Hi

I saw Aldo perform it live. I think it was very good!

Where can I buy the prop and teaching material. I want to add it to my parlor show.

Happy New Year 2006!

You can get the whole package from Frank Starsinic: he sells very nice cones - plus the balls and also Aldo's teaching tape.
http://www.theambitiouscard.com/cones/cones.cfm

There's a description in the Dai Vernon book of magic, though the routine isn't very good (Vernon admitted that himself). If you can find it, Torkova's video is also very good.

Richard

Thank you ,taliesin.

You mentioned the routine isn't very good. Is Aldo's handling the improved one?
Is the Torkova's handling better?

The story with Vernon's routine was that Lewis Ganson, who was writing the book, wanted to include Vernon's cone & ball routine. However, Vernon hadn't prepared for that, so he made-up a routine on the spot. Later he conceded that the routine wasn't terribly good. He discussed it on one of the 'Revelations' tapes (which also has a bit about the cone & ball).

All of the routines involve much the same - in fact, there is only one main 'move'. I wouldn't say that Aldo's routine has any significant improvements over the others - just a slightly different take on it.Torkova's tape is probably the best resource, but it sold-out long ago and is difficult to find. Copies occasionally come up (check eBay, Ron Alessi's site, agicAuction and Martinka).

The Vernon routine is also in a booklet called 'Expanded Lecture Notes' which is still available. Another good source (but again difficult to find) is Tom Stone's e-book 'Deserting the Legion'.

There are also a couple of threads on the Café about the ball & cone:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......5&36
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=109

Aldo's is more comedy related and uses smaller rubber balls.

The vernon routine uses large billiard balls and due to the size of the balls,
it looks very nice. I think it can be great if you build it into your parlor show so it makes sense in the context of your show. The vanishes and productions look very good. I think it's better than Aldo's routine. A combo of the two would be nice but don't try to shove a billiard ball in your mouth.

There are good moves in the vernon routine and some extra footage
of vernon on the revelations video. That is also worth acquiring.

I've not seen Torkova's handling.

I agree with Frank. I prefer the Vernon's to Aldo's. I guess because Aldo's is just a copy of Vernon's with smaller balls so you could add the in the mouth bit.

Vernon's is much more impressive due to the larger balls and I don't think it is very classy to put balls in your mouth. It is a tough routine and takes a lot of work to get smooth, notice how few perform it, but when you do the full routine, it is great.

Kirk

I agree - it's the 'in the mouth' bit of Aldo's routine that isn't to everyone's taste (no pun intended).

I forgot to add this, which is another great resource. Not all about the ball & cone, but some valuable references here:
http://magicref.tripod.com/magref/magball.htm

The main issue that Vernon took with the Ganson description was the method of doing the first vanish. He told Lewis "You t***b p**m the ball."

Lewis said, "You can't t***b p**m a billiard ball."

So Vernon did it. Lewis still believed it was an incorrect description.

I can still hear Vernon saying, "You t***b p**m the ball d*mmit! You t***b p**m it! That's what I told him, t***b p**m the ball."

Craft stores sell heavy cardboard cones that work great. I got one, glued leather-like vinyl to the outside and black felt to the inside. Woodworking stores sell pre-made wood balls. I painted one with chrome paint as a final color change. It looks like it was made of metal, very cool.

Go with the biggest balls possible. I have slender hands with big windows, but I use billiard sized balls. So it is do-able.

The leather cones are really much better. I've used both. Also, a real billiard ball won't chip. You can get snooker balls singly from billards supply houses.

Bill,
Better how?

The one that Vernon used and the ones that I have used are slightly more flexible than a cardboard one. This way, you can squeeze the cone for added possibilities.

The Pressley Guitar cones were not flexible at all.

They smell better too.

I love the smell of leather but it makes my wife sick.

Maybe you should keep your leather away from the lutefisk.

BTW, there was a piece on the Discovery channel yesterday about lutefisk. My hat's off to anyone who eats lutefisk.

For some humor that basically relies on the Vernon moves, try Harry Riser's routine in Feints and Temps of Harry Riser. You do not have to use the ball vase part to have a good routine. While I like the snooker balls (Frank Starsini will sell them to you individually), I also have Taylormade wooden balls with the French lacquer finish and I like the size better-just a tad smaller.
David

Senor Mardo in one of his little books, perhaps "Routined Magic" has a very nice routine using a new years horn that is shaped like the ball and cone cone.

You can also use those cones that string came on in the olde daze.

Actually you can still find string on that type of cone. Or at least as of a year or so ago one could still find them. I had seen them at Wal-Mart within the past year.

How about a sugar cone and 3 scoops of icecream? If you stall, you could get a complete vanish at the end. Although not exactly clean at the finish.