Denver,

The Number 2 Pencil is excellent. I stun everone with this one. I hear some magicians don't like doing the paddle move because of the shape of a pencil, but after practicing and performing this hundreds of times it has become second nature.

Thanks for the referral, I will seriously look into purchasing it, I've been wanting to get it for a while.

I use one knife, make it change color, then make it shrink, then stretch back to normal size, then vanish it, it appears in my pocket, then shove it up my nose, produce it from mouth.
nobody wants to examine it !

Scully and the Spot Sleeve effect. Both from Teytelbaum. Not to be confused with the Meteor paddle, which is a knock off of the original Teytelbaum effect which is much better thought out.

Color changing knife where knife disappears as the finale.
Keith Walkers Rainbow Stick.

I guess I am just old fashioned. I enjoy watching and performing the plain old paddles, you know, the kind that really have just two sides and NO gimmicks? I agree that the Color Changing Knives is about as good a "paddle" effect one can do but with that said I will never forget the first time I wittnessed a Magician doing a very simple and straightforward effect using the "Classic" paddles. My daughter just Loves my paddle routine but I also have entertained adults with it as well.
Iven

Does anybody know who sells the old fashioned paddles? The kind that came in a magic set and usually had a rabbit on one side. They resembled swizzle sticks with a thin "stem" and a smaller top rather than the ones with the thick stem and large top. I've searched all the usual places with no luck. I would like to use them in a kid's magic class I teach.

Hey guys,
I just stumbled onto this thread and I want to thank you for the kind words about "Shattered". I have to say it is my personal favorite as well, not just because it is my creation but that it simply kicks booty BUT....
my favorite IMPROMPTU Paddle Effect happened on a flight to a Comic-Book Convention. I was on Alaskan Airlines, many years ago, and the attendant handed me a Coffee Stirrer. To my surprise, it was shaped EXACTLY like the old magic set Paddles. It was Dark Blue with a Silver Alaska Logo on one side of the square top end.
I waited until the next time the attendant came by, stopped her and asked if she knew that she was handing out deffective coffee stirrers. She looked perplexed and I demonstrated the problem that the logo was coming off in the coffee. Of course I magically made it restore itself and had some more fun. Needless to say, she was beautiful, I got her phone number, we dated and got married and lived happil....OK..so that's not true...but it was a good time
Take care,
Chance

I'm no expert, but I find that laymen love John Kennedy's Dream Paddle.

Dave

In order of my favorites:
1. Shattered - best I have seen.
2. Daryl's Color Changing Knives. (Fooler Dooler
tapes are a must. Great material besides CCK).

I am sure Daryl is a great magician but I find him VERY VERY annoying. I can't watch his DVDs etc without coming away feeling angry.

I have to weigh in with those that think that using a "pick a number from one to six" on gem paddles seems a bit contrived. I don't personally use it.
My paddle has purple gems. So, I first produce a polished amethyst using the multi-colored paddle as a magic wand over my 'empty' hand. Then I change the stones on the paddle to 'match' the amethyst by passing it through the hand that produced the stone.
The effect comes across as much more magical.
I know that giving a spectator an apparent "free" choice can add to an effect. I just don't think it's necessary here. (That is with the 'magician's choice' bit).

As for my favorite paddle effect. I have a lot of fun with one done with chopsticks from my favorite Chinese restaurant. I noticed while dining with a date that the chopsticks had the restaurant's name in metallic chinese characters on one side of each chopstick. "Hmmmmm... why is it that some of us can't even eat without thinking magic... grin! I blame it all on a John Cornelius lecture I went to on creativity."
I asked for a set and have had them in my close-up case for years. I use an original bit of patter about a magical dining experience with the young lady that night.
What can I say, I love magic where ordinary objects weave a tale of magic and wonder.
Blessin's

Bear

BearMage,

What a great idea!! Are you allowing (giving permission for) others to utilize your idea in their presentations? Of course, I'm stuck because my hot rod is diamond. Don't think I'll be able to afford to do the hot rod effect any longer. (grin) HMMM!!?? Maybe if I just rub an empty clear glass above my hand, or borrow a lady's engagement ring or buy a cheap cubic zirconium "gem", or......?

Thanks for the post.

Mike

Mike,
Thanks. Feel free to use the idea. An inexpensive alternative for you might be a "herkemer diamond". It's a high quality quartz crystal from a mine in New Jersey, I believe. The crystals in their natural form are small and very beautiful and a lot cheaper than a diamond, chuckle.
Check out your local metaphysical bookstore, teacher's supply center, or rock shop for herkemer diamonds and/or other alternative stones.

***********************************

Mike,
I checked out the herkimer diamond thing. Here's a bit of additional info:

1. It's in Herkimer, New York, not New Jersey.
2. It's spelled 'herkimer' not 'herkemer'... hey it's not somethin' spell checker would catch I guess... grin.
3. You can order from the museum shop or mine your own at the mine. (Hmmmm..."mine your own at the mine"... sounds a bit contradictory...)
4. You can check them out at http://www.herkimerdiamond.com/ .

Bear

ps: also posting this to see if IE Explorer crashes again when I do... fingers crossed.

Bear,

Thanks for the info on the herkimer diamond. That part of my post was kinda tounge in cheek since I can always get another hot rod with a more "affordable" gem.

The main purpose of my post was to both acknowledge your great idea and to indirectly remind other magicians that, at least as a professional courtesy, they should be asking the creator of an idea for permission to utilize that idea in their performances.

Thanks again for the idea, the permission and the information on the herkimer diamond.

Mike

I love doing it impromptu with a swizzle stick. Some have the round head with a logo on one side. It's neat to just pick one up and make the logo vanish.

Similar to wolf'smagic story, I was in a bar with friends when I noticed the drink stirrers were exactly like the Rabbit in a Hat paddles I'd started with (mumblty-mumble) years ago. When the bartender asked if we needed anything else, I commented that her bar was being ripped off with defective stirrers that didn't have to bar's logo on them.

She actually asked me if I wanted another one and I explained that I thought I could "fix" it, then I screwed it up and had logos on [both] sides, finally getting it right!

Wow...

Another effect to practice! Thank you THANK YOU! My Hot Rod also has purple gems...and it's my lady's favorite trick. She hates magic in general, but loves that clear Hot Rod! An amethyst is PERFECT!

Anyone heard of Mark K. Young's "Amazing Jumping Arrow"? Meir Yedid Magic carries it, and it's the one that, overall, gets the best response. This effect defies description...you have to see it.

I just wish I could get one that's "regular", as handing it out for examination, it would be more effective if it wasn't "different" on both sides...

Jumping Gems is another fave, but I'd like to hear your take on the above...

Doug

What are your opinions on the Meteor Paddle. The effect seems kind of cool.

#2 Pencil I would have to say is my fav. Never tried color changing knives though.

Low Phat