Magic Tricks

Pros: very deceptive, unique, clever method

Cons: gimmick can malfunction, tearing card can be difficult, handlings covered on the instructions have several major flaws, imo

I have come to really like this effect (and so have my audiences), but that is only after putting considerable work into managing the gimmick and changing the handling.

Details:

The first thing I noticed when learning this was how tough it was to tear a decent hole in the card. It can be done, but it it requires some hand strength, it can look sloppy, and will kill the trick instantly if you tear wrong. Not good!

Second, the gimmick is very clever, but there are several ways for it to fail (as I discovered during performances). I was able to overcome these issues, but only after some experimenting. None of these issues are covered on the instructions, which makes me wonder if the gentleman teaching the trick had performed it much. (In fact, I'm pretty sure he hadn't, as he had no idea how long the gimmick would last). The gimmick, btw, is one of the more complex I've constructed and the instructions suffer from a lack of close-ups. I made one mistake during construction for this reason.

I can't get too much into my main issue with the two handlings taught as it might reveal too much, but I will say that the creator's decision to end clean creates a lot of headaches that I think could have been avoided with a different handling. I was able to devise one after a couple weeks of experimenting that eliminates these issues.

Bottom line: I have a lot of respect for the creator for inventing such a brilliant gimmick, but I think most who attempt this are going to run into problems. Your ability to overcome them will depend on your patience and knowledge of magic.