The original chop cups -- the bamboo ones -- were furnished with black balls. They had two sets left in the proper size. It's not a normal color for them. Since I was basically restoring the chop cup to its original configuration, that's what I ordered.

Most performers use whatever color ball came with their cups. A few years back, when Jay was still alive, he gave me permission to issue the Laurie Ireland cups in copper as a commemmorative item. Morrissey has the original Ireland chucks, so Jay let them know that it was okay for me to do this. I had 50 sets spun. I also had them made with the skirts about 3/16 of an inch longer than the latest aluminum ones, because the current crop of aluminum cups had a problem. They would not stack with three balls on top of a cup, even using the smallest balls Morrissey makes. This change in the dimensions was almost unnoticeable, but it corrected the problem. Later, when I got some of the first run of Ireland cups, I noticed that they stacked like my copper ones.

Anyway, when the cups came from Morrissey, I had failed to specify a color of balls, so they were sent with equal numbers of red, blue and white balls. I sent out about a dozen sets with blue balls. I furnished the cups with grey close-up mats, so any of these colors would show up well against them.

And that's the way you choose these things. Red balls don't work on a red mat. Blue balls will, but they don't work well on a black mat. You choose the props to coordinate with one another.

I sent Jay a dozen sets of the cups as his "royalty" even though he said I didn't need to. That's the kind of guy Jay was. I saw him for the last time at the MCA weekend in Las Vegas. I told him I was thinking about doing another 50 cups, and that I would send him another dozen. He told me that was unnecessary.

However, I didn't have a chance to do the cups again. If you are interested in a set, there may be a few of them at Magic Inc. I sold out of them over a year ago.

The John Scarne video on Yahoo Video, recently discussed at the Genii forum, shows Scarne performing what might be called the "cups and cubes." That is, he is using cubes instead of balls. Looks like they might be made of blackened cork.

I have a feeling that he is using sponge cubes. These are not uncommon. Irv Weiner published a cups and cubes routine using sponge cubes. There was also a cups and cubes routine created by Henry Holova of New York, that used sponge cubes.

I see that Rings 'n' Things II have introduced some new covered balls. They seem to be unique for their color (pink), some sort of "adjustable gaff," and that they're machine washable(!). FYI. I just noticed this in their newsletter, I have no direct knowledge or experience.

http://www.rnt2.com/product.aspx?productno=379

The adjustable gaff is for their chop cup balls. They have been manufacturing these for about a year or so, maybe longer. The pink balls are new, as is the washability factor.

The pink color might minimize flashing.

About pink... Geoff Latta showed a routine with an egg cup and three pink crochet balls back in 1975.

I'm still stuck finding the right basic premise for the trick and somehow suspect Boscoe's shadow(s) may hold a clue.

The pink balls will compliment some of the new SBL props to be released later this year. Washibility has always been a concern with the balls we manufacture, like anything else in life, your balls get dirty after you handle them after an extended period of time.

I developed the adjustable gaff back in 2003 when we started supplying gaffed balls for cups other than ours. It also came in handy when the working surface wasn't always a closeup mat or hard surface.

In 2003 RNT II introduced the first set of commercially available glitter balls, again with the same propertys as our regular balls, washable, adjustable gaffs etc.
This was a break from the norm of red, white and patriotic color balls.

Our balls now come in 5 ball sets, 4 straight 1 gaff, this eliminates the customer from having to buy a special set for their chop cup. Overall even though the sets are 54.95 for 5 balls, this saves the customer money in the long run. All our balls are hand made by the gals at RNT II. Nothing comes from overseas except the finest crochet threads we import.

We'll be introducing another 24 new colors and patterns over the next several weeks and probally a total of 75 for the whole year.

Jake

Twenty-four new colors and patterns?! Wow. I can't wait to see a magician with pink-and-blue spotted balls.

We've done some strange colors and combinations, several performers who have some of Chance Wolf's props have requested bright and funny patterns to use in conjunction with their act. Then there was the performer who had us make "Boobie" balls for his chop cup routine where he bartends, along with DD load balls. That pattern we actually took the time to copyright.

Jake

I appreciate your keeping us abreast of these things.

Oh boy. The Two Joshes haven't been here yet, but I'd be careful with that thread title.


Jack Shalom

Yes, this thread is ripe for the immature. Please, refrain.

Can you hum that refrain, please?

Any news on Bosco's moving shadows?

Hey what happened to this thread?

My balls are itchy. I just got a new set of hemp monkey fist conjuring balls. They are pretty uncomfortable compared with the cotton knit balls I have been using.

But they have a great weight. Has anybody tried hemp balls?

I got a couple of sets, but the neighbor kid smoked them.

Darned kids!

Is it true that the monkey fist balls are modeled on the Gordian knot?

I think knot.

At least, I didn't say "I'm a frayed knot."

Seriously, before cups and balls workers were using monkey fist balls, the Palmer Drug Abuse Program (no connection to me or my immediate family!) used this as a symbol.

Does anyone know of instructions on how to make such "ball sweaters?" (My that sounded odd.)