Well said, Henry! I haven't seen you on the Café in eons!

Will! I own the only double ended vernet in existence!

Isn't that just a dye tube?
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Just a reply to some recent comments: A considerable amount of people that I have performed silk+TT work for before know something or another about these "fake thumbs". I've heard it said that "Even if they do know how it is done, if you perform it well enough people won't think they see it- adding to the illusion. They'll be looking for the TT and when they don't find it, because of your good performance, they'll be baffled".

There is a degree to which I think that is true. But I think there is also a degree to which I don't. I'm not really sure what side I lean towards. I don't think I perform it the best, but surely I'm not so awful as to be giving the audience a tutorial on silk+TT magic. Maybe I'm not good at all and I need to practice. Well, I do know I need practice, though.

The TT I've landed on for know is actually some random TT from China. I ordered a bunch of random TT's from China, and they didn't include any tracking info or branding. It has a reasonable size and matches my skin nicely in most light.

It's sounds like it's time you looked into a finger tip and/or a sixth finger...

Julie

Nope! It's a "double ended TT!

TTs are made in a machine that makes two at a time. Then they are cut in half to get two TTs.

I was helping Tom Ladshaw unpack several hundred, and found one that "missed" the 'cutter'!

Thumbs up Dick!!

Dick Oslund wrote: Well said, Henry! I haven't seen you on the Café in eons!

Yeah, I have been doing other things. It's a little more complicated than that--I was working on cup and balls, performed before a friendly (magician) audience, and got stuck, and only recently figured things out.

I have been a lot more music lately. Beyond the recorders, I did a lot of work on my lap harp, a bladder pipe, a double recorder, etc. In September I bought a hurdy-gurdy (!) and I've done some work on it. It's only been since the beginning of December since my mind has been able to focus on magic, and I am getting better at focusing on a few tricks rather than trying to grab at everything. Maybe I might even had a video in the near future.

More on target for Will Lane--I think I said it before, silks are the obvious combinations for TT, but there are so many other less obvious things that could be done. One of my favorites is disappearing and reappearing salt. Drop the silks (which I thought looked good) and try some of these others--that way you can gain confidence and later go back to the silks.

Just an idea.

Henry

It has been mentioned in this thread and I’ll mention it again, Will, I believe you’re doing exactly what I did and that’s overthinking it and I never progressed to decent handling until I wore it for an entire week 80% of the time. (While awake lol) switching between hands, palming, index finger, middle finger, using the cell phone, steering the car, shifting gears, shaking hands, cup of coffee, you name it, it was there. Got used to it and no one noticed it. Don’t worry about color it shouldn’t be seen. MM makes a set in a very light color but you know what, it doesn’t matter, no one should see it. Saw a guy from Asia on you tube with a home made paper TT looked horrible, but when he performed wow it was a knockout. Just watch your angles and practice moving, palming etc. next up try the electrical tape on the tip challenge and sit in front of your camera. Try the tape challenge and the one week challenge you won’t be disappointed. I do like to find a nice balance between tight and loose because a do a water from an empty mini solo cup with mine and the Vernet is perfect for me. I do the bill switch, silk vanish, salt vanish, cuts and restored headphones and water/mini solo cup trick a lot.

When magicians worry about TT colour (we've all done it) I suggest some good teaching is needed. I was fortunate to have people like the late Ken Brooke and Patrick Page -especially Patrick Page -teach me how to handle the TT (king size and classic size Vernet) and the dye tube.

Both these great teachers are no longer with us. BUT buy Patrick Page's DVD on the TT. This will teach you to handle it properly and I promise you it is a real eye opener. Gary Darwin's three DVD set is also full of good stuff. Soon, you will ALWAYS carry one in your pocket.

None of my TT's match my skin tone. Confidence comes by learning how to use it correctly. Re-read Dick Oslund's post on the subject. Enjoy it, it is one of the greatest tools for the magician.

Here is a video of a vernet king size TT wrapped with black electrical tape. Its is huge on my hand and not a great color match. The TT shows very little. https://youtu.be/J2_sUK7Yab0

The main point is true, of course , and I would not want to disagree too much with an experienced pro like Dick Oslund (especially as he is no longer with us to respond ... Mr. Oslund, you are truly missed ...) , but it does seem to me that if one has very dark skin , it would make sense to paint the usual "flesh" (Caucasian) color TT to match a darker skin tone, especially with one of the old style metal TT's. Why not ? Couldn't hurt, right? Everyone flashes now and then ... despite the apocryphal stories we hear about so and so using a chrome plated or bright red TT and still fooling people with it ... well, maybe , maybe not ... it's been my observation over the years that many magicians are very good at fooling themselves (I include myself in that.)



I would agree it's not critical to have the color of the TT match the magician's skin color precisely, but all things being equal would you rather have one that matches fairly close or use a chrome plated or bright red one ? I'm talking about for performing in real world conditions, not as a stunt performed at a magic shop.

David Todd, I agree with you, for what ever that is worth. I do try for my same flesh tone when purchasing TT's and the such.