I'd like to know if anyone knows of a version of Haunted Handkerchief that is hands-free. By hands-free I mean you can literally not be touching the hanky or can walk away from the handkerchief. It still moves and you are not touching it. I've seen this effect twice in my life, but can't seem to be able to find it anywhere. The first time I saw it performed was at Tannen's magic shop in NY about 20 yrs ago. I had called them about a yr later to order it and they said nothing like it exists, you have to be touching it. I'm 1000% sure I saw the demonstrator walk about 5 ft away before it started moving. That's why I was so impressed. If he was in contact with it I wouldn't have been impressed. I also recently saw a magician perform it on a news program online. I can't seem to find it again, but may have to give it another try. Is this effect familiar to anyone, and where can I find it? Thanks for your help.

Tannens used to sell a spooks in a bottle that use a record player off stage to control the silk movement. You can do some stuff with ITR gimmick if the silk is light enough.

Alright! I was able to find that video on Youtube. It's performed by a Canadian magician named Spidey. The mechanism seems to be more than just IT. Take a look and tell me what you think. Where can I find this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujN2FDC-68w&feature=channel

Sorry guys. I was wrong. The performance on youtube is not what I'm looking for. Spidey is touching the handkerchief in the video. So, the original question still stands. Anyone familiar with a hands free Haunted Handkerchief? Thanks

Hey Jumbo, Did you everthink of calling a dealer and seeing whats out there. There are dozens of moving hanky effects on the market.
You can also figure it out yourself. I gave you a legitimate answer and you never acknowledged it, and it just might be what you were looking for.
I was at Tannens 20 years ago, and I know what they were capable of perfoming behind the counter.
Dependent upon how far away you are talking about, makes a difference in what the effect is. That, and if there were two or more demonstrators at the counter at the time.
Get a hold of the Tannens catalog from that era and look it up. If it was Tannens and demo'ed at the counter, it will be simple.

Check out Sean Begonia. He has the newest very slick stuff for dancing hank including one you sit on your shoulder. Much improved from the record player unit described. Hope that helps!

Magicians,

I didn't mean to ignore you. I posted a link to youtube showing the type of effect I'm looking for. Since it's not what you described I assumed that would be enough info for you. I'm looking for a sit down effect like "gorpy," not a stage effect. I know this is the stage forum, but it does say handkerchief effects also. I've also posted the same question in the close-up forum. I haven't checked with dealers recently, but did so long ago. I just figured if they didn't have it then they wouldn't have it now. I'm not looking for a new effect, but one I saw 20 yrs ago. I'm just thinking that someone out there may know of what I'm speaking of. I'm very creative and have thought of ways to achieve this effect, but non to my satisfaction. As you say, if it was demoed at Tannen's it's probably pretty easy. That was what I was hoping for. Well, thank you for your suggestions so far. I may have to turn up the creative juices and solve this once and for all. Thanks again

You may find what you are looking for in "Hank, the Ghost Hank" in The Wizards' Journal #16 on my site.

http://www.magicnook.com/WIZj16/WIZ16-01GhostHank.htm

One of the methods described is, indeed, a hands free method; however, the best way to use it is to start by holding the hank with your hands to catch the "wise ones" off guard. Then when you let go and the hank continues to "gerkulate", as we say in the biz, you may get a few gasps from those who know the usual methods.

That's quite the history you give on the site. I always defended the Madblood version as the original, yet you say that solid ghost was first?
Madblood defended his turf for years as if he was the creator of the thing.
Remarketed is a euphemism for knocked off, if the re-marketer isn't the originator. Seems like 2 years wasn't enough time to let the body get cold on this ghost.
I remember a version where someone used the casing on "romex" wire as the animator. The expansion of that was almost time delayed so that one could walk away as the mystery unfolds.
I would never carry "hyrum" in my shop, only Glorpy. Plus, the acetate cloth that Madblood used was perfect for the gimmick. Just the right length, feel and bend.

Mr. Cornelius had one in one of his videos. Maybe "The creative magic of John Cornelius".

All his stuff is great. He is a very clever thinker. Many years wondering what happened with him and now has released a new book on card magic.

D

I must've seen that 30 years ago. I didn't mean to tip it, I forgot where I had seen it. I love Cornelius magic.

Spellbinder,

I checked out your website. I'd like you to clarify. You're suggesting I should purchase item WJ16-01 for $5, right?

also, I have the cornelius dvd with his version. Nice, it's the best version imho, but still doesn't address the hands free issue.

Only if you are able to make your own props, since this is a "Do-It-Yourself" set of instructions for modifying the Handkerchiefs and devising new gimmicks. If you are looking to buy a finished routine with a gimmicked hank, this is not for you. What you get is a set of directions for making your own gimmicked hank (all right, you can modify any men's pocket handkerchief, so you don't have to do that part!) and then are given enough directions for incorporating the design into the routine of your choice. I don't want to turn out little clone magicians who are all performing the exact same effects, so that's why I give you the tools and options and then set you loose to use them in your own way.

Spellbinder,

I'm with you. I try to do things in a unique way. A lot of my routines are all my own. Of course I can't help be inspired by others, but I try not to do tricks "out of the box." Otherwise I wouldn't even try to find a handsfree version, I'd just do the same versions as everyone else. I actually have a lot of them, but am not satisfied. I just can't see how a spectator wouldn't assume you are moving it with your hand. I would just be fooling myself. My #1 rule is never to lie to myself. A white lie once in a while to others is ok, but never to myself. I've realized that the reason I love magic is that it's my main outlet for creativity. Hopefully I'll put some of my creations in print or video someday. I'd hate to take them to the grave with me. Just wanted to verify that item WJ16-01 is the one that contains the hands free handling. Thanks

Personally I think you are fixating on an effect that will last 2 minutes and when done, will only impress a magician. Many times we forget that our audience will be just as impressed with the hands on version and just as many times, doing a "glorpy" effect, your audience will perceive that you never touched the cloth.
What you might be better to concentrate on is the performance and not the technique.
You seem to want to be able to walk away from the table and have the cloth tweak or move, or even float.
One of the easiest methods for this is a palpitator which you control with your foot and is under the table cloth or closeup pad on your table.
If you walk away from the table and if your performance area is "parlour", the audience has no reason to watch the table, so they might miss the movement. If you are in a relatively close proximity, your success in controlling the audience eyes are better. Lastly, ask yourself if you were impressed as a magician or as a spectator. Most times, your infatuation with the effect is not shared by the spectator who could not care about the method. If the cloth moves, it should not matter how close you are to it.

Magicians,

I thank you for your opinion. Everything I do I filter through a spectator's view the best I can. Like I said, "I never lie to myself." If I do a sleight and it looks like a sleight I admit it to myself. A spectator should only see you do what you pretend to do. The problem with bad magicians is that they lie to themselves. They pretend what they do looks normal when a spec can clearly see something is fishy. When I see a hand on a handkerchief that is supposed to be moving due to some spirit inside I wonder why there hand has to be touching it. Actually, I don't wonder at all. I know he's moving it. When I saw the hands free version I wasn't surprised b/c I'm a magician. I was surprised b/c I had no idea how it was being done. I had that "how are you doing that?" reaction. The way it was moving I couldn't even explain it with IT. btw, I never said I want to walk away from the table. I said that's what I saw the Tannen's demo person do. I just want no hands to have to touch the handkerchief. I have to beg to differ with you on the impression a spectator would have from a hands-on and a hands-off version. To me it's the same difference between watching a levitating body suspended by a broomstick touching the floor, and another without being supported by ANYTHING. I think we should give non-magicians enough credit to know the differences between the two. I'm a perfectionist and want both my performance AND technique to be the best they can be. Why would I have to overlook 1 for the other.

With that said, can you give me more info on the palpitator? Where can I get one? Are there specific brand names?

Jumbopenny:
F.L. Jerry's Fun Shop shows that they have "palpitators". There web site is
http://www.fljerry.com/flj0081.html

Chuck

My problem with your effect is the time element. Familiarity breeds contempt and a long duration breeds exposure. A moving silk away from the hand should be short and sweet. Therfore, I maintain that the impact difference might be negligeable.
I do my own method of zombie that might interest you, because, during that ball flight, I float a silk along with it and sometimes I just float the silk without the zombie.
http://www.magicians.tv
look for village ball in the left collumn of links.

About 40 years ago or longer, I had a hands-free haunted hank called The Gollywog. I made the purchase from Gene Gordon's House of Hocus Pocus in Buffalo NY. The hank was not gimmicked. Mine wore out long ago and I've never seen it manufactured anywhere else. I always preferred it to haunted hank and have attempted to recreate the original gimmick...without success. On another note...a couple of years ago there was a fellow on YouTube that did the Hyram version. I was completely floored because his handling made it appear that he was not touching the hank, at least, not in the way I would have expected knowing the nature of the gimmick. It proved to be an excellent example of how, with the right approach, it is sometimes possible to transcend limitations within a method without changing the method. PM if you feel more detail would be helpful.