I have a cigarette through Half Dollar gimmick... but I don't smoke and I don't really like using cigarettes because they're not rigid enough.

What else could I use instead? A pen I suppose works fine, but it doesn't make a lot of sense why a pen could penetrate a coin.

Ideally, I'd like something like a mini-lightsaber maybe made out of those plastic glow sticks, that is the same diameter as a cigarette.

Any ideas?

I wonder if something like this would be a "good fit" for this effect?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-LED-Light-G......f7623b86

Doug Benit Uses A feather ! Don't get of Real big ones a small one will do! I have used It And it Looks Great!

I wonder if an e-cig would work. I quit smoking 15 or so years ago and still have a cig thru quarter and cig through card gimmick. I don't currently use either because I don't smoke or carry cigs anymore and most public places don't allow anyone to. If an e-cig is the same diameter of a regular one, that may be a cool alternative.

Ammar has an awesome "pencil thru" routine, and Dan Fleshman has a "crayon thru" both of which are killers. I think a straw would be good, and I think the E-cig angle could be good if they become more widely used.

I wanted to use my ungimmicked grey pen that I use after doing a pen through bill... but that pen is just a little too big unfortunately.

Because using the "same" pen to penetrate a bill and a coin would be cool since the penetrations use different methods, and I think spectators tend to think the same method is used and therefore can't figure it out.

When I worked at Magic Masters we used to do it with a rolled up bill. We always asked for a $100 cause it made the trick better... They felt the bill was more politically correct than a cigarette. That was 13 years ago.

David Williamson has some fantastic work on the Ammar pencil through quarter as well.

-Leo

This small wand should work well.

http://www.magicproshop.com/products/tel......er-trick

I tried that to the tune of $100 for the e-cig and the refills for a month (I don't smoke either). They are much larger that a cigarette so the diameter is too great to fit. Trust me!

Adam;

Real cigarettes have an advantage. They fit perfectly and there is no gap between the hole and the cigarette. It was a much stronger trick when you could use a lit cigarette and blow smoke while it penetrated the coin. The blown smoke was also used to soften the coin before the penetration. For social reasons that is no longer acceptable.

An unlit cigarette can be see-sawed and slowly withdrawn from the coin is still very effective.

Try a regular sized FILTER cigarette. The filter is a lot tougher than the tobacco end and a pack should last a very long time.

The palm to palm transfer is a great sleight for switching the coin at the end of the routine.

As mentioned, a rolled bill is also very effective but is difficult to roll to the correct diameter if it is new and borrowed. Double the bill length-wise and start rolling from the folded end to the loose ends. Put the middle finger and thumb on the ends of the bill after it has penetrated and grasp the coin with the thumb and middle finger of the other hand. Move the coin back and forth on the bill being careful not to show the obverse side of the coin. A rolled bill will expand slightly and fill the hole so there is no gap and it is stronger than a cigarette.

Bob, a former magic bartender...