Just curious, Do more of you use gimmicked straight jackets or non-gimmicked ones?

Alchemist

Depends on what you want to achieve.

Purists in the art use non-gimmicked only or gimmicked as a comedy routine.

I personally use gimmicked anywhere that my life is in danger or when time can not be wasted.

The non-gimmicked is not difficult to learn or use and there are even a few non-gimmicks that are just as easy to get out of as a gimmicked (in that case it usually looks less secure.)

If you want to email or PM me I'd be happy to discuss it more at length.

X

I have never even thought of using anything but the legit straitjackets.

Margarette

I have used both. I do not consider myself an escape artist, but I dabble. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out my first sj, and now it just seems that it doesn't matter. The average person has NO concept of what one is anyways. The only place you'll find one is in a magic show!

Unless I was doing something really sketchy, like escaping from a straitjacket underwater, (which would be a REAL bad idea, even with a gimmicked jacket) I wouldn't ever use one. I don't own one anyway, and have never escaped from one.

Legit is just better.

Have fun

Duncan

On stage in a performance I don't think it really matters..... BUT in a challenge mode I think it has to be the "real thing"
....just my humble opinion.

Interesting. I only own a gimmicked. I'd love to get my hands on a real one but I don't have the cash. Here's the thing though, how would anyone ever really know?

Here's a little food for thought...
I'm a magician before I'm an EA. I got into magic first, and my true passion right now is magic. I do think EA stuff is also a really awesome performance opportunity and I enjoy doing it. Magicians professional sellers of Bulls. It's part of the job description. We look you in the eye and say something has disappeared or is floating, when it's in our other hand and suspended by a string.

In that spirit, on the RARE occassion anyone asks me if my SJ is legit, I assure them it is and no one has EVER questioned my word. Do they really expect me to say "no, this one is gimmicked so I can get out?".

As a side note, I often don't use the gimmick in my jacket. It's what I think is the very standered gimmick. I just don't let go and give myself that extra slack, but I always have that option. Every now and then that option saves my @$$. Getting out of the jacket is no problem but sometimes the chains around me can be a little harder, and the slack comes in real handy.

If I chose, I could maintain on this forum that my SJ is legit. I could never tell anyone, and no one would ever know. So why feel bad about using a gimmicked one? From the spectators point of view, does it change ANYTHING about the escape? Nope, it sure doesn't.

That being said, I smile a little wider when I know I havn't used my gimmick on my jacket. I'm not sure if that's cause I have then escaped from a "legit" jacket, or because I'm the only one that knows it. I'd like to say I suspect the former but I think it's the latter.

~Spiff

Gotta like ya Spiff!

Hi Spiff

I would guess that if someone asked you what you do, I doubt escape artist would be first on your list. If it was on your list at all it would be behind magician. But some of us here would say escape artist before magician, If we would even say magician at all.

For those people it is often a point of personal pride to work with real equipment. Whether or not the audience is going to know. I would know, that is enough for me. I am not criticizing by the way. We all have our own styles, but for me I will always use the real thing where it can be done. Even if I could use a gimmick.

Your right, that is the standard gimmick. But I can honestly say that I have never even touched a jacket with that feature or any other gimmick. Let alone used one in front of an audience. The only circumstance where I would personally use gimmicked equipment would be where the show needed it because of safety needs (I gave an example above). Or where the escape was so complex that it would take to long without the gimmick.

Are we all having fun yet?

Duncan