Hi guys I just wanted to ask, what silk I could use when I haven't bought a thum-tip silk? toilette paper does not work because it rips or tears.

mfg Gelbepfeife

You may want to look in the silks section. Diamond silks are good as they look bigger than they are. See the link for more info.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......4&12

A thumb-tip rainbow streamer silk is also good because it looks like there is a lot more there than there really is. But, if you don't want to buy a diamond silk or streamer silk, you would probably be better off going with string, paper money, and that kind of thing. You might also try cutting strips of tissue paper (like you use for wrapping gifts)about an inch wide and accordion pleating them. Durability will be the main problem with tissue paper.

I suppose kitchen roll or newspaper would be stronger. I have used a J-Cloth but it is harder to manage (the slipperyness of silks are part of what makes them good to use). I am wondering why you do not want to use silks, they are cheap and easy to obtain. You could cut thin pieces of materiel - something like cotton from an old shirt - but silks would still be better

Get a nine inch silk to start with.

You just need a nice silk, or use thumb-tip to vanish water

Ok but what size of silk will get into normal size vernet thumb tip?

I use 18" or 24" Diamond silks. Vernet thumb-tip "King".
So you need to go for 12" or 18" for normal TT but depends of your real thumb. If you have "fat" thumb go for 12" Diamond one first.

Diamond ones has the appearance of big silks and therefore more impossible to disappear in bare hands.

Hope it helps,
Cheers

I agree with Elcio's statement. Just don't let Pete Biro see your post. He hates diamond silks if I remember correctly.

Not as easily reset, but if you use a hank pull you can use a really large silk, which can be really impressive.

I agree with Marty! I think that the TT ought be left for other tricks/routines and not be used for the ragged red rag of doom. A silk pull is every bit as easy to operate and you can use 18 or 24 inch square hanks.

Unless you are doing a Chris Capehart repeat, over and over again, silk vanish, then try a pull.

In fact, learn a couple of routines that don't use a silk but use, say, sugar from a sugar packet, and you'll have a couple of killer impromptu looking routines.

Don't forget those routines that use the TT for other than vanishing something (putting something insice.


The diamond cut silk looks Ok if kept in motion.

You can go with a 6 or 9 in silk for the TT. I would also suggest looking into the hank pull.

I don't know where you're located, but Chris Capehart is a good resource for tips on TT silk vanish. I've literally seen him get about 5 min out of that alone on the street.

Silly Billy by David Kaye is also a good resource. He discusses using it for different age groups, children of course, but good tips nonetheless.

You should also, as others have advised, think of other uses for the TT. I've found that Losander's Salt Game DVD is a valuable learning tool. Even if you never perform the Salt Game, the sleights and tips you'll learn can easily be adapted to other routines, like vanishing a silk lol!

Lastly, although I am not able to comment on it, after seeing Losander's DVD, I'm going to take his advice and look for things from his mentor, Salvano. I don't know if I spelled that right, but he highly praised him and credited him with the ideas and subtleties he uses for his effect (salt game).

Fanwun, you will love to see Salvano Great tips, ideas and subtleties indeed.

Cheers

If you are in a pinch and don't have access to silks try 3/4" or 1" wide (I think it is called basting tape but I may be wrong) from the cloth department of your local Wal-mart. This is much like a thumb tip streamer and can be found in dozens of colors. You can easily fit a 24" long piece or more in a standard TT. This material is used to hem cloths.

David Tower

Nice idea Harry!

You don't need any gimmick. Have a tiny knot in one corner. Roll it between hands, palm off and get the whoofle dust. Ditching the handkerchief. I hate calling 'em "silks".

OR read Tarbell course. Use a pull, or learn the lamp chimney vanish (Benson did it with a Zombie glass).

Pete,

Yep! The other day I was scraping the "Vote for Goldwater" stickers off my Edsel and thinking that we are simply going to have to get modern. Now I can say "silk" when I mean "hank". But I still have to think of Diamond Cut Silks as "gimmicks" instead of "silks". (I do like using these "silk gimmicks" but I think I do need to join a 12-Step Group for support. Have any leads? AARP needs an old magician division.)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander