If you guys haven't heard about these yet, here is a link from Stevens Magic Emporium that even has a pic on it. They are spendy, but cheaper than Denny & Lee's (even though I love Denny's).

http://www.stevensmagic.com/shopping/sho......arch=Yes

FC

They look very professionally made, but just a tad too expensive to deliver some balls to my hand.

The craftsmanship looks high though!

Kevin

I'd have to agree with the two of you, way too expensive for my tastes. However they are very, very well made, great quality. Guess I'll have to figure out a cheaper way to hold the balls or just save up some money for the holder.

-Bill

I might add the holder looks quite bulky!

No doubt. I wonder how practical it is. It is too expensive for me to run a trial and error. I guess we will have to wait for someone else to.

FC

What about the normal fabric tube dropper that they are advertising for the 2 inch Fakini balls on that same page? I thought the Fakini balls would bind up in that fabric tube?
Jim

That's right James. I heard the same! Apparently the silicone balls don't work well in a fabric holder. I wonder what's going on with the one offered.

I don't want to undermine the value of SME's merchandise, but most of the stuff they sell are for serious collectors that perform. Thayer stuff, case in point.

I WOULD, however, save my pennies (literally) for the Fakini set of MBB's. That is one thing I'm planning on. The holders I have used for the Ireland Golf Balls, of which I own an original set, are made of wire, and look like two loops soldered to a safety pin and painted black. I pin the two of them under the edge of my vest.

I cannot imagine a better way. I've seen many different holders, even tried Jack Miller's Hold-Out, but always came back to my trusty wire holders...I think these came from Flosso-Hornmann so many years ago (BLAAAT! Geezer alarm geos off!). OOPS! Sorry...



Doug

James & Randy,

I bought one of those holders that say that they are perfect for fakini balls - they're not. They do get stuck, but I'll sell it or find some use for it.

FC

Just as I suspected. I figured it had to be some synthetic fabric in order to cut down on friction. I'm puzzled that they would offer this as an effective alternative to the mechanical drop.

UPDATE!

I've been informed that my billiard ball holders came from Abbotts! They're still selling them for (I think) around $3-4 each.

Good stuff!

Doug

Yeah that variety remains my favorite Dougini.
Not that others can't do a better job but once accustomed to a particular style it's difficult to change models.

I got a couple of the wire ball holders, too. They do work with the rubber balls albeit not as easily as they drop wooden balls though. It would be nice to be able to hold three balls in one holder though.
Jim

I got a very nice billard ball holder that was made and sold through Gimmicked incorporated. It works great and does not rely on fabric. In this way, friction is not a problem. PM me if anyone wants more details on it.

I do the billiard balls all the time and thought the new dropper would be a good investment. I was right.

FC, you're correct that Stevens offers this at a cheaper price than Denny. Stevens carries it for $97.50 and Denny charges $100. I think Denny's service is much better and delivery is faster but for $2.50, it's not worth a discussion.

Anyway, yes the new dropper is bulkier than a fabric one but there is no chance of more than one ball dropping at a time. Also, no matter how much you move around during you act, the balls cannot fall out of the tube. Looking at the picture on Stevens web site pretty much explains the concept.

Maybe I missed something on their site but I didn't see a cloth dropper for 2" balls. The first add is for the 1 3/4" new one and the second for 2" new one. Both operate exactly the same. I used to use a cloth dropper from Hank Lee's that worked but the new one from Fakini is much better.

For those that don't want to invest in a trial, take a tube from papertowels, cut it to the length of 3 billiard balls and put it under your coat. That will give you an idea of the bulk involved. For me, it wasn't a problem but it could be depending on your own size and weight.

The plain cloth droppers will not cope with the fakini balls. Its like reaching into a monkey trap!
The wire droppers are okay for a single, but as with working off the pack for card manips, I have started using the hat for ball steals and drops. There are pros and cons to all methods but I found more cons to the cloth dropper than pros.

Dave,

I guess when I said it was cheaper at Steven's, I was thinking of the 2" size because $2.00 isn't that much cheaper, is it? Anyway, those pics are very helpful in getting a good idea of what they are and how they operate.

FC

I would seriously consider constructing my own holders like this. Try this on a dare:

Go to your favorite fabric store with a fakini ball in your pocket. Play with different types of cloth and see which kind doesn't catch the ball. My guess is some sort of silky nylon type cloth is what you will select. Once you've found the cloth, buy a quarter of a hard and sew tubes, closed at one end. The bottom has some elastic to cinch it up a little.

I'm guessing that you can find something that will suit you well on the bargain table. You know it will work with the balls because you tested it in the store.

Just a thought from an economy-minded individual.

cMw

Geoffry Buckingham had a reallty interesting holder that was described in detail and in diagrams and photos in his book, "It's Easier Then You Think." It is a great source for manipulators and his section on loads and body steals is worth it alone.