Hey folks, can you suggest the best sympathetic silks routine to learn?

I've heard Bil Malone has a routine out (Where is it available?), as well as the routines in the Rice Encyclopedias. I am learning a routine now, but would be very open to suggestions from you folks.

DonB!

In my opinion the two best routines currently in print are those of Charlie Miller and Paul Potassy.

The Charlie Miller's routine (sold by Magic Inc., Chicago, Ill) is called "Knot Control" and comes supplied with six practice scarves. Mr. Miller's routine has a very simple plot and has a couple of important bits that don't appear elsewhere. This version makes a great starting point for the routine. If you have trouble understanding Mr. Miller explanation of the knotting technique, you can see him teach the knots (but not the Sympathetic Silks routine) on one of the Steven's Greater Magic Library videos.

The Paul Potassy routine is a much longer and more complex and it uses a completely different knotting technique. It is published in German under the title "Die Paul Potassy Show". If the German language is a barrier to you. Then from what I have heard an English translation of it will soon be published. The book also has other great "stand-up” magic tricks from the act of one of the last great Continental conjurer's of post-war Europe.

Best regards,
Levent

Dick Stoner has a great routine and it's on one of his videos.

If you've ever been to Glenn Bishop's site he has a video of his father - Billy Bishop - performing the Sympathetic Silks. Very simple with two young kids. I like it a lot.

John



I just purchased the book: The Life and Magic of Billy Bishop. It is a terrifc book, a great read, and enough great classic magic to create a complete act for kids and grownups.

In it there is the Billy Bishop Sympathetic Silks. I just received my 36" silks today. The routine is so simple and classic. Try it out. I can't say enough about Billy Bishop either. He was a great classic magician not to mention a patriot.

Oh, BTW, you can get the book at: http://charvetmagic.com/_wsn/page5.html

John

John,

You just pointed out something that I hope doesn't get missed by others.

Sympathetic Silks is one routine in which you can easily (and perhaps should in many cases) use 36" silks.

Jeff McBride would tell you in a heartbeat to use all the stage you can with the largest silks you can. It simply makes it a bigger and more colorful show!

Good point! Try 36" silks. If that is too expensive for you, try 24". As a dove worker, 24" silks are the heart of my act but I use 36" when I can. They are more than twice as large as the 24".

Bob
Magic By Sander

Yes. I like it too. Not sure how it's done. Sort of reminds me of a
professor's nightmare count type thing combined with a Slydini silks ending.

That's just my guess. Am I close?

The best Sympathetic Silk routine is the one you create.
The best method I have EVER SEEN is George Saterial's, described in his lecture notes. This is a great example of a magician unsatisfied with the status quo of a trick, thus reinventing the wheel.
There are no cons to George's technique. The biggest change... the silks don't lock up or need a vigorous shake.

Kregg

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:01am
-------------------------------------------------------
P.S.
The last line should read: "Or need a vigorous shake."

You're standing on my feet!!

John

Funny John!

By the way, I just found the routine. It's in my Self Working Handkerchief book that I keep in the bathroom for just such an occasion.

I think I bought it for $10 or so.

I'm going to buy some silks and give 'er a go. What colors should I get?

I use 36 inchers because they play huge and help cover the...the....well, you know.

I got 4 green and 2 yellow. I use 6. The trick is a good one. It's simple, follows all the rules about stripping the routine to it's bare essentials - just the magic. I perform Billy Bishop's routine. It's great. That's all I can say. It's perfect for from pre-schoolers to adults to mixed (not mixed nuts but kids and adults) audiences.

I've performed this about 5 times for my kids and they still don't know how it's done.

You should get The Life and Magic of Billy Bishop. Besides some great reading about an awesome seemingly rather unknown magician, there are some great classic effects.

He was really an amazing guy. When he joined the army he used to perform card tricks for the other recruits at dinnertime. The officers noticed this and singled him out as a person that could talk to a group of people and give orders. They sent him to aviation cadet school where he learned to fly P-38 aircraft.

He flew over Nagasaki, Japan following the atomic bomb blast to take pictures. This to me is super fancinating. Then he went on to become a successful magician.

The whole book is really interesting. I can tell you Frank, this is one book you WON'T leave in the bathroom!

If not only for the stories about a fellow magi but for the entire routines printed in the book this is one of the best magic books I have ever purchased.

I need to stop revealing all this info or my competition down here will get a clue.

Oh, one more thing. If you have read Glen Bishop in posts here in themagiccafe and mentioning his father - man, he has every right to. Billy Bishop was a facinating character and a patriot to boot. Glen should be and I am sure he is, VERY PROUD of his old man!!

Anyway, I've gotta eat my hotdogs.

See ya,

John Cesta

I was wondering why Billy used such drab colors for the silks on stage and I wondered whether that helped cover the prof. nightmare move.?

anyone?

I believe he used drab colors because that's all they had back then. I would think.

The size is what covers stuff. But you can do it with smaller silks but why. That's all the trick is...silks. Might as well use big ones.

John

I agree. might as well use the big ones.

I just ordered some cheap orange and turquoise silks.
anyone laughs at my color selection... you're dead meat!

Waffle House will love it Frank! So will the bowling alley!

Actually, we sell a lot of both. Somebody is using it.

Sorry we don't have any ties or sox to match!

Bob
Magic By Sander

Bob,

After getting my routine to where I think it's
a worker (if it happens at all... but I think it will)
I will be inquiring about which "real" silks to acquire
and how. I trust you'll be able to help me with this.

And what does "mome" moommea" momma, you mamma
whatever..... what does that mean?

For Sympathetic Silks, 20th Centry or Blendo, never use less than an 8 momme. There is to much strain on the silk being pulled for lighter silks to hold up. Now if you, need to vanish a silk in a tight place the vanishing silk can be made in 6 momme (thinner) so it is easier to handle. That has to be done at the same time as the other reappearing silk is made with tie dyes and such.

Hope that helps.

Richard

Yea, I may have to get thicker silks as well. I only paid about 8 bucks each for mine. They are thinner than Jennifer Anistin!

John Cesta

John,

I think you are much better off with the thinner silk! It’s prettier, works better, and sets you up for the rest of your show with ungimmicked props you can really use.

Richard and I agree that heavier silk is better for a blendo and most bag tricks. For 20th Century Silks we can agree that opaqueness is frequently important. Heavier momme weight is one of many ways that can be achieved. It is not what I do.

We are not in agreement at all for Sympathetic Silks. This thread is about Sympathetic Silks.

Ungimmicked Sympathetic Silks is a standard part of my two-hour show since the late 70s. There is absolutely no reason to use heavy silks in that routine. Heavier silk will not and cannot use the lights, float and flow on stage like lighter silks. It's like trying to do ballet with a 300-pound woman. It's always going to come out differently because of the self-imposed constraint. It is a trade off. If you can’t reap the benefits of silk, you might as well use denim.

If there is problem tearing the silks in Sympathetic Silks, I say it’s operator error. It is not knowing how to use silk, not the silk. Tony Slydini taught me to do his silk routine in 1969 with real silks. I have performed it many, many times and always use real 5 momme silks, even in practice. At the tender age of sixty I have yet to ruin a silk doing it correctly.

Silk has 2/3s the tensile strength of steel. Silk is seldom, if ever, ruined from wear, load stress, or crimping. It is extremely durable stuff. Most silk damage is from stains, punctures and pulling against the weave instead of pulling with it. It makes cotton rope look wimpy for all of the right reasons. A lesson to be learned here is that if you ever have to escape out a bedroom window by climbing down the sheets, let’s hope they are silk! (The momme weight is useless information. Momme weight is bulk, not strength.)

There are plenty of old wives’ tales out there about the fragile nature of silk that are simply not true. Please come to one of my silk lectures some time and we can demonstrate it. For tying and untying knots, use the thinnest silk that your skill will allow you to handle. Otherwise, you might as well use rope. It comes in colors too.

Sympathetic Silks is a beautiful routine in itself. However, it is also a fantastic vehicle for transitioning into other routines using the silks and the colors. Even with 36” silks, it will pack in your pocket but take up all the stage you’ll give it. It’s a routine worth learning well. The total cost is six silks of whatever size you can afford. Use the lightest weight silk your skill will allow. Take full advantage of the benefits of silk.

Enjoy your silk magic.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Two routines that have not been mentioned that just flow, have no visible “moves” and require absolutely no shaking out of the silks. Of course I am referring to the beautiful versions performed by Slydini (found in one of the two volume books sets, sorry I’m away from home and my library) and the other is General Grants’.

Both appear natural; move use only two pairs of silks (following Al Bakers recommendation). Which reminds me, check out Al Bakers routine upon which many of the modern routines were built.

Until I read this thread, the "shaking" problem was never a problem to me. Now I know why. When I return to the three silks that have "untied" themselves, I lift by a free corner of the middle silk. That is also exactly the center distance between the two tied ends. As that moves upward, with the other hand I pinch the other two silks (while still on the table) as soon as they are uncovered. The large motion of the rising hand covers the smaller motion of the pinching hand. The silks just fall apart. There is no hesitation in the motion of the rising hand with the middle silk. It works! (Accidents do happen.) Then I can toss all three into the air and let them float down separately.

That leaves me with two sets of three matching silks. Each is untied, ungimmicked and ready to use.

Bob
Magic By Sander