Unless I missed it, I was surprised not to find any thread on the properties of ropes, what works best and where to find suppliers.

I love doing tricks with ropes but the only workable rope I found at the hardware store was a cotton rope (that's good) but they only have it in 1/4" size. I wish I could find the same kind of cotton rope in 1/2" size.

What do you guys use? Do you know of a Canadian supplier for 1/2" (or bigger) cotton rope suitable for magic tricks?

Richard

Try the carmaidian acadamy of magic. There Elite line of ropes is the best I've used.

This is a BIG topic. There just isn't any one rope which is "best for magic tricks." That's because there are so many different kinds of tricks and routines that magicians do.
I suppose that "most" routines involve cutting the rope during the performance. But certainly not all. If you are going to do a routine which destroys the rope and you need a new piece for every show, then cost becomes a factor in your selection.
I am going to be shooting a DVD on Magical Knots next week. I use regular cotton magicians rope, various thicknesses of hardware store nylon ropes, drapery cords, and even a necktie for different effects. The primary routine is done with a heavy piece of drapery cord... the kind you would find in a drapery supply house or well stocked fabric shop. In the past, I've also use the velvet ropes that you can get in fabric stores. None of the effects on the DVD will involve cutting the rope.
Right now, for cut and restored routines, my favorite "magician's rope" is what is being imported into the United States from India under the Uday brand. It looks good, is available in red, blue, green, yellow, and white, and is inexpensive. (The Retail is about $6.00 for a 50' hank.) Ask your favorite magic dealer about it. If they don't know what you're talking about, tell them to check with Murphy's Magic Supplies.
Dennis Loomis

The rope sold in magic store is quite expensive compared to hardware store prices for example. Is this magician's rope custom made for magic shops or can we buy it from another source at a fraction of the price?

It's just "cored" rope. When the core is removed it is much more supple and easy to cut.

Go to home depot or Wallyworld and look for rope you can core yourself. Once you know the feel of what you work with, you can improvise.

Fun Inc. makes a very nice bright white rope. It's very similar to the Elite Rope sold by Camirand Academy, but much cheaper. I buy it from Denny and Lee; I think he sells it in 50 foot hanks (apprx $10.00) or 300 foot hanks (apprx $25.00 to $30.00). I may be a bit off on my prices.

Ron

Hi Richard,

Morrissey Magic in Toronto carry some really good rope that they get from Italy. It comes in a variety of colours. The rope is cotton and just under 1/2" in diameter. This rope is less expensive than Camirand's and is rounder than Camirand's rope.

I use it all the time.

Cheers,
Chris

http://www.borntoamaze.com

I remember reading somewhere that repeatedly washing clothesline helps to make a soft "magicians rope"

The rope sold in most magic stores has a distinct advantage over clothesline, I find. It is not starched nor does it contain fire retardants and other chemicals that tend to discolor and stiffen it.

I whip the ends of ropes that I use repeatedly (a technique used to keep them from fraying, not anything kinky...). I use a good grade of white cotton thread for the whipping wraps. When the ropes get a bit dirty, I put them in a white gym sock, tie the top of the sock off and toss them in the laundry with my whites. The sock container keeps them from tangling up the wringer mechanism. A bit of fabric softener also makes them supple.

Blessin's
Bear

PS: A clean white cotton sock works best. I thought it was important to mention the "clean" part, that is unless you are doing the Hindu Rope Trick, I reckon.

Only because you're talking to magicians, right?

--Rick

Ron Reid mentioned Fun Inc's bright white rope, which I also get from Denny & Lee. The best deal is the 216 foot spool at $47.50 (22 cents per foot).

[Denny sells the Elite, too (32.5 feet for $27.50 -- 80 cents per foot).]

The bright white is fine for my purposes, and I figure it'll cost me about $2.00 each time I practice or perform Whit Haydn's Mongolian Pop-Knot Routine.

Tim

"Always perform an illusion as if you were doing so for the simplest of souls..."
Nuff said...grin

My wife and daughters have what is, (I believe) called a hosiery bag that you place your hose in to wash them. It is a fine mesh bag, that has a zippered top, that works quite well to wash most rope in.

Also if you don't want it tangled, daisey chain it, and tie the ends in a square knot. If you are unfamiliar with daisey chaining, find someone who crochets (or some old army guy, as most of us have had to daisey chain something), it's the basic crochet stitch, so you can go to:

http://www.stitchguide.com/stitches/crochet/
stitch_pages/cro_chain.html

and see a picture of it. They just call it a chain stitch.

Steve
zzz

For most of my cut and restore tricks, I use clothesline rope that I have cored. It works real well and it looks familiar to everyone, so even if you have it gimmicked in some way, people are not looking for it. I find that if you use bigger rope when not really needed for your effect, people seem to burn in on the rope a little more thinking it's gimmicked.

I've recently purchased some rope from Daryl, it's pricey ($6.00 for around 11 feet) but it's the best I've used by a long way, very soft and just weighty enough. I don't use it for cut and restored - not at that price - for that I use cotton sash cord with the core removed. The two unfortunately look different enough that I either do knots or cutting in any one performance, just so people don't suspect the rope.

David.

There is another thread on this topic somewhere on The Magic Café because I have answered the question before and gotten PMs on it. My source of rope is that famous magic shop: WalMart. I use eight feet of rope each show and give it away at the end to the volunteer. (So, if you know me, it is not expensive!) The rope comes in hanks 50', 100' and 130' and I think the price is the same regardless. It is just a matter of what they have. It is cotton braid and $2.95. It is easy on the hands, easy to cut with rope shears, and very visible. There was a time when I could get the same rope in Nashville at the flea market. Otherwise I bought it from Robbins or Daytona Magic at many times the price. WalMart changed all that!

The real secret is where to look for the rope. Do not look in hardware. It is never there. Look where they have coat hangers and ironing boards in housewares. It is usually way up top in a box and doesn't even look for sale. (Sam Walton would have had someone's head for that! But he wouldn't have tolerated long checkout lines either.)

Besides, if it's rope from WalMart, your wife will never know that it is for magic. There's one less explanation

Enjoy!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

The rope from Doc Hailey Gospel Magic is quite good for C&R rope because it is very inexpensive. Steve Varro carries agreat deal of secular products as well as the very best and most complete line of gospel magic. His web site is http://www.gospelmagic.com.

Bob, I'll look in the San Francisco area, and tell you what I find. I too have a hard time believing that "magicians' rope" is that different from something that one can commonly find.

But you and I are in a noted minority!

ATPG

The best rope I have ever found is made in Japan. It has more core strands than any other I've found, it has more threads to each outer strand, and has more outer strands than any other. It would be best for rope sets and gimmicks. Too expensive to hack up. Don't know where to get it other than Tokyo, and the kinkier Japanese like to use it for bondage...that's the easiest way to find it, but also the most expensive, as it is in shorter hanks. Meander around in one of their sex-stores till you find it. Well worth the investment as it NEVER wears out. Maybe someone who travels to Tokyo can bring back a ton or two...It is also avaiable in the Restaurant area of Tokyo...you need to hunt for the right stores, but that's an afternoon well spent.

Yo might ask if the elite line is made in Japan.

Practical Magic sells good rope and I think in large quantaties too.
I used to do a complete rope routine for magicians in my lectures. It used to be my best seller.
Those who saw my lecture with Ropes being part of the lectures will remember.
Mystic