Haven't touched the sponge balls in a couple years but was just messing with them yesterday. I was fooling around with clipping the the first ball in thumb palm and than wiping clean. Than the ball appears between thumb and forefiner of one hand. Question, though, to those that do it, does it look good to the spec? It seems to be a quick and easy way to get the first ball into play(other than just pulling it out...not to magical).

If you want to be magical with the productions of the balls, why not use the empty purse frame? This gets great reactions for me and I'm sure others will attest to it.

I did buy one of those but never used it. I just personally don't like the production. Looking for other ways to produce than that.

A friend of mine produces it from spectator's ears. He said that get good reaction from this.
I like after produce one, produce the next aparently tearing it in half. I not like too much the method of "cuting" it in half on the table.

I forget the actual name of the gimmick but it is now sold as the Goshman sponge ball gimmick. I believe this is the most magical way to produce a sponge. This appears as real magic and adds much validity to the rest of your routine. It is only a few bucks.

I usually hide it in my sleeve (cuff some of the fabric over the ball) at the elbow. When held in a naturally bent position no one's the wiser. Make to pull up your sleeves to show there's nothing there. When you pull on the loaded sleeve steal the ball.

From here you can produce it how you want to. I usually rub my hands together then have the spectator blow and poof there's the ball.

That would be the Sanada Gimmick. It is manufactured by Steve Goshman, but it was created by Sanada, a Japanese magician. It has been discussed (ad nauseum) in other topics in the Ever So Sleightly section.

Do they still make the Sanada Gimmick? What company makes it?

The Sanada Gimmick is sold at most magic shops.
They can get it if they don't have it.

They are very inexpensive too.
A little tricky getting used to it too.

The Sanada Gimmick is the best way to produce a sponge ball from a purse frame. With the gimmick in your hand, you can naturally hold a purse frame and your hand looks completely normal and empty from all angles. It's just beautiful. Release the grip a little bit and the sponge will expand, pushing the gimmick open on a hinge that lets you reach inside the frame and take the ball right out. You should try it.