I know nothing ..... about this particular effect.

I was wondering what methods there were around.

And which ones do folk rate?

I've watched magical colleagues do it for years past, and have decided that maybe I'll give it a whizz at long last.

A great impromptu effect.

Count Zapik

Hi Count,

It's a very cool effect and the spectators' reactions are great. While I don't do this effect myself I have seen it in one of the Tarbell's novels. (Unfortunately I can't remember which at the moment.)

I will try to find out for you unless another member happens to know the answer.

I love this effect, it is wonderful. I think the best Knife Thru Coat routine has Boretti from Germany with lots of comedy in it.

I think you can get it also in the USA, otherwise you can buy it here:

http://www.boretti-shop.de

The audience loves it.

Mfg Markus

Thanks for the "Tarbell" lead Chrystal.

That's a good idea. I'll go through the copies in my circles library. Do you have any idea which one has the biz in it?

Magic Markus, I looked up your suggestion too. The Boretti effect uses a gimmick it seems. I'd like to be able to perform the effect impromptu using ungaffed objects.

The effect is simple to do I realize, but can be quite disarming—maybe one of the features is the "patter oportunities" for raucous humour, and follow on effects. Some magi I have seen have some great lines.

Count Zapik

Harrison's Knife Through Coat is in volume 5 of Tarbell, page 13.

Excellent pxs, I'll have a good look. Thanks for your help.

Count Zapiko

Glenn Haywood (San Francisco) had the greatest Knife Through Coat, he even did Knife Through Skirt at the appropriate time/place.

His routine was with the blade cut off and a long pin that you hold through the coat.

I am not sure who invented the blade, but the routine kills.

Pete Biro Sir,

I've checked around a bit for Glen Haywood's details and profile on the net, without too much success. Does he sell his routine or thoughts, or are they available from anywhere you know of? Maybe you could tell me a bit more?

I'm working on a hunch here; that being, if YOU say it's true—judging from some of your other excellent posts on this site—then it's really true!

I have had a good non-gaff routine turn up, which is the thing I wanted. Also, someone has got me a very clever two-knife effect. These alone do the biz, however, as with all these things I'm on a "roll" now.
Count Zapik

Good luck to you Count Zapick, whatever you decide to do.

Ironically enough when I read Knife thru Coat in Tarbells I thought.."now that's something that I haven't seen performed by anyone". I wanted to try an effect that the majority of my ring members (I was assuming) hadn't seen before as I believe it's a very old effect.

As luck would have it..I attended a convention aprox 2 wks later..and Ha! It was performed!! The audience reaction was really good consisting both of magicians and laypeople. I am not sure how popular this effect is..perhaps others with more knowledge can comment but I think that is an advantage! The one listed in Tarbells if I remember correctly required no gaff.

Thanks pxs for responding to my question as I shall have to read up on it again.

Chrystal

Thanks everyone for your help. I think it's true that not too many people are performing this little miracle these days, although it has been popular...a few decades ago.

In some ways it's maybe a bit old fashioned and maybe it doesn't seem quite right these days to make fun out of seemingly spoiling someone's clothes.

The beauty of it is that it's totally impromptu, if you want it to be; with the right kind of audience it is a hoot! It also holds some clues for performing great misdirection.

The guy I saw do it a week or so ago who really fooled me with it, because it is so simple. He explained his take on it last night, during a gig we were doing.

It's a little gem I reckon, despite its deceptive simplicity. For me, it's a new kind of effect to perform and is maybe out of character for me, however, trying out alternative ways of working is maybe a good way of discovering how and where to grow.

For what it's worth, I reckon it's one to have some fun with!

Count Zapik

Check out The Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic under Knife. Mr. Gardner has a couple of non-gaffed versions of this trick.

Good luck
Shanester

A variation of knife through coat is the Comedy Drill Trrough Coat.

I personally do not own it as was told it may be tricky to handle....However, I think the premise sounds great since the drill bit spins through the the coat.

I just thought I would throw the idea out in the forum.

Jeff

I always carry Pen Thru Anything. Passing it through a wine glass is a killer. Few dinners ago a young Paris Hilton type fashion plate was bragging about the silk top she was wearing...I faked autographing it and did pen through silk dress top...she was freaked, then floored when I slid the pen off revealing no damage. Not knife through coat but pen through blouse...give it a try.

OK there are different versions of this routine. Here`s one you can find on the net and it`s Joe "Ballard" Taylor's version. Here`s the link
http://members.aol.com/MagicDan/docs/knife_coat.html
Hope I helped

Interesting link. Taylor’s site gives you one version of the trick done two ways. It is the classic handling of the effect. Taylor states that he was taught the version 50 years ago and claims that he has never seen this version in print. My guess is that he doesn’t read much in the magic literature because that version has been in print several times and was a popular method 50 plus years ago. Nevertheless, he gets our thanks for putting it out one more time (David Groves put it out a couple years ago in booklet form with only a small variation, i.e., used a marksman’s target rather than a sheet of newspaper).

Mystic Mickey gives a killer version that will appear impromptu or can be played with the same blocking and theatre as the knife through coat.

I do pretty much the same effect (as Mickey's) by driving my index finger through a coat, sweater, or shirttail (yes I use my TT or FT). It gets a nice startled reaction from the audience. Like Mickey’s it is done as a “toss away” or impromptu trick.

If you carry your color changing knives then you are ready to do a knife through coat. It just takes a knife and a square of newspaper or paper napkin and the know how. One of my color changing knives in the set is used for a card stab, to cut the top off a beer/coke can to get the signed coin out (coin to beer can trick), and for knife through coat or knife through handkerchief. Not to mention that it is used for color changing knives!

Lookin' sharp, the knife through coat, anyone with a good handling, please pm or email me.
Thanks,
Mark markmagic@aol.com
http://www.markcomleymagic.com