I know Wal-Mart has a lot of ropes, but I am unsure whether they would be suitable for rope magic. I am looking for some worker kind of ropes.

Zur-
I purchased some manila rope from the bulk section from Orchard Supply Hardware in California for $0.10/foot. Its 5/15" diameter and white in color. It is perfect for my cut/restored and ring/rope routines.

Some magic shops also have "worker" rope available for about $0.45/foot and comes in colors. Keep looking, you will find a match for you.

Anthony

I'll take a look. I was just thinking that if I buy ropes from magic shops, they will come at a hefty price.

If you want rope to do magic tricks with, then buy from a magic shop. If you want to tie up your wife, then go to Wal-Mart. The right product for the right job.

Most Wal-Mart rope is no good for magic presentations. It is to thin. Most magic rope is 3/8" and larger in dia. If you just want to play then use the stiff Wal-Mart stuff. If found the time it took to loosen it up was a waste of my time.

For real magicians rope go to:
http://www.stevensmagic.com

You can purchase real magicians rope but it is not cheap.
It looks great, feels great, cuts great.
But it's not cheap.

I just bought a bunch of the stage rope.

Love it.

Ain't it a b%^#h!

I looked around in Home Depot and there was no cotton rope available.
Some of the ways things like rope, coins, bills, etc, irks me. heheh

You'll find it a bargain to buy in bulk at the magic store. I get a spool at a time, lasts for many performances before time to re-purchase. Trying to find it yourself takes time and often ends in disappointment.

Try not to think about the 60% or more mark-up, its a tool of the trade and anyone wishing to be good at one's craft, has the right tools. Besides, if it wasn't for that mark-up, magic stores would be out-of- business follwed shortly by the rest of us.

BTW - Don't get "roped into" buying special soft, super white or foam core ropes. It's all a marketing ploy. Just a lot of extra money for absolutely nothing valuable in return. You want soft?, remove some or all the core, you want white? soak it in 1 cup bleach and two cups water for about 20 minutes and let it air dry, you want a foam core!?! - sorry there is no hope for you.

Frank Tougas

Right now I am buying my rope from Magic Pro Shop. It is Camirand rope. It cuts nicely and looks good too. The rope Pete sells comes 32 feet in length. That usually lasts me a few performances.

Lowe's has a good selection of different ropes. I guess it just depends on the store, but the one in my area has a very nice selection.

Frank, I disagree.
I've used the cheap rope and I've used the soft magician's rope and for me there is no comparison.

The pure white, soft rope is so nice and supple...mmm mmm good.

The cheap rope is harder to cut (if you do cut), and has more of a tendany to be twisty.

If my routine required a lot of cutting and going thru lots of rope, I'd probably to with the cheaper rope but for rope you're going to keep as a set, a la prof. nightmare, why not get the good stuff.

You'll look better using it, and you'll like the way it handles better.

I buy my rope from Hank Moorehouse. It's the best handling rope I've ever used. He can be reached through Abbott's.

Hello:

Another option is the Fun Inc. rope. It's brilliant white, the same size as the Camirand Academy rope, and softer. It's the rope that Paul Green uses in his rope routine. You can buy a big spool of it from Denny and Lee. It's less than half the cost of Camirand's Elite Rope.

Ron

Wow. Ron. Why did you not bring this up sooner.
I'll buy some.

Do you really like it better than the Camirand Rope?
Or is it just a fantastic alternative considering price?

I can get the camirand rope pretty cheap so I'll have to investigate
and compare.

Frank

Frank:

I like the Fun Inc. rope better. It's softer than the Elite rope. It works much better for effects like Daryl's "removing the ends of the rope" that's part of his rope routine. I found that Elite rope was too stiff, where Fun Inc. rope hangs down nicely, much like the Japanese rope that Daryl used to sell.

Ron

After my C & R routine, I give away the length of rope - so I get through a lot of rope. So, about twenty years back I sent a 3 inch length of rope to a number of rope manufacturers. Some didn't reply, some replied but said they couldn't help, etc. One factory returned my sample piece with a piece of their rope (identical!), and a price. I went to visit them (15 mile journey) and bought two huge balls of nice white rope. I asked the factory guy whether it was specially made? was it unwaxed sash cord ? etc. He paused and replied: "Actually, we call it magicians rope . .!"

I don't live too close to that factory now, so these days I buy a big spool from my favourite dealer. Also use good quality scissors (I use leather workers scissors). Good materials really enhance your presentation.

I found some great rope at a local "bargain" store. It was identical to what I saw some dealers hawking at a recent convention, but at a fraction of the cost. You just have to keep your eyes open. As far as sissors, I recommend Fiskors.

Good luck.

I have been doing the same rope routine professionally over thirty years. I do, in fact, use WalMark clothes line from the housewares section of the store. I've gone through miles of the stuff.

Rope is not a new part of my life. I was raised as a ranch cowboy in the part of the USA that made cotton rope, etc. Clothes line is just a step down from sash cord as braided cotton ropes go. It is not hard-finished like sash cord and is much cheaper. (Wholesale it is sold by weight instead of length.) In a bind, I'll use rope bought from magic dealers and I have also been one. I still prefer the WalMart stuff!

I use shears from two sources. One is called "Super Shears" and comes from Tandy Leather Company. They cost about $35.00 and will easily last you over thirty years. Mine have. (The new ones are from 1976. They show no wear!)

The others I use are actually for meat processors (chicken). They are made by Gold Seal of St. Petersburg, Florida. My source sells me the used ones resharpened for $5.00 a pair. (Apparently there is some requirement that chicken processors only use them so long before replacing them.) They are a satin-finish silver. The ones from Tandy are silver with black handles. To me, one is as good as the other. I also cut sheet metal with both! They are tough!

If you give the rope away, WalMart is a deal and works fine. It is not worth saving.

Enjoy your rope magic.

Bob
Magic By Sander

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You will need to have 50 post to get in. See you there.

I've tried the home improvement and hardware stores. Thier rope is too stiff for me.

Magicians rope is really the way to go. It's what it's made for, and what a lot of effects were designed with.

Try Joanne Fabrics or any sewing/material store. They have lots of different sizes and types.