Hi All

I wonder if there's anybody out there who might be able to help me? I am looking into buying a couple of DVDs and learning the approach of Richard Ross and Chris Capeheart, who both do a three ring routine. I am just wondering will I have to purchase any special rings to perform either of these routines?

Please PM me if this information is too sensitive.

All the best
Prof. Alexander

Nothing special needed. Just a few rings from a standard ring set. I believe Ross uses a locking key which makes it more expensive. I could be wrong and he's just that good, but that's what I saw anyway.

By buying a standard (non-locking) set you'll have enough to do just about any routine you can imagine. Vernon's, Capehart's, Cellini's, McBrides, Haydn's, etc...

You might want to check out Al Koran's Three Ring Routine. It is very clean, well thought out and easy to learn. It served Koran well during his pro career. I believe it's available from http://www.stevensmagic.com

BTW -- Joe Porper has created a new locking key that will blow your mind. It is perfect to open with. Once open you really don't need to re-lock, but if you want to this one is easy to do. It opens merely by hitting two rings together!

Hi Dave
Yeah it looks like he is using a locking k, but I wasn't sure.

I have a set of rings and have been performing with them for a couple of years now. I have only done a 4 ring routine which was initially based on Whit Haydn's routine and has been transforming virtually at ever performance since. I love the rings and I love Whit's performance but I don't like performing the sucker aspect of it myself....I know people will say that it's not a sucker trick but I just have a block with this aspect of it. I have turned the second part into a magician in trouble sort of thing - it works but I want it to be better - actually I want it to be stunning! This is why I am looking into doing a variation on Richard Ross's routine; the most truly magical routine I have seen - it actually looks like magic, rings melting through rings, and wonderfully effortless and fun.

It has just occurred to me that it might not be me that has a block with Whit's routine but my character, the Professor - it's just not him.

Anyway the set of rings I have consists of K. S, D and T. You reckon this is all I need for all the various routines?

Hi Pete
Thanks for the info Pete (as always, a vitual mine of information)I will definitely look into this.

Cheers. Thanks for all the help, much appreciated.


BTW - Anybody out there doing the Ross routine?

Prof. Alexander

Terry Lunceford has a wonderful three ring routine.

http://www.ontheedgeofreality.com/download/product.html

It was inspired by the Ross routine and is quite good.

Enjoy the search.

Regards,

Paul Green

You sure you don't have another S somewhere? That would make a complete 8 ring set. You'll need the second S for most three ring routines.

Hi Dave

Of course you are correct - found the old single in the original box underneath the bed...been a long time. Thanks for reminding me.

All the best
Prof. Alexander

The only thing I can add is that when I saw Chris Capehardt lecture he recommended 10" rings and NOT expensive ones. He told me he can do the routine with 12" rings, but his routine looks better with 10" and I'm inclined to agree.It believe the thought on using the cheaper rings is that the key is a bit easier to adjust. It also might be because of a couple of the techniques can be a little hard on the rings.

Aldo Colombini has a 3-ring routine, featured in a video/DVD from the Camirand Academy as well as one of the installments of Lewis Ganson's Magic Teach-In Series. It's great, as are the Ross, Koran, and Capehart routines. Haven't seen Lunceford's, so I can't comment on it. My own routine features moves from each of these other sources, along with a move of my own.

Hi Pete

Had a quick look round for the k-ring you mentioned by Joe Porper, is this the Ghost Ring? If so, it appears to only be produced as part of a 5 inch set of rings.
Am I totally wrong and does this new 'k' come in various sizes?

Hi tedski

I generally use 12 inch rings. I also have a 10inch set which I never really use apart from occasionally using a couple of them for ring and rope routines. The reason I don't really use them much is they have a tendency to spring apart at the welds (this is my second set)..........

so tedski when you say:

"It also might be because of a couple of the techniques can be a little hard on the rings."

I dread to think what would happen if I used my 10inch set for Chris Capehearts routine! Are there any good sets of cheap rings out there that don't have this frustrating weakness?

Hi Scott
Is there anywhere we can view your routine? Sounds like you have done your homework regarding the rings! And then some!

I must say I really enjoy the rings and (despite what some magicians say) so do audiences - adults as well a kids. I think some magicians spend too much time in an introverted world of magic. Most ordinary people only come into contact with magic very rarely and are quite amazed at how different a live performance differs from what they have seen on television. And in actual fact very few people have ever seen a performance of the rings either live or on television....To quote somebody, not sure who....There is no such thing as an old trick if you have never seen it before.

My experience is when you bang two rings together and they seemingly melt through each other you get the reaction every magician wants, wide eyes and open mouths, gasps and nervous giggles....they thought the new how it was done...but they actually did just seet wo solid steel rings pass through each other....Magic!

All the best
Alex

Hi, Alex!

No, there's nowhere you can see my routine. I did explain one sequence in "Great Scott! It's More Magic," which is currently out of print.

You are right that I did my homework. I decided I wanted to do the rings, so I went through my library and found everything I could on them. Then I bought a few more resources. To read in more detail how I went about it (and how I recommend others go about devising their own routines) read my Visions article here:

http://www.online-visions.com/pro-files/0306.html

Alex,

Chris Capehardt used and recommended the inexpensive rings when I met him. I'm not sure why your rings welds have failed - I'm not sure what makes I have, but I have both 10 and 12" sizes.
IMHO, Chris' routine has a couple of fairly frenetic points, ie) quickly repeated crash links (I forget what he calls it, but his technique uses a minimum of motion and is very magical), and another which he calls the impossible link- which I don't think I can easily describe. It does take a knack - but once learned I found it very impressive. Because of the pace of the crash sequence you may even hurt your hand a bit until you get it; he even tells you that on his DVD; thankfully I learned pretty quickly!

After I learned the techniques correctly, I think I minimized the impact on my rings which have held up fine. I think the DVD is well worth getting Again, he told me to use the 10" inexpensive rings and if you learn his routine I think you will prefer them - have fun.

I've tried many sets of rings for Capehart's routine and the easiest rings for this routine are the cheapo 10" rings.

Like these
http://www.theambitiouscard.com/details.......DLINKING

That is what I use specifically.

Hi Frank
Do these rings have a visible weld? The cheap set I own have visible welds though covered with chrome - I think it's the chrome that's actually holding them together:-). As far as I can make out they have been spot welded - not very secure Have you ever had your set spring open?

I had a real hard job actually finding a good set of rings before. I finally found a good set that although not perfect, are solid - no welds to be seen. I don't really want to be buying set after set.

Had a look at your site and think your shipping fees might make the purchase a bit prohibitive as I could possibly pick up a cheap set this side of the world.

Appreciate your offer of help tho'

All the best
Alex

Alex,
You should be able to pick ones like this up just about anywhere.
They do not have horrible weld spots. They are not perfect but I hand them out and no attention seems to be drawn to any particular part of the ring.

Terry, Aldo, Al Koran, they are all worth picking up.