OMG - Best. Effect. Ever.

Easy, safe, and absolutely shocking to the audience. The reactions on the performance video are exactly what I've been getting. Squeals, screams, and laughter. This is LITERALLY the best trick that I've purchased in the last year.

My only (small) problem was that you see in the instructional video that some perform it with signs or cards explaining what the audience is supposed to do (since they have the hook in their mouth and can't talk), and I'd rather talk them through it, so I add a little twist.

To start with, I enhanced my "Survival Kit" with a few things I had laying around the house: a mini-flashlight, a mini-lighter, and finally a couple of band-aids from our medicine cabinet. That lends some legitimacy to the "Survival Kit." I then start the trick by saying it's a survival kit that I purchased to keep in my car, including all those things, and a rudimentary fishing kit - a string tied to a hook, with a few extra strings in case the first one breaks.

I start by placing the hook and strings in my hand, and telling them that I want each of them to grab a string and jerk it out of my hand. I explain that, "God forbid you pull the one that is attached to the hook, because it will shred my palm, severing the main artery that runs down the arm into the hand, rendering my hand to be nothing more than a bloody mess of flesh." Mind you, I have no idea whether there's a major artery running into the hand, but it sounds good, and gets their mind picturing the worst. I then say that I'm going to point to each of the three of them (I use 3 "untied" strings, and one that is "tied" to the hook) and I would like them to each select a string and jerk it out of my hand as fast and hard as possible.

At that point I'm already hearing squeamish rumblings from them as they imagine my hand being ripped to shreds by the hook, but just before I point to the first person I say, "Hold on - I've got an even better idea!" I take the hook and strings out of my hand and put them in my mouth, and everyone immediately freaks out. I proceed from there without having to give any more instruction. I just point to each person in turn, and believe me, they're going crazy. The reactions can't be adequately described.

That's just my little twist - this is a wonderful effect just as presented, though, and I really, really, really love it. This one's a reputation-builder... the people who see you perform it WILL be talking about it the next day!

This is easily one of the safest roulette effects I've had the privilege of learning and performing. Fantastic reactions IF you give your audience clear instructions. Nick does a wonderful job explaining several nuances and the importance of safety standards (even though the method is designed to be injury-free).
WATCH THE ENTIRE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

I just received my package and got right into the items after already watching the video and I gotta say right out it the box it's practically RTG, but like the video says it's definitely smart to watch the entire instructional before you take this out for a yank. Pun intended.

I've performed the 5 razor blades on a string, the single needle on a thread and the thread up my nose and I pull it out of my eye socket, both of those by Wayne Houchin.

I also performed the 10 penny nail on a 2" sq. board covered with one of 5 Styrofoam cups which the spec mixes up while my back is turned. I turn back around and slam my hand down on each one till the last one with the nail is left.

But the killer geek act I did for crowds of up to 500 people at County Fair Sideshows was a 3 pt. act. 1)Clean Through by Dan Hauss. I literally pushed a 10" acupuncture needle into the top of my hand and it exited out my palm. 2)Then I pounded a 12" railroad spike through my shoe and through my foot, complete with blood. Finally, I pulled a gorgeous, young woman's liver out through her abdomen. It was extremely gory and messy. I was known as The Bloody Butcher! I was getting $500 per performance which took a solid hour to complete. Very dramatic but also extremely dangerous.

Nothing can compare to The Bloody Butcher's Freak Show, but I wanted to get back into the business of scaring the Hell out of people so now we have HOOK by Eric Ross. Out of all of them, this is my favorite. Why? Because it's 100% safe (but the crowd doesn't think so) AND 100% fooling with no big props to lug around and no blood to clean up.

If you want a reputation maker and an easy way to gather a huge crowd (better yet when they all tip), this is it. Bar none!! Since you don't have to concentrate on safety issues constantly, you can really sucker punch the crowd with your performance. Even the tough guys in the crowd wince and bite their lip right before they yank on the 2nd to the last string hanging out of your mouth which they believe to the max that it might be connected to that monstrosity of a fish hook.

I've been doing these gigs for over 50 years, and this is the one that gets the biggest reactions like nothing else I've ever done (except for the needle through the hand which you'd be nuts to take that kind of a chance).

I forgot to mention that you WILL get bookings from performing this. Whether you perform it at house parties, bars, nightclubs, country clubs, dungeons, colonoscopies, heart transplants, etc...What are you waiting for?? ADD TO CART NOW!!

Now that Penguin, P3, has taken over the manufacturing and I assume the rights to Hook the quality of the gimmick is much better and the video tutorial is clear. I did contact Eric Ross for help with Hook and couldn't or wasn't willing to help. "Never meet your heroes" scenario there, but that said Penguin has really gone above and beyond to help with any questions on performing, quality of gimmick and instruction. Comparing the original version to the new P3 version is night and day. The case the gimmick comes in is much more discreet, better printing, and the quality of the gimmick is also 100% better. This trick falls into the category of the hidden spike type trick where you build suspense in the idea that the magician could be hurt. Simple to perform and set up and reset is easy. I sometimes like to add a blood capsule for a dramatic end. I do recommend this trick.

This effect is one of the most unique things I’ve seen in years. Not for the squeamish, and perhaps some audiences this would be not appropriate and too intense. But for the right audience, this will kill them. Glad I took a chance. Want to also mention penguins customer service on this purchase as it was missing a component. They mailed me a new one complete no questions asked that’s how you do business

I love this effect.performed it shortly after watching the tutorial. The reactions were amazing people were grossed out and in awe at the same time. I will be performing this often probably as a standalone effect. Highly recommend hook if you're into shock magic.

A great trick, looks extremely dangerous, but extremely safe, if you watch the whole routine and explanation, a must! Great demo, as usual, from Nick,a master in explanation. A must have, if you want to do a Russian roulette routine!

Great method that allows you to focus on your presentation without worrying about about safety.

So the majority of this trick is about the showmanship. My wife doesn’t like this trick as she has a needle and piercing phobia so I just jumped into preforming this with no practice. It gets people to squirm, reset is not instant. Just be aware of the people you preform this in front of incase you come across someone like my wife who is freaked out by the trick. I usually start off with a warning that it could get messy if I get poked with the barbs and ask if anyone has an issue with needles or piercings. That actually helps sell the trick because the spectators now know there is a level of, “danger,” involved.