Sharing an unrefined first draft of an updated idea for patter with the color changing knives. You'll have to use you imagination as to what moves are performed when - shouldn't be difficult.

I was at the airport the other day and as I went through security, the alarm went off… beep..beep..beep. The security guard motioned for me to step aside and he passed a hand held metal detector over me. As he passed the wand over my pocket… beep…beep…beep. “Sir, can you empty your pocket?”.

“Oops, I forgot I had this knife.”

“I’m sorry sir, you can’t bring a black knife on the plane.”

“What, I can’t bring a black knife on the plane?”

“No sir, it is on the list.”, he pointed to a list on the wall. Sure enough, bombs, flammable liquids, Black Knives.

“Just black knives?”

“That is what the list says sir.”

“So I can’t bring this black knife, but… I could bring this white knife?”

“Yes sir, white knives aren't on the list. Just black knives.”

“So I can’t bring this black knife?”

“No sir.”

“But I can bring this white knife?”

“Yes sir.”

“Well that makes no sense to me at all. I can bring this white knife… but I can’t bring this black knife.”

“What about this white knife in my pocket?”

“Yes sir, white knifes aren't on the list.”

“All right then… I’ll put this white knife in my pocket… and I’ll give you this black knife. Oops… that is a white knife too.”

“Have a good flight, sir.”

This is an excellent attempt at creating an interesting and new story that allows you to do a nice routine. The only problem is, I think, that everyone in the audience knows that there is no way any knife at all is getting carried onto any commercial airplane.

Raven:

Nice idea for patter but I agree with Woland.

May I suggest reading Whit Haydn's Intricate Web of Distraction and Matt Schulien's Routine?

I suggest these color changing knife references because they are wonderful "starting points" for successful, commercial routines.

Until I saw Scotty York do his knife routine, I though Matt Schulien's was "The Standard"...........then, when Whit convinced me to give his knives and routine a try, everything changed..........Whit's Routine is just about perfect as a commercial routine, in my opinion.

People know that you can not bring any color knives to a plane, and people also know that a black knife can not change to white, in my view it is a funny patter that allows for the color changes of the knives.

I like the idea doing some kind of presentation around knives and airport security. It fits me personally because I've had to give up knives to airport security in the past. Maybe something similar to Whit's routine where you're trying to convince them another color should be ok and then finally ending with a vanish.

I'm laughing because I never expected anyone to believe the story was true. It is meant as a comedic exaggeration of what everyone does know; sometimes airport security restrictions seem silly and sometimes they seem absurd.

I have always found Whit to be extremely perceptive and his material to be well articulated. I'll definitely check that out. Thanks for the references.

I also agree a vanish could fit into the story line very well and would make a perfect conclusion to nicely resolve the "security" dilemma. More magical for sure, probably more entertaining, but maybe not as funny as perpetuating the idea that a certain color knife is OK.

A great script Raven. I like it. It is relevant to the airport security problems most of us experience when flying. Entertaining and relevant scripts are absolutely essential ingredients to the presentation of magic.

I think you need a logical ending to the story. As it is now it won't work. I think you would probably get a Well what happened next? type of response. If you make that knife vanish as mentioned that is one way around it. The script works as is till the end. That is what needs to be fixed.

FYI, the TSA is lifting their ban on certain items starting next month. One of them is small pocket knives, blade no longer than 2.5 inches and .5 inch wide.

Most CC knives fit this parameter.

Thanks for mentioning that, Dave. I had heard that, too. However, I'm not sure I'd risk my Mogars to the possibility of an over-zealous or uninformed TSA-er.

But it does breathe a lot of new life into the OP's patter idea.

Hi Raven,

I agree with you...no one is going to think that the story is real. It actually might bring a comedic element to the routine. I like it!!

I just saw that on the news too, that the ban on knives under a certain length is being lifted. That could be worked into the routine somehow, I'm sure. I seem to remember Smash Climax, an ending that involved producing a large number of miniature knives. That could be another possible finish - with the idea that the too-long knife is transformed into a number of short-enough ones.

Patter thought: "You know they've been lightening up on the restricted items you can bring. But every time there's a scare something new gets banned. Right after the shoe bomber we had to take off our shoes. Then we had the underwear bomber, and they started x-raying our clothes. Recently they started allowing small pocket knives like this one. But due to an incident involving a drunken passenger with a black pocket knife, an exception to the rule was made. Well I didn't know this. So at the airport the other day while going through security, the alarm went off… beep..beep..beep..."

Maybe the manager could get involved, and explain to the TSA guy, the regulation had been reversed.

The TSA made me send my color changing knives home in the mail before boarding. They spent a long time looking at the gaffed coins, ProMystic equipment, screw together wand, etc. Learned my lesson.

Uh..It's a routine about the TSA, do not do the routine at the airport. I don't think that the TSA will bust into your strolling gig to take the knives. Also, at the end the last line is, "Then the inspector yelled Security!", then make it vanish.

They have a very specific chart outlining what is allowed and what isn't. If they are going to be sticklers for rules, the color of the knife on the chart can be challenged as you switch it from one to the other.

Here's a thought. The next time you fly, just carry one of the tiny smash climax knives from the set. Pull out that really tiny knife and declare it before passing through gate. You might get arrested.