Back in 2016 there was discussion here about using a split or welded ring being accepted as magical more readily than a solid one.

The idea is since they think they "know the answer" they are less suspicious and enjoy the effect more,
whereas two solid rings are know to be impossible to link and therefore trickery is suspected.
It is the old question of "Improbable impossible" vs "Impossible for me"

Regardless, I have noticed that when spectator's get their hands on the split key rings they "test" them to see how difficult it is to spread and link.

So, I made up some sets of linked rings with superglue on the split. Now< when I drop two separate rings into a spectator's hand for them to
"magically link" (closed hand to warm them up and then a magic word) they open hand to find them linked. They immediately try and separate them
but this is truly impossible. Soon they are handing them for other to try and they take them home.

I am suggesting that the "after the fact" impossible can serve as an enhancer (acquitment) for your earlier links/unlinks
and make them stronger magic in the story telling. Can't ell what they say at home, of course, but I can see the glint in their eye.

Terrific thinking and solution to a very real dilemna. Bravo!

I like the idea/thinking that you presented

but I'm missing some context. What type of effect openly uses a split ring?
Maybe you are referring just to the type of key ring that is a tightly spiraled strip of metal? (as Sankey used for his 3-ring circus?)

John

I use them in many effects in place of coins. Various colors and cheap as give aways,
plus there are some sleights available not possible with coins.

Not problem as there is not attempt to link them. Then there are ring on string effects.

Later on can segue into the Sankey type effects if desire, not always original with him, but ...
or other effects using rings linked together. It is only at the end that the Link in hand is done - and the take it home mystery.

Too soon to gauge the impact as I don't perform much, but the use of the split ring seems to make the effects more "plausible impossible"
and therefor more enjoyable. The real key is price and growing lack of familiarity of the public with coins.

There are washers in various colors too, but these rings seem to wrk weel. I do rough up the edges though.

One popular effect is where I have folks slip five small rings on a pencil, then I slide them off all linked together.

Another is using black, silver and brass rings, one of each dropped into a dish. A spectator calls out a color order and I pull out a chain linked in that order.

I call the approach Ring'l for Ring as portal. MatbuI'll pubkish the effects some day.

Anyway, the glued idea is something new and I was hoping for input - thanks.

Good thinking, funs. 😁👍🏽

If I'm understanding the setup correctly, what you're doing is creating a delayed reaction. In essence, there's always that partial explanation for a link in that people know you can link these key rings together. They also know how to do it and the effort it takes. So, the mental explanation is "I know how it is done, but he has some tricky way of doing it faster than I know how to do - still I know exactly what must be happening, as one ring is opened up to let the other slip around it until they are linked together."

And then, when you hand it over, their first thought is to confirm that yes, they are linked. Decent reaction. Then they try to see how hard it is to unlink, checking to see if your rings are softer than those they are used to. And that's when they realize that what they thought was the explanation is absolutely impossible because you glued the rings so they can't work that way.

I don't know how you do it. I'd love to see it done, but I think it is one of those techniques I am unlikely to ever use, so I'd like to just be fooled and enjoy the mystery.

-Patrick