Just to let you know . I have posted a poor review of his metal spinning company. He then rang me and threatened to beat the crap out of me. this was heard by my wife and we have reported him to the police.
I do not mind anyone making cups or even doing designs based on mine. that's life that's art. But to promise not to enter the cup market if I come to you with my designs and then do this is beyond the pale.
I asked him why the cup was the diameter it was, what was its function . He has no idea. Francis in Singapore asked him this question. quote "Dear metalspinner2011,

They looked very similar to the cups made by Gary Knights. Do you know him or in anyway associated with him?" Here is his silly reply.
"
Hi these cups are designs from the actual magician whom made the cup ball trick famous. It was an Algerian magician called Robert Houdin. I have spun the gazzo cups for Gary animal but he makes them himself these days. My cups have been designed with the input of another magician.
One the sample he spun for me went in the bin and he never made a set that sold. two .He never made or had any interest in cups until I foolishly trusted him with my work and my designs. three he also sent emails to a few dealers claiming that he was allowed to make the Gazzo cup .

That in itself is funny Thank you francis for checking with him your loyalty is appreciated . You are all of course entitled to buy cups from him if you wish . The threats of violence against me might make you wonder though. What if I'm not happy with these will he threaten to beat the crap out of me also. It's like going to your bank with a business idea and your bank then starting that business. If you intend to buy from him I would not do it on ebay as I will bid any amount to win them in order to to not go through with the sale.
Thanks for the support guys. If I win them real cheap I'll buy them and make an execution video of that set just for fun. He is claiming a major dealer has offered to stock them , I think that would be lie .
A the cup market is tiny. B there is no money in it. I love magic and cups and street performing. I make cups for the same reason I make other things . it's arty and a better way to be.
Bill your cups are sort of done. The gazzo and Animal devils need polishing (set 1 of each) and the crash invaders are , well they are circles which is a start. As for the guild cups I finally got the grade I required and it cost heaps. Used to be same as copper now three and a half times the cost. No industry left here so it all expensive imports on guild metal - this stuff is coming from Germany.
By the way had a lovely day busking today.

Posted: Apr 17, 2011 1:52pm
On a funny note I brought six sets of bounce no bounce balls on ebay that claim and appear to be Steve spangler balls. the are fakes from China ( I did not know) What's really funny is all the balls bounce.
made me laugh. I have 6 sets of bounce bounce balls. Any one want a set. very special price.

The buyer always loses out buying cheap knock-offs: not only with the product, but with the aftersales service as well.

Gary sent me the first set of the new 'Crash Invader' cups this week - superbly made and typical of Gary's top quality craftsmanship. Pics up on http://www.gazzocups.co.uk

Richard

This may sound bad folks but I'm changing my show to a two cup routine where one cup is a chop goblet and the other a Chalice or bowl . I'm tempted to do a version of Danny kaye's ' the brew that was true is the vessel with the pestle , the poisons in the chalice from the palace . Or something like that. I've made a goblet where you can unscrew the stem and put in more or less magnets depending on the balls you use. Clever I think. Its brass and a bit ugly so I'll make another one. I'll plonk a pic up on magicpitch later

I think that routine would really fit your character and your new image.

I thought so to. I look a complete tool in that new outfit ,but it works okay in Stratford upon Avon. I'm trying to adlib and change every show now. It's fun but often a disaster where the hat is concerned. Not today though. Today I did good. I need more Shakespeare jokes though.

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 10:28am
Here is the latest from that's spinner emailed to me .It clear shows what he thinks of us street magicians.

Nice to see your comments on freeindex. These have been copied and pasted to my solicitor and the editor of freeindex has been informed and has blocked you from the site. Believe me I'm going to produce every size of your cup now in my design. Have a bad life you poor excuse of a man. Try getting a real job instead of scrounging from people in the streets.

Do you really want to buy cups from this man

There must be a Shakespeare joke about that guy.

Please note this cup spinner has a low opinion of street works as he says I should get a proper job and stop scounging (his spelling) from people in the streets. He is such a moron.
It's on the streets .

Hello,
Can you tell me what size load the Crash Invader cups take? It's a beautiful cup.
Thanks,
Kelly

Rats! I can't find the ebay link. Somebody e-mail this clown and ask him if he can make them with the "3-way valves."

Remember this Gary:
1.) Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; poor imitation is ludicrous.

2.) You can't argue with stupidity.

3.) To quote the late P.T. Barnum: "I don't care what they say about me, just get my name right." This dingbat keeps putting your name out there. That's free advertising for you. Nobody here is going to buy from this jerk. I hope he goes broke!

(btw, I can't find the ebay link, can somebody pm it to me.)

Sir Richard.

Sent

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 12:18pm
Advert word sent by SLPmetalspinners to dealers
The Effect
These beautiful copper cups are made to Gazzo's demanding specifications. Each one is carefully hand spun and polished out of the finest quality materials by Steve Pickering and our friends over at SLP Metal Spinners.

What You Get
3 Gazzo Street Cups
Cup Height: 3 1/2 inches
Cup Inside Diameter: 3 1/2 inches
Cup Inside Height: 3 3/8 inches
Saddle Diameter: 2 1/4 inches
Saddle Depth: 1/8 inch
Stack Height: 7 1/8 inches (average)
Weight per cup: 11 ounces (average)

Manufacturer Says
The original 20th century street cup was designed and made in England by street magician and sculptor Gary Animal. SLP Metal Spinners is proud to recreate the design of the Gary Animal Street Cup to the exacting specifications of legendary international street busker Gazzo. Dubbed The Official Gazzo Street Cup, they are manufactured and hand spun by Steve Pickering to stay as true to the original as possible.

My comments on this:
Please note this guy thinks me and Gazzo are scroungers and has no rights to make my cups. The irony here is he is now taking me to court for slander cos I left a bad review of his company. Is this the most stupid person you have ever heard off.
Lol Gary

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 12:25pm
I just hold of the most massive sheet of guilding metal . Happy now.

I wouldn't care if I could get a set for 10.00 from him, I wouldn't buy anything he spins.

I wrote to him asking him to reconsider his action and this was his reply that is truly disappointing. I have no intention to stir things up I thought what he does is very unbecoming.

                       

                       
Dear francisngkl,

Thanks for your advice but the cups are different and have been designed with the advice and work of another magician whom is ten times more popular than Gary and his mates. I'm a business man and have done all my "learning curves" in business. I'm educated to masters degree and therefore know how to go around business matters. Your friend Gary left school with no qualifications so decided to be a street busker. My business is down quite a bit of money this last quarter due to Mr Knights trying to rip me off.

I am a metal spinner and form shapes of circumsphere so basically its my job. Do you think Audi would stop producing their Audi R8 because Porche claimed it was like their top end sports car or an architect couldn't build a skyscrapper cos another firm did it 50 years ago?
Competition is what makes the world go round and if Gary throws his toys out of the pram because he was the one who started playing odd ball than that's totally up to him.

The Guy has even left negative reviews on one of my index listings for my business telling people not to use the company he has even gone to borders of slander which is now in the hands of my solicitor.


- metalspinner2011

               

I would like to know the units used to measure popularity. Is this English or Metric?
MR

His says his business is down a lot last quarter as I ripped him off. He was owed 400 pounds for the sets he made. However they were junk and we settled on 200 pounds. I have the mail where he agrees to this and states he has no intention of making magic cups. He is a business man educated to degree level (my arse) He is a one many band. If by his own statements he is down a lot last quarter than that's a very small business .200 down that's a weeks groceries. He talks of slander and solicitors yet claims I am uneducated and have no qualifications. I have a string of qualifications. O levels A levels, Ba hons upper second and a postgraduate certificate in education making me a qualified teacher. How the &^%@ is he going to win a slander case. I gave my opinion of his companies ethics (lack of) that is not slander. I called him a moron. I stand by that . Again it's opinion. Me uneducated with no qualifications. Actually that is a false statement (slander I believe )
I'm going to make a limited set of cups called the "steve pickering moron cups". 6 sets only.
The reason this guy can't win is I can make cups and sell them at cost if I want to. It's not my living. I like making things, I like art, I like life. This so called street scrounger with no qualifications has been around the world dozens of times. I've lost count of the countries I have been to. I have been to places this sad soul can only dream off. He sweat with his gruppy dishonest little mits over a lathe all day every day. He has no other choice. Think of me Mr Steve Pickering of SLPmetal spinners ltd. At 11 am every day as you dream of your tea break from your little flask. I'm just getting up and going out for a cappuccino or two. When I do scrounge as he puts it. What a hard day I have in the park donig three or four twenty minute shows between cappuccinos.

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 3:43pm
How come some off the posts are being deleted here. Bill's gone and the one before
last of mine.

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 3:47pm
Please post here if I have ever let any of you down with poor service or goods. Really do it. Let's see if I am as bad as Steve Pickering proclaims. We know for sure he has screwed at least one person -me. Well lets do the acid test please come forward if I every cheated you. If you post here you know what will happen. I will put it right as I always do.

You've got me curious Gary, what style are the "steve pickering moron cups" going to be? I'd like a set right away

Cheers!
Matt M.

I'm going to do the after dinner show next Christmas for SLP METAL SPINNING Ltd . That way Steve Pickering can steal my act to go with the cups. The moron cups will not have any style. I'll work on the tonight and post a drawing. You have first refusal on set one of the Steve Pickering moron cups.

Posted: Apr 18, 2011 4:25pm
Oh crash invaders take a tennis ball. I made the forms for a base ball size set also but have to see if Richard E is happy for me to make the bigger ones. As the crash Invaders are Richard's cups not mine. that's the sad thing Steve Pickering is copy my designs yet is not just mine.

The design of a cup should certainly be able to be copyrighted. No?

Agreed, I look forward to seeing the drawing.

It's not that simple. The drawing can be copyrighted, but once you get into physical product, then other laws come into play.

Its not the coping I mind . its the fact I had his word that he would not enter the cup biz. Otherwise I would never have given him my forms to spin on