observation as I was priviledged to see and film Bill Baird doing the balls. The old timers did a couple of vanishes and then some color changes, maybe some flashy finger rolls but the finish of the act was the multiplication of just four balls. Not 8 , not 16, not a large one, just four balls magically produced.

The Wakling routine is very, very good. I would recomend it as a very good starting point. And the Fakini balls are much easier to learn on than anything else I have found.

I have to agree with Richard that you should use the largest white ball(s) you can manage. Angles do become more of an issue with larger Fakini balls. The Wakeling routine is a 5 ball production and is pretty much a no dropper or body load routine. All you need are pockets, 4 balls and the gimmick. The Wakeling routine is the basis for my own routine. I use many of the florishes described in Wakling's routine and the plot is well recieved by audiences.

I agree that you should purchase the largest Fakini balls that you can work with. The main reason is that of course they are easier to see. I use the golf balls 1 3/4 and to perform for a large audience are not adequate, they seem to disappear.

The old timers always used at least 2" balls. Everyting else looks like marbles on stage.

1" and 3/4 are fine obviously 2" looks bigger on stage but I use the 1 3/4 and have no trouble one tip though when you get them buy some felt and stick a small spot of felt in the inside centre of the S***l this will stop them sticking on and ruining your performance. as to colour I still think white are more versatile even though I own sets of different colours just get one or two singles in contrasting colours

Sam,

I completely agree with Mr. Richard Hughes, anything less than two inches can look tiny on a big stage.

From your photograph, I'm guessing that you are a teenager. Which leads me to strongly suggest that you avoid any set smaller than two inches in diameter.

Keep in mind that most of the greats in the past used a two and a quarter inch set. Except Cardini and Dai Vernon who used a two and an eighth inch balls on account of their small hands.

I personally use a custom set of two and a quarter inch Fakini's. And I think they are absolutely terrific and easy to use.

At first a two inch set may feel giant in your hands, but with practice you will get used to them.

You may want to first purchase large super bounce balls from the toys store to see how big a Fakini set you can safely handle.

Good Luck,
Levent

Ok..I am impressed. I got set of 2" balls from Frank Radtke (Fakini) when I saw Bill Baird do them. It takes a lot of work to get used to them.

But 2 1/4" is impressive.

Welcome to Café!

Larger balls say 2" or 2 1/2" is much more visible and is some ways more astonishing as they look more impossible to hide but there is a limit to the size you can manipulate and it is a mistake to go so large that you cannot work them.

With practice most people can use 2" but not to start with. you need to train your fingers to streach that far.

At Chavez we learned with 13/4 inch biliard balls. to make mine look bigger, I got the magenta fakinis and I turn on a black light. these magenta Glow like Crazy under black light... if anyone uses magents try it out... you'l be pleasantly surprised at this.