I just received a Dan Tong Malini egg bag and the Ken Brooke routine pamphlet. Is the egg supposed to fall clear of the pocket? I am using a small plastic egg and it does not clear the pocket. Just wondering if the pocket is too small. I understand that only the performer retrieves the egg from the bag in this routine so maybe is doesn't matter.

Don

There are routines for the Malini Egg Bag in which the spectator produces the egg. My experience has been that the egg doesn't completely clear the pocket, yet the pocket can't be felt by the spectator, when the volunteer is managed properly. See the Steven's DVD on the Egg Bag - watching performances of some routines will make the handling clear.

Don,

I can't speak for the egg bag that you purchased, but on my Legacy Malini Egg Bag, Johnny Thompson designed it with a larger pocket opening so that the egg does clear the pocket. When I first started making them, I made some with the opening a bit smaller and Johnny made me change them. However, each manufacturer's design is slightly different.

Lynetta

Lynetta's Silk Legacy (Malini-Miller-Thompson) Egg Bag rules, http://www.fabricmanipulation.com/Mercha......y_Code=P (I own 3)! Frank Starsini of The Ambitious Card http://www.theambitiouscard.com/aitem.cfm?itemid=52 also makes a nice version if Lynetta's is out of your price range or you want a less expensive back up for your kids shows.

Thanks for the help. I think the pocket is made too small. If I used a regular size egg, it wouldn't come close to clearing the pocket. I am a bit disappointed that I seem to have wasted my $ on this bag. But, how is one to know? Not the first magic item I have purchased and been disappointed in.

Don

May I give the topic a bit of a twist? I was wondering about buying a new bag and was thinking about a color other than black. Maybe a red bag. Does anyone have opinions about this? Thanks.

Jim

Black is traditional but also serves the purpose of hiding the secret better.

Bite the bullet and invest in one of Lynetta's Legacy Egg Bags. You will be glad you did. The silk fabric ensures that a smooth drop happens.

Also, her "Perfect Egg" is a good investment also. I think you will find that is is a bit heavier than the plastic egg that you are using and as a result it will drop down easier.

I love ending the routine with the spectator discovering the egg herself, but sometimes it hangs up a little and on rare occasions the spectator feels something she shouldn't. It usually happens because the spectator is holding the bag with is a slight fold, so I am very careful to have her hold the bag properly, and I am ready to "assist" if I see her fumbling. I also have to be ready to interrupt if she tries to say something about you know what.

However, that has only happened on a few occassions and I think you will find that Lynetta's legacy Egg Bag and Perfect Egg will solve your problem.

Jim

Don't buy ANY bag until you get your hands on it. Make sure it is large enough for your hand and large enough so when you hold it for someone to reach inside, there is room for their hand. I just did an egg bag lecture at Kramien's Northwest Jamboree, and a couple of guys had bags that were too small.

If you can, get the "Egg Bag Book" by John Novak... he tells you how to size it.

I had some fun using a H.O. and a clear plastic bag--fooled 'em badly.

Pete is right. That's one reason I have a 14-day return/exchange policy. The majority of the time my standard sized egg bag is the correct size, but on occasion there have been some magicians whose hands were quite large. For these guys, a bag that is 7 inches wide is just too narrow. When this has been the case, I make them a larger egg bag. It's easier for me to make a larger bag than it will ever be for them to get used to using a smaller bag. I usually recommend that magicians try the standard bag for about a week and if they find that it is just too small, I make them a bag that is more suited to their hand size. There have been several magicians who, when they received their Legacy Egg Bag, thought the bag was too small. However, after working with the egg bag and studying Johnny Thompson's work, they realized that it actually was the best size for them.

It is best to keep the bag as small as you can comfortably work with; this adds to the illusion. It just seems impossible for the egg to be hiding in such a small bag, especially when your hand or the spectator's hand is in the bag. The larger the bag, the more feasible it is for the egg to be in there the whole time. Your egg bag should fit you like a glove.

As for color...that is a personal preference. Most prefer black because of the black and white contrast and as mentioned earlier, black helps hide. Some prefer burgundy so that it shows up better against a dark suit, or red as it can be seen better at a distance. Some like blue and other colors...just because.

Back to the original inquiry...no matter the size or color of the bag, the egg should clear the pocket. This not only aids in the producing of the egg, it is also necessary for certain vanishing moves. A larger opening makes it easier to "kick" the egg into the pocket.

Lynetta

Lynetta,

I enjoyed visiting your website. Before this post, I never knew it was there. Thanks!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Lynetta: Great way to service your customers. Glad you chimed in here.

Welcome aboard Lynetta and thanks clearing up some misconceptions about the bag. I can also atest to the fact your bag is one of the best out there. Your customer service is second to none.

Snidini

A small or medium egg may work in a Tong Malini Bag. Even Charlie Miller used a fairly small egg, from what I've heard. I've seen Dan Tong work with one of his Malini bags, and the handling is very smooth. I use Tarbell bags made by his wife, Pauline.

Dan Tong's handling of the Malini Egg Bag is poetry in motion. His liguid finale is surprisingly unexpected. You can contact Dan through his web site: http://www.magicbypauline.com - he and his wife Pauline carry a full line of hard to find magic.

Don

You are suppose to use a real egg shell, just get a medium size egg and blow the contents out. Then seal the holes with spackle from the hardware store.

A large opening is a must. I don't know why the cheaper bags have such small openings. My bags have the opening large enough such that when the egg is out it looks out if you peer down into the bag. This is a must, in my opinion.

You are right, Frank. It seems obvious that the egg should clear the opening so I don't know why anyone would make a bag with a small opening. I'll give your site a look.

Most Malini Egg Bags have been made with the smaller pocket since Max Malini designed it. The main reason being, eggs used to be smaller; hormones and other additives have led to larger eggs. As far as I know, the larger rounded opening was designed by Charlie Miller and Johnny Thompson. That is part of the egg bag design that Johnny passed on to me. Until recently, I have not seen his pocket design on any marketed egg bags other than my Legacy Malini Egg Bag. I know that Johnny considers this change very important, because when I did it wrong, he definitely let me know.

Lynetta

I suppose it could be hormones but even the smallest eggs one can buy in the stores are too big to exit the "el cheapo" bags.

If I had to bet, I would say they were smaller becuase of the "thumb covers up the seam" notion. It's a nice thought but not totally necessary, as stated on the Greater Magic DVD by Johnny Thompson. Anyway, that's what I thought.


Harry Riser's egg bag design also has a tremendously large opening.