I got interested in the Gypsy Thread trick after I got Danny Orleans' DVD set, where he does it as a platform trick. I had only seen it done in closeup, and this got me interested. It seems people have a lot of different opinions on what thread you should use...so I bought every kind of thread that was mentioned here and tried them all out. (It wasn't that much money, it's only thread.) I made a short video that explains what I found. Check it out:

http://youtu.be/lkEF9CePaK0

(It's currently uploading and YouTube tells me it will be live in about 20 minutes.)

Nice video! I have done as much research myself into the typical selection of the "best threads" for this effect and I am still experimenting. I was familiar with all of what you mentioned except the candlewicking thread - I will have to try that! Since I sometimes use a candle to burn my threads apart (as part of the presentation) I can afford to use thick and tough threads sometimes. Of course I still have to be selective of the material because not all materials burn well, and not all will stick sufficiently together in a ball.

I also like that you concentrated on what I would call craft store threads - ones you find in places other than magic shops...

Having said that, I personally have found that the Gypsy Balloon thread sold by Tony Clark is quite thick and (for me) easy to break even with bare hands all the while being quite visible from a stage.

Thank you for sharing your work and findings with us!

I don't know anyone who has the Tony Clark thread, and since it's about $30.00 for a spool, it seems a bit expensive to test out. I took a look at his routine, it's quite effective, but you obviously have to bring a tank of helium along to each gig.

Great video, Jeff. Thanks for the detailed review of the options.

Sammy

@Jeff: I quite agree that $30/spool is expensive for mere testing purposes, but on the other end of the spectrum, if you get the opportunity to use it regularly then it pays for itself in one way or another and is worth it. One could also say the same thing about the Glo thread from the Camirand Academy - great thread and highly visible, but you have to weigh the cost.

As far as lugging a tank of helium around, that is an option but you can also take pre-filled balloons - yes, they do take up space but they are far lighter than a tank of helium.

Didn't check the video yet but I really appreciate the effort. I have been in process of buying different threads as well for the routine and so far no luck with good stage version. The thread recommended by most isn't available anymore

J-M

Thanks for sharing this worthwhile video.

Ray

Thanks for your research, that was interesting.

The magician that has done the Gypsy Thread on stage for over 50 years is the late Billy McComb, he is or was one of the most famous modern day magicians in magic. He mainly did Cruise Ships, then when he as older, he was the house magician for the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, California.

I found separating a white string called Twine, breaks very easily, of course the Twine I have is very old, so that may be the reason it breaks so easily. Twine is made of at least 10 strands of string, and it is very visible.

Thanks again, and I hope magic community can find thread that works well for large audiences.

J-M - What is the thread recommended by most for stage?

Bill - I think Billy McComb used the candlewick thread (or something very similar), I remember seeing him do his routine a few times at magic conventions and his thread always looked "fluffy", with a lot of strands sticking out of it. Most threads are very clean and neat-looking. When I got the candlewick thread I found that it has that same look, because it's intentionally made with old-fashioned techniques. And I think I got the candlewick thread from a recommendation here on the forum. Or I suppose Billy could have used yarn, but it never quite looked like yarn to me.

Jeff,
You are a magician. Perhaps you still have a piece of flashcord in your drawer.
Draw is single thread from this twined cord and perform the hindu thread routine.
You can "break" it very easy.
At the end hold it near a flame: "......it was all an illusion.....!"

The string that Tony Clark sells is good. It can cut into your fingers if you aren't careful. But the way to combat that is you are actually snapping it apart as opposed to just breaking it as is done with basting thread. You don't have give much of a tug on it once you understand that. I hope that makes sense.

As for what type of yarn Billy McComb used. From what I have been told by others is. He used more than just one kind of yarn. What those brands and types had been however I'm not sure.

Jeff, excellent video and a great resource. Thanks for putting that together. There a some people who use glow thread for larger audiences for greater visibility.

Jim Cellini used something that was very thick, I'll have to check. I've used punch embroidery yarn/thread, something I learned from Richard Hatch.

Cellini detailed his version in the WGM video Hindu Thread/Gypsy Thread DVD and I had seen it before, but his thread is a very loose cotton that gets very rag-like (raggedy?) when it is torn apart. Not sure exactly what it is off hand either.

I have Jim's DVD that contains his Gypsy thread routine, but don't recall what he used.

I have found what may be an ultimate solution to the perfect thread for this effect (at least for me). It is a 4-ply 100% worsted cotton yarn from a company called Lily - the original Sugar & Cream. It is easily seen from stage, it can easily (enough) be broken by hand, it also burns cleanly (if you use a candle as I usually do), it holds its shape quite well when you ball it up, and best of all? 109m/120yds was $1.73/USD at JoAnn Fabric. They also offer a larger skein for about a dollar more.

This stuff also separates easily if you want to use just a single ply for more intimate/close-up venues.

Awesome find! I'll have to pick some up and try it out.

Probably not what you're looking for, for stage, but for close-up/stand-up this is very nice:
http://www.thesewingplace.com/advanced_s......&x=0&y=0

I use the yellow, and it is visible from a distance, and breaks easily.

Magiguy, that's Japanese Basting Thread...covered in my YouTube video, link in the first posting.

Ahh... I didn't watch your video until just now.

If you do pick some up Jeff, let me know how it works for you. I have been searching for years and up until now, I have only found a thread that is "close enough" to meeting my personal demands. This stuff from Lily fits it all.