I have seen Andrew Goldenhirsch do a needle swallowing routine where he swallows needles, swallows thread and then brings it back up with the thread through the needles. Any idea where I can research a trick like this?

You might try the Search function. This topic has been discussed before on the Café'.

For example, you would find:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=109

Amongst others.

The trick is as old as the hills. It can even be found in youth oriented magic books. For example the old "Blackstone's Secrets of Magic" has a discription. This book is still in print and can be found at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles.

Also try George Kaplan's book "The Fine Art of Magic". It's got this in it and many other incredible works of magic art within.

Also Sid Fleschman's "The Charlatan"s Handbook" L&L has a safe no switch metod.Bruce Elliott"s "classic Secrets of Magic" has the related Razor Blade trick.Oh! Tarbell Vol.4 chapter48 is needles and rasor blades.

Try a Google search on the East Indian Needle trick you may come up with something you can use.

It's also noted in Swami/Mantra
Slim

Since Andrew is your inspiration, should you not, perhaps, contact him first? His last name is spelled Goldenhersh.

I'm sorry for having mispoken. The "needles" in that form is not in Swami/Mantra
Slim

A method of the needle swallowing trick is also in the Tarbell Collection. There are 8 books and I am sorry but I can't remember which one it is in! Doh!

A question on this topic. I have practiced this particular trick relentlessly. The thread ALWAYS seems to get tangled. Any suggestions?

Regards,

Gerald T.

DamienT98,

It's in Vol 4 along with a razor blade version.

Hello...
I realize this is an old subject but I must agree with Gerold T. I have trouble with the thread getting tangled.
I don't have the Tarbel #4. But do plan to obtain it....
However, in the meantime, can someone simply offer a suggestion on how to avoid the tangles.
I'm using the idea presented in Device and Illusion. It's a terrific idea. But the effect certainly loses something when the needles & thread just come out of the mouth in a big tangled clump.
Suggestions are welcomed.

This is almost as bad as fire eating! Whats wrong with you people...lol! Insanity run-a-muck. Try things that are safe...like bobbing for apples, or things of that sort.

Sword swallowing as an art, while interesting, is scary for kids. Definately an adult trick. Lots of skill needed too, apparently.

With all due respect Majestic, what you've actually said, is that this type of material is frightening to you personally. But please don't confuse YOUR feelings with those of others. That's not your right.

This type of material is supposed to be frightening. It flies in the face of a lot of things that we were taught to be scared of, when we were pre-verbal.

However, after many years of performing this type of material, and travelling all over the world with it, I can tell you that most audience members are amazed by it. This includes children.

Not all performers in this genre do shows that are appropriate for "family entertainment", but that's also true for magic, hynoptism, juggling, clowning, etc.

Back to children... We live in a fairly paranoid world, and for me, one of the things I consider to be a responsibility, is to help put my foot in the door of that paranoia. After most of my performances, for the last twenty years, I've taught anybody who wants to, how to lie on the bed of nails. This has included thousands and thousands of children. And while I won't go into more depth about it here, the lessons learned from it, are very practical life skills.

Your tag line says "Explore your world, it's waiting for you." This is great advice! May we all follow it, every day!

Oh yes, things that are safe...somebody choked to death a few weeks ago, playing "chubby bunny." So do we ban marshmallows for safety reasons?

When you walk down the street, you WILL stub your toe. If you have a desk job, you WILL get a paper cut. The question is not whether it will happen, because it will. The questions are "when" and "how bad is it?"

Here's a statistic for you. 100% of the people who eat cheese, die.

I'm not familiar with Device and Illusion, so if I'm repeating info you already have, sorry.

I had the same problem, and I solved it by using white elastic thread to connect the blades. The elastic wasn't long enough to tangle, but being stretchable, I could make it look like the blades were threaded farther apart from each other.

I recently learned of a method to preset the blades and (regular) thread to keep them from tangling: Take a piece of styrofoam and place two needles (not pins) in it, spaced so that either end of the slit in the middle of the razor blade will just slide over them. Place the first blade on the pins and wrap the string between the first and second blade around the pins in a figure eight pattern. Repeat with the remaining blades and string. This should give you a nice, self contained packet that will pull out of the mouth smoothly and cleanly.

that's a fine setup, and in print a few places, BUT the topic is on NEEDLES.

s

Both needles and razors came up (no pun intended), but you are correct, he asked about needles and I talked about blades.

However, the elastic thread would work well with either.

"Device and Illusion" is a very fine book. Jim Steinmeyer has a sense of how to structure a routine, that's equalled by few.