How about the Grandmother's Necklace principle?

Pete, Daryl taught a really nice rope-through-neck/leg using the Grandmother's Necklace principle (sort of) at a recent lecture here in Orlando. The beauty of it was the simplicity of getting the work done in just taking the ropes from one hand to the other. Put it in my act literally the next day.

I do want to say, though, that I feel the technique used in the post above is very convincing for those who do not know rope magic. The know he APPEARS to tie is a simple slip knot that most lay people would be familiar with, and IF that were the know he actually tied, the only way for the loop to move back through the knot and untie would be through his neck. I've shown the video to a couple of non-magicians, and they were fooled--and did NOT just think the knot came undone. Specifically, when asked to describe what they saw, they said it looked like the rope went right through his neck.

MAybe I've spent too much time with scouts and knot training, but I think most of them would know that the rope should wind up where the knot is located if this was a real "penetration." That is to say, if you put the knot behind you, the penetration should result in the rope being behind you; if the knot is in the front, the penetration should result in the rope being in front of you.

Dear Opus!
You make a very good point! And, I am ecstatic that you noticed the discrepancy.

I too, have scout knot experience. (i'm a 70 year Scouter, a Wood Badger (the OLD Wood Badge) and have 13 years on National Camp School Staffs. For the last 15 years, I've directed the INTRODUCTION TO OUTDOOR SKILLS at summer camp. National now considers a Friday night and Saturday a sufficient time to share the outdoor skills! (YUK!)

National allows 90 minutes to "teach" all the basic knots AND all the lashings! (It can't be done!) "My" course runs 3 1/2 days! I've had scout troops drive 500 miles from Detroit area to Upper Michigan because the leaders have heard of "my" course! --When they leave, they know how to tie knots, plus all the other outdoor skills! I don't mean to imply that they are EXPERTS! but they understand and know that if they are willing to practice (LEARN BY DOING! --Sophocles)they can become experts.

Unfortunately, (but FORTUNATELY for us magicians)most scouts, and scouters know very little about knots. The BSHB has had the square knot WRONG for MOST of its editions, since the beginning of the BSA! The handbook 'says' that the reef or square is a joining knot. WRONG! It's a binding knot! Its original purpose was to reef (bind) sails. Now, it's mostly used for binding BOOT laces, BANDAGES, and BUNDLES.

So, I don't think that many, if ANY, would realize the discrepancy. Note: Since I naturally STRESS the handbook error re: square knot, I do not do the so called "Slydini Knots" in camp. (The disappearing square knot was first described in "THE DISCOVERY OF WITCHCRAFT" 500 years ago!).

Dick, I'm glad you said that the original purpose of the square knot was to reef sails.
In the UK the square knot is known as a reef knot.

Hi Tom!
Right! Some old timer told me years ago that 'we' call the reef knot a 'square' knot becausse it is 'sort of' squarish (is that a word?) in shape. Our Scout handbook has only called it a BINDING knot 2 or 3 times in the past hundred years. The BSA has four different books on knots (plus a DVD) The Scout Handbook insists that it's a JOINING KNOT (used to join two pieces of rope). The Scout DECK OF KNOTS (a packet of JUMBO sized cards, each with a knot pictured along with diagrams on how to tie the knot. is an official scout knot 'resource'. The material was written by a man named DAWSON (an Englishman) a member of the INTERNATIONAL GUILD OF KNOT TYERS. Dawson states (and all knowledgeable knot tiers agree) that the reef knot is a BINDING knot, NOT a JOINING KNOT. The BSA has another book in print that agrees with DAWSON!!! A reef knot used to join two ropes can JAM, SLIP or CAPSIZE (The principle used in the so called Slydini knots routine).

I have a question using rope thru neck as a ending of a routine?

What is your question?

Im thinking of a routine of pro f nitemare, bob sheets card across and with rope thru neck.but wich is good plus should I do it twice.

What are good DVD rope thru neck? Thank you

Thanks Jim! The gears in my brain weren't meshing! TENKAI is correct, not Tenichi as I wrote.

This is a bit late! Somehow, I forgot to reply to your question. IMHO, the rope thru neck is a good trick, but, not a closer. Again,IMHO,it doesn't lend itself to much build up. I might suggest that you start with a couple of strong rope knot bits, and finish them with rope thru neck. The Nightmare can be a fine closer, if you play it right.

Opus wrote:



Not really. If you imagine that the entire rope is somehow able to pass through flesh and bone then where the rope ends up is simply a matter of where the magician holds his hands.


If the magician holds his hands forward of his neck the rope ends up in front of his neck. The entire rope, knot and all has passed through.

If you accept the premise that the rope can pass through flesh and bone this is what you would expect.

Right? (Or have I missed something?)