I recently purchased a very inexpensive ($5) Brema Nut for a routine I've been thinking of doing. When I received it, there is a very obvious line in the thing. I tried it with my 11 year old, and she immediately commented on the line in the nut.

Does anyone make a Brema Nut that is less obvious, or even invisible?

Viking Magic has them. It is called the Spirit Nut. I have one and it is great.

http://www.vikingmagic.com/?nd=full&key=355

I fully 2nd Spirit Nut from Viking Magic. Invisible. Adjustable tension even. There simply is no other challenger to this version.

Finally did get a chance to order one and got it in today. Can't even compare this to the piece of ...stuff I bought earlier. Fantastic!

Good call Rick! If you want to elevate the routine to new heights...lose the hanky.

I haven't seen any routines without a handkerchief. Any references?

Hi Rick. There are no references or manuscripts for this. It is simply something I came up with in response to people's dislike of the use of a handkerchief at the moment of the magic. I became aware of this situation, as I noticed a general fade-out of interest from about 25%-50% of the viewing public. Imo they are right to feel this way. It is a total buzz kill in almost all effects. I therefore modified all effects that used a hanky & scrapped its use. The only effect that I can justify the use of a hanky in is 'Burglar Ball'. The use of a hanky just builds suspense on this one. The move does not occur undercover either. The effect is then re-performed bare-handed anyway & creates a natural progression. When you truly think about it, the use of a hanky is a lazy performer's cop-out. There are some exceptions to this rule of course.

For tips (without causing exsposure, I hope), loosen the tension a tad. Everything is still untectable & examinable. You will have to work out your own handling to what is natural for you. It will take a bit of time, but you'll notice a HUGE impact difference on your audience. It's almost a new effect. Masterpiece class. When practicing, use 2 posts or some such set-up to hold the ends of the rope. This replicates the actual performance set-up & speeds up your learning curve. I hope this helps to clarify things.