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poki New user 25 Posts |
What sizes, shape, and make of silks are you using for appearing canes?
I was looking for something a little bigger than the small squares I'm using but that will still fit. Thanks! |
Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
Depending on the cane itself, a standard 12 inch or 18 inch silk should work fine. Best thing to do is try both sizes and see what happens. If I remember correctly, I used to use an 18 inch pure silk with mine.
Some use appearing canes without a silk. They prefer to have the cane appear rather than have a silk turn into a cane. Hope that helps! |
Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
I wonder if anyone is supplying a black silk with a white corner ala Rice many, many years ago?
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Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
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On Apr 11, 2022, Julie wrote: Ruth had a very limited supply of those and I believe they sold out several years ago. That silk was/is indeed perfect! |
Jean André New user Metz 65 Posts |
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On Apr 11, 2022, Julie wrote: Here it is performed very well by Jack Cassidy (as "The Great Santini" in the Columbo episode "Now You See Him"). To me this is an elegant way to perform the appearing cane. In the twirling action it appears to visibly transform from a silk scarf to a walking stick. No awkward "popping up" from the hand . It looks truly magical. Mark Wilson was Jack Cassidy's magic coach for this episode. https://youtu.be/b-gxVNIk5hk |
poki New user 25 Posts |
Hi All,
Thanks for the tips. I love silk to cane, I think it looks so magical! I love the thought of having a silk that matches the cane, complete with dyed corner. Does this Ruth person have other silks for sale? Thanks! And wow, twirling cane! that's a good one! |
Jean André New user Metz 65 Posts |
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On Apr 11, 2022, poki wrote: Ruth is Ruth Rice Crone who inherited the famous Silk King Studios from her parents Harold and Thelma Rice. They were the preeminent suppliers of silk magic to magicians for many years. Ruth has retired and sold the Silk King Studios to David Haversat. At the moment it appears that Silk King Studios is only selling the remaining stock of silks from the old Silk King Studios , but it is hoped that SKS will start to manufacture silk items again with the same quality as the old Silk King Studios. http://www.silkkingmagic.com/ Harold Rice also published the famous Encyclopedia of Silk Magic books. One of the items that Silk King Studios made for many years was a black silk handkerchief with a white tip , which was intended especially to be used with the Russ Walsh Appearing Cane , in the manner in which you saw Jack Cassidy perform it in the video posted above. It appears as if Abbott's Magic Co. is selling a similar silk. https://www.abbottmagic.com/Abbotts-Cane......silk.htm . |
Jean André New user Metz 65 Posts |
Here is the Rice cane silk (from a Potter & Potter auction catalog) -
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poki New user 25 Posts |
Beautiful! Thanks so much for this info!
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Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
Silk King Studios had their silks made in Japan many years ago. The quality was unsurpassed. If they were made today using the same quality standards, I suspect that the cost would be staggering.
In addition, we are living in a time where performing silk magic is not as popular as it was in past decades. Nowadays, close-up, walk around, and table hopping magic is what sells so the market for silks and silk magic is not what it used to be. Perhaps this will change in the future as most things occur in cycles. By the way, there is a saying that someone wrote the book on something. Harold Rice literally wrote the books on silk magic. Quite an accomplishment! And oh! If anyone would like to acquire a brand new copy of the Encyclopedia of Silk Magic Volume 3 for cheap, there is one currently listed for sale here on the Café. |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Before his passing, Peter White (P&A Silks) and I had many conversations about silk dyeing techniques and one of those techniques involved making a white tipped black silk for the appearing cane. After my original silk had to be retired from multiple use, I experimented with some of his ideas. One idea was to use Chlorine bleach to bleach the black color to white on one tip of the silk. This worked but I didn't like using bleach and the smell was overwhelming at first. The method I finally used was to dip the corner of a black silk in a mixture of hot water and color remover. Remember, black is the presence of all colors and white is the absence of color. Experimenting with the mixture gave a result that made the corner of the silk white.
Believe it or not, there is actually a white spray like paint that will create the same effect but I never used it. It isn't as precise and you can get overspray on the rest of the silk. It dries perfectly soft. It's called Tulip Color Shot. A few years after making my own silk, I acquired a set of Harakan appearing and vanishing canes which of course are copper colored and I didn't need the black and white silk any longer but I still have it in my collection along with my Walsh cane.
Where the magic begins
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hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
I have made black silks with white tips for Brett Daniels. They are a custom order item.
As to the size of the silk, it will depend on the cane and the strength of the cane spring. Plastic canes can handle less. Generally speaking, a 15" or 18" 5 momme silk works fine with most steel canes. For plastic canes, you may have to go to a smaller silk or a diamond or half silk.
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
Thank you for expounding on my comment DEPENDING ON THE CANE Richard. Perhaps I should have been more clear.
Lining up a variety of silks and possibly narrow streamers and trying each one should lead to a decision concerning what to use with the cane. By the way, I became a fan of the Fantasio product immediately upon its release but I have always had issues with the lack of not only power but speed. |
poki New user 25 Posts |
Wow Dave that sounds interesting! I’d be curious to try wax to block the dye. Or the spray and just mask it really well! I got a new crane that is red with silver tips that I like the action of very much. Would still love a classic black one with white tips (and matching silk) some day, I’m feeling inspired by this forum!
Thanks for the specifics Richard ! Yes I have some Fantasio disappearing candles (and silks!) which I love, but yes they are slow compared to metal canes. But, I find the speed kind of lends itself to more magical vanishes where it slowly slips away, rather than a big kaboom trick where no one is really sure what they saw ! |
JNeal Inner circle I used to have 999 posts, now I have 1616 Posts |
A relatively easy way to make ups 'cane silk' is to use Jacquard's 'Dye- Na- flow' fabric paints. It can be purchased at most art and craft shops at modest prices. although it is called a paint, it act like a dye.
You will also need a water based 'resist'. a white silk is stretched on a frame (art store item) using tape or thumbtacks. At one corner of the silk, using the resist, draw the line that separates the black from white. Allow the resist to dry (about 10 or 15 minutes). Now using a brush or sponge applicator, paint the Black (or other color) 'Dye- Na- Flow' over the remainder of the silk. A little dye-na-flow goes a long way and the capillary action of the silk draws the paint into all the areas of the link... but it stops at the resist! allow everything to dry. Remove the silk from the stretcher frame and using COLD water, wash the resist out of the silk. since the resist is water soluble, a few minutes of soaking in clean water will remove the resist. interestingly, the Dye Na Flow adds NO stiffness to the silk and I would iron the silk once, to set the color.
visit me @ JNealShow.com
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