Harry the Ridiculous
07-11-2010, 04:25 PM
Some one asked about a thumb tip. They are to a Magician what a Red Nose is to a Clown.
Here is a basic Thumb Tip / Hankie - routine
Magic thumb tips are very entertaining and get many ooh’s and aah’s. They are inexpensive and fun to work with. They could almost be called a necessary basic Magician’s prop for close-up magic. When you buy a thumb tip you should also buy a small silk hankie as well. (They come in different colors and sizes, get one for your specific thumb tip). You can make that little hankie and other small items disappear and re-appear at random. Imagine pouring water, soda, milk or salt into your hand, open your hand and it has disappeared, close your hand turn it upside down and the contents come pouring out. Take a lit cigarette place it into your hand and make it disappear. Or how about taking a Dollar bill and changing it into a five dollar bill or even into a twenty. The sky’s the limit with this one.
The basic Hankie trick.
Place the thumb tip on the thumb of your non-dominant hand, hand out the magic silk for inspection, while you interlock your fingers (Like you used to do in school when you wanted the teacher to notice how good you were), leave them interlocked but loose. Bring the thumb and thumb tip into the palm of your dominant hand, unlock your fingers and using your dominant hand make a fist around the thumb tip. Make sure the thumb tip is below the rim of your pointing finger and thumb. Always keep it hidden by other parts of your hand or finger it must remain out of sight from your audience. Using the other hand take the hankie back from the spectator, maintaining a closed fist around the thumb tip start to gently and smoothly push the Hankie into the thumb tip, (Do not cram it in) using alternating fingers. It should be compressed to the bottom of the thumb tip but loose enough to come out easy. The last finger to push the hankie into your fist should be your thumb. When you insert your thumb, push it in a little harder to make sure the tip is on your thumb securely and won’t fall off when you remove it from your fist.
Two things are going on now. One fist is closed and empty while the other hand is wearing the thumb tip with the silk concealed inside it. You should always keep both hands in full view of your audience while keeping the thumb tip out of sight. To do this hold your thumb pointing slightly downward, pointing towards the center of the palm of your hand, while holding your hand with the palm facing your chest – away from the audience. If you have to move or change hand positions do not let anyone see the thumb tip from the sides. Keep it pointing straight at them, and do not make any moves towards your pockets.
Bring the empty fist into view while holding the other hand at your side. Open the fist one finger at a time while using your other hand (With the thumb tip facing your body and bent into the palm) pointing towards the fist as the fist opens. When the fist is opened, keep pointing as you show both sides of the open hand to be empty. Then the hands switch roles and you show the hand holding the thumb tip to be empty remembering
to show that hand empty with the thumb tip pointing towards the audience.
Eventually you will want to make the hankie reappear, just repeat the part where you interlock your fingers and secretly slip the thumb tip back into your fist. Slowly remove the silk from the thumb tip, showing every inch your remove. When the silk is completely removed, wave it in the air and let it come to rest on top of the opening of the fist where the thumb tip is hiding. Under the cover of the silk steal the thumb tip back on your thumb and slip it away. With all attention on the silk that is still on your hand, flip it up in the air, catch it and if you want hand it out for inspection. Now during the time the silk is flipped in the air and you catch it, that is when you dump the thumb tip in your pocket.
Another way to perform this sleight is to conceal the thumb tip in your fist while it is still in your pocket , but make sure you grab it in the correct position so that when you put it on your thumb it’s facing the right way. When you are ready to remove the silk from the thumb tip you might want to try this method as well. With the fist concealing the thumb tip at your side, try and remove your thumb with out opening your fist. If you can accomplish this it will make the trick smoother. You can also use the same method to remove the thumb tip from a pocket and inset your thumb into the tip.
One of the posted pictures shows What a tip and silk hankie look like and the other shows the Thumb Tip and Hankie (The HAnkie is in the tip) in the hidden position. The thumb tip is on but inbetween you and your hand. Out of view from the Audience.
Here is a basic Thumb Tip / Hankie - routine
Magic thumb tips are very entertaining and get many ooh’s and aah’s. They are inexpensive and fun to work with. They could almost be called a necessary basic Magician’s prop for close-up magic. When you buy a thumb tip you should also buy a small silk hankie as well. (They come in different colors and sizes, get one for your specific thumb tip). You can make that little hankie and other small items disappear and re-appear at random. Imagine pouring water, soda, milk or salt into your hand, open your hand and it has disappeared, close your hand turn it upside down and the contents come pouring out. Take a lit cigarette place it into your hand and make it disappear. Or how about taking a Dollar bill and changing it into a five dollar bill or even into a twenty. The sky’s the limit with this one.
The basic Hankie trick.
Place the thumb tip on the thumb of your non-dominant hand, hand out the magic silk for inspection, while you interlock your fingers (Like you used to do in school when you wanted the teacher to notice how good you were), leave them interlocked but loose. Bring the thumb and thumb tip into the palm of your dominant hand, unlock your fingers and using your dominant hand make a fist around the thumb tip. Make sure the thumb tip is below the rim of your pointing finger and thumb. Always keep it hidden by other parts of your hand or finger it must remain out of sight from your audience. Using the other hand take the hankie back from the spectator, maintaining a closed fist around the thumb tip start to gently and smoothly push the Hankie into the thumb tip, (Do not cram it in) using alternating fingers. It should be compressed to the bottom of the thumb tip but loose enough to come out easy. The last finger to push the hankie into your fist should be your thumb. When you insert your thumb, push it in a little harder to make sure the tip is on your thumb securely and won’t fall off when you remove it from your fist.
Two things are going on now. One fist is closed and empty while the other hand is wearing the thumb tip with the silk concealed inside it. You should always keep both hands in full view of your audience while keeping the thumb tip out of sight. To do this hold your thumb pointing slightly downward, pointing towards the center of the palm of your hand, while holding your hand with the palm facing your chest – away from the audience. If you have to move or change hand positions do not let anyone see the thumb tip from the sides. Keep it pointing straight at them, and do not make any moves towards your pockets.
Bring the empty fist into view while holding the other hand at your side. Open the fist one finger at a time while using your other hand (With the thumb tip facing your body and bent into the palm) pointing towards the fist as the fist opens. When the fist is opened, keep pointing as you show both sides of the open hand to be empty. Then the hands switch roles and you show the hand holding the thumb tip to be empty remembering
to show that hand empty with the thumb tip pointing towards the audience.
Eventually you will want to make the hankie reappear, just repeat the part where you interlock your fingers and secretly slip the thumb tip back into your fist. Slowly remove the silk from the thumb tip, showing every inch your remove. When the silk is completely removed, wave it in the air and let it come to rest on top of the opening of the fist where the thumb tip is hiding. Under the cover of the silk steal the thumb tip back on your thumb and slip it away. With all attention on the silk that is still on your hand, flip it up in the air, catch it and if you want hand it out for inspection. Now during the time the silk is flipped in the air and you catch it, that is when you dump the thumb tip in your pocket.
Another way to perform this sleight is to conceal the thumb tip in your fist while it is still in your pocket , but make sure you grab it in the correct position so that when you put it on your thumb it’s facing the right way. When you are ready to remove the silk from the thumb tip you might want to try this method as well. With the fist concealing the thumb tip at your side, try and remove your thumb with out opening your fist. If you can accomplish this it will make the trick smoother. You can also use the same method to remove the thumb tip from a pocket and inset your thumb into the tip.
One of the posted pictures shows What a tip and silk hankie look like and the other shows the Thumb Tip and Hankie (The HAnkie is in the tip) in the hidden position. The thumb tip is on but inbetween you and your hand. Out of view from the Audience.