Hi guys, can you suggest a neat way of producing a "knot off silk" prop instead of just pulling it out off your pocket of picking it up from the table?

Here are a couple of threads on The Magic Café that could get you started.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......um=54&15


http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=130


Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Mark, you found the right source! Bob is the expert for Knots Off Silk!

Regan

The only solution I can think of is to pull it from a pocket, inside being the best to get proper grip. If you were doing the comedy silk to pocket, see Rice Studio's for the trick, that would be a logical way to get the silk.

By taking it from a pocket, it suggest not being of any preparation then if picked up from a table.

You could also do a simple silk transportation effect. Causing a silk to travel from one place to another. Vanish a silk by your favorite method, then have it appear in any number of places, like the transparent crystal box. You could also do a transposition effect, like makeing a red and green silk change places. Of course the final silk is the Knot's Off silk trick.

I once saw a young man do a fanctastic trick using a Tarbell Cone (wish someone would make these again) and a pull through Color Changing Silk. Sort of a transportation and a transposition all in one.

Think on it and you should come up with something you like.

If you had your silks on display, like on a stand, ready to take but had the k**t hanging behind the rest of the silk that could work (watch out for back lighting).

Personally, I reach in my top of the table box and get it. If I'm not using the box I have an out-jogged shelf just behind and below my table top and I have my Knot -Off-Silk and many other effects waiting, in order, to be picked up.

-Mary mowder

Mary, have you considered using a ladies purse to put items in an out of? I think this would open up an interesting and unusual prop. There are hundreds of designs and sizes of purses that would be possible to use in a ladies magic act. I think would be logical for a lady to remove a silk scarf from her purse. Just a thought, I thought I would throw your way.

Cheleste Evans, a female magician back in the 1960's fashioned Abbott's Pandora Casket as a purse for your transformation to a dove. She simply fashioned a round loop that could go over her harm and the Casket hung from a short length of chain I think.

I don't have a very Feminine character. I do have such an item for Close-Up although I often work from my pockets alone.

My top of table box, although not as large, is very much like working from a briefcase. The flat compartmentalized space would be hard to achieve in a purse shape but for shorter Stand-Up shows this could be an option.

Thanks Bill.

-Mary Mowder

Mine often come from my open briefcase later in the show. The silks are draped over the top of the case.

The free end of the silk is draped over the open top of the briefcase. There is a way to pick it up and appear to show both ends of the silk freely.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

I have not done this but as an opener you could set up two silks in the Split Silk configuration and then silk roll the silk. Have knot in one hand and silk roll in other.

Open act with silk production. Split the silk. Drape extra silk over arm. Then do knot off. Great time for misdirection after showing silk with hole and retrieve the silk hanging from the arm and produce a dove or other load.

In my routine I just pick up the Split Silk/knot and go from there.

Depending on how the prop is placed, you can pick it up appearing to show the ends freely. (Dropping one of the middle corners causes new "Ends"!)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- There is no real reason to consider THIS (Improved) just as an opening effect either. In fact, doing Knots-Off first and then just adding the 24" silk to THIS works fine.

An advantage of the small Knots-Off Silk (24") is that you can go from there to the Silk to Egg with the remaining silk. (The ceramic egg will hold a 24" silk.)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Bob just wanted to tell you how much I like your dove bags they're great and I'm gonna order one of your knot off silks next month when I get some more dollars. I think every thing I have bought from you is really top notch. Owln

Wow! This week at Magi-Whirl, people were really after the Knots-Off silks in both the 24" and 36". I wish that I had been better prepared for them. There are real advantages to the prop set that can be performed mostly with just one hand versus the one that requires both hands and uses foam ponytail loops.

It is a great routine in itself but it also leaves you with a 24" or 36" unprepared silk in your hand for the next effect.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- There was a run on the red ones. You do know they are available in 12 different colors? (Not available in white!)

February is back. A favorite modification to Knots-Off Silk for this month is rather than cutting out round holes in the silk, cut out hearts and use a red silk.

When cutting out holes, remember to stay away from the diagonal line.

Bob

PS --- This can be effective for wedding parties too!

Very cool idea, Sir Bob! I may just use it around that time.

As always, thanks for sharing these ideas.

BTW, I did Knots off Silks (actually Pavel's Blendo Full of Holes which involves two silks) at some shows I did at a private school a couple of days ago. I improvised in the moment and had each student take a bite of an (invisible) onion. The silks would determine how strong their onion breaths would be. They laughed as did the rest of the audience........ especially as the knots were lid down and the silks opened to reveal a rather large hole in the middle of the silk. Has been almost two years already since Pavel's passing?

Jimmy

Love it!

I use an open top table and then at the end I have three different color silks that I place in the holes and steal a blendo and do a switch and produce the blendo with the holes filled with three different colors. It always get a great review.

Is there a preferred way to cut nice, round holes in the silk? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Bobby

If you put a cap off a paint can, glass or cup and press down hard, you can usually trace around with a razor blade or exacto knife.

Since I hem my holes, it does not have to be perfect.

Richard

Thanks for the tip, Richard!

Bobby