I use a palmo ball to produce 5 12" silks. I think they have two sizes to choose from.

A Hat! Always people think in a magician and think in a top hat, so I use it for the look and its nice for the silk productions...

Kuma Tubes, hands-down. I produce small streamers, big streamers (12"x40'), MANY small silks, six umbrellas, two six-foot silks, a bowl of rice, and my daughter at the end. As someone mentioned above, the silks are nice, but are used as a lead-in and/or cover for producing other objects that the audience knows couldn't have been in the tubes.

Spec-tubular looks a lot like Magic hands item for silk production.
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I use square circles for silk production.

You can use an old item called a "Devils Newspaper" that has a load similar to a Temple screen except it can be made with a newspaper, a large clasp envelope (that Tyvek mailer free at the Post Office works great) and some Scotch tape. You can produce silks, doves, bottles of soda (or beer), flowers, balls, whatever!


However for a prop to sit on the stage and make the act look bigger and more substantial a well made and appropriately decorated/painted Square Circle is hard to beat! You can probably get the rest of your act from the prop.

Wow-Devils Newspaper-memories from years ago!!

Great production effect from a so called empty newspaper shown front & back & all pages in between
& folded around for a very visual production

Easy to make & plays well with a lay audience!!

Thanks Harry as I had completly forgot what a fun item it is to use.....

I use a P&L change bag in a special monologue performance I do, where I change red, yellow, blue and green silks--all 12"--into a 36" black silk right at the beginning of the performance. (The black relates to what I'm reciting). It's quick, snappy and gets the attention straight away.

Other times I use a big square circle.

G

Harry, could you recommend a source for Devil's Newspaper?

Haha, I laugh ever time I see the title of this thread. In short...there is no 'Best way' to produce a silk. Just because you like a gimmik or method doesn't mean it is the best way for your routine.

If you are looking for ideas... Duane Laflin's works on Silk Magic is priceless! Also, RICE'S books.

Peter White of P&L Silks has a very good set of videos entitled "Why Knot Silks" on all thing having to do with silks.

I'm sure Harry will come through with an answer, he always does.


Mike

As kevin puckett mentioned Duane Laflin has quite a few DVDs out on silk magic.
I have been using the snap silks for years and recently duane and I were at a magic convention performing and during his lecture he showed his working on the snap silks. I told him I would be performing them that way from now on.

if you are looking for an inexpensive and magical way to produce silks go with the snap silks and then use the silks to steal a silk fountain, dove etc.

as far as props used to produce silks again I would have to mention an item Duane sells. ( jeff McBride uses this prop) it is called a silk cone and comes in a few different colors. the idea is you unfold this cone so that it is flat and show it all around and then fold it into the cone and reach in and produce a LARGE amount of silks. you can stop show it all around again then produce more. it sells for aobut $30 and again its a sweet prop. hold on I am going to go get the page and paste it here, don't go anywhere
http://www.lockfamilymagic.com/public/Vi......prID=390

I myself am not one for having a lot of stuff on my stage wehn performing a routine. the items I mention allow you to have very little on stage and produce alot. whats that saying we hear in magic all the time. Pack small and paly big:)

hope that helps

sam

Seo Magic is marketing a device similar to a hank ball but with some subtle differences. I have it and love it.

Posted: Nov 6, 2008 9:36pm
I also use Daune Laflin's version of "Snap Silks" - You admittedly start with one silk but then keep producing them. You can find versions of this in both Rice's Silk Encyclopedia and I believe also in Tarbell as well as many other sources.

Have you thought about production them from a folding opera hat(top hat)? There are some relatively inexpensive models out there now. When you examine one I think you'll get the idea. Start with the hat folded flat. Show it empty, then open it up. The silks that come from the hat can be used to cover an additional load.

If you want a bare handed production of a lot of silks, one way to go is to produce a single silk (many different ways), then get more silks using a dove-production method.

Thom