Cute, Darren. I'm flattered.

Dennis Loomis

Here's my take on it. I should be wearing my cowboy hat. Oh well. Next time.


http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseac......30742167

Laurie
That was beautiful, not only did you do it on your first attempt, but it has got to be so much harder to teach it to yourself. WAY TO GO

Since this thread started in March of 2006 I purchased Dennis's DVD, and I'm working on doing the snap knot with both hands at the same time like Dennis, and Grandpa do.

Cfrye
If you contact Dennis Loomis he is the only source of the 1/2" drapery cord that I have been able to find.

This routine with the great finish (snapping a knot with both hands) is worth the hours of practice required.

Like Dennis, I don't always do the whole routine (except for Scouts) but once you master the entire routine it is a simple thing to do the parts that fit the venue and your rope routine.

Dennis has structured the routine in such a way as to build the expectations of the audience for that great climax (snapping a knot with both hands) so that they will literally be standing and clapping when you finish!

Once again, thanks for this great routine Dennis!

Hey, thanks, Al. I found the knot in a juggling book from my local library.
Would definitely like to give it a try with a rope in each hand. I'll be working on that. With my cowboy hat.

I'm able to snap the Will Rogers knot with either hand reliably, and both hands semi-reliably, but I dropped the both hands bit from my show after I failed five times in a row twice. I'll give it a few months of rest before I start rehearsing that bit again.

Occasionally I will hold two ropes together and do the knot, tie-ing them together. Just a different approach.

One routine I used to do, with a fairly thick rope, was after the knot I would thread a bagel onto the rope (from above) and the bagel would slide down and stop at the knot.

I commented, "I'll now do the hindu rope trick where the buy climbs the rope... but I coudn't afford a hindu boy so I use this bagel... watch..."

Just then the bagel would climb up the rope (thanks to a reel hookup).

Pete
With all due respect. First you recommend to put a weight on the end of the rope, then you say hold both pieces of rope in the same hand when donig the double knot. I think you're trying to stretch the envelope a bit here my friend. This trick is perfect in it's simplicity.

I like to do several knots one on top of the other, accompanied by some bad one liners, but I'm working on the double knot, and I will have it soon. (with both hands, at the same time)

I recommended a weight because that's how I learned it. I have a real old magic book that makes that suggestion published around the turn of the century. I also stated that "occasionally" I would use the move to tie to pieces together. I don't do that all the time, usually just fooling around with other magician friends working on the move.

However... in a show I ONLY do the standard bit following an original opening gag that I will probably never publish. It is, according to Jay Marshall, one of the funniest rope gags he'd ever seen.

BTW... if you watch Laurie's video clip you will see maybe the best I have ever seen it done.

Now I know what you are talking about, thank you Laurie (nice smile by the way, you should use it in your photos). When I was a lil' punk we use to do that with a rope for fun. I learned it with a rope and a small rubber ball at the end to get the weight right.

I've been looking around the bay area for the cord since Zazz is keeping the location so secret. So far no luck in Richmond, Oakland, Berkelely, Union City, Foster City, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hayward, Fremont, Milpitas, Los Gatos....man, I wish he or she could narrow it down.

I use the soft white rope available in 300-foot balls through Loftus or Chazpro (www.chazpro.com). Chuck and Barbara at Chazpro are great folks and have never failed to have the rope in stock when I called.



Curt

The trick is done the most effortlessly with a twisted rope. I have been to ebay, I did a google search, I personally visited about four local fabric stores, and the only place you can get 1/2" twisted drapery cord is from Dennis Loomis who buys it by the spool from parts unknown. I haven't tried any boating supply stores, but I'm afraid their rope would be a bit too stiff. Santa you know Dennis Loomis lives in the bay area.

I know Dennis. He is a very nice fellow.

It also works well with woven nylon climbers rope at any outdoors outfitter store.
It is soft, available in thick/heavy weights, and is available in colors.
I also liked the DVD, and would like to master the knot while holding both ends.

Ah yes the Bill Spooner "Incredible Snap Knot". Although it is an incredible knot to see performed I don't think it has a lot of entertainment value, the Will Rogers snap knot however with both hands at the same time is quite a sight to behold. What Dennis' DVD taught me is that you can put on a great stage show performance with just a piece of rope, and a ten minute well prepared spontaneous comedy monologue.

Hi Al,
Thanks for your kind comments on my routine and DVD. I seldom get 10 minutes from it, but often do six. The clip on the DVD from Lubbock Texas was done many years ago. Much of the time was spontaneous play with the audience. Many things happened which I just kind of went with and had a lot of fun with. (Baby suddenly crying just as I was about to snap the knot was one of those things that just happens in a blue moon. It blew my concentration and really cracked me up which made it even funnier for the audience.)

To MagicSanta... Berkeley is just one of the places I've found the larger diameter drapery cords. San Francisco and Pleasant Hill are others. I have no one always available source. In fact, I've been back to a couple of places I found it before and now they don't have it. Just one time, I found some wonderful twisted drapery cord that was ENORMOUS. About an inch and a quarter in diameter. If anyone wants some, I have some pretty good size right now. Not the full half inch I would prefer, but large enough to be seen from a good distance. All I have is a light but very bright blue color. PM me.
Dennis Loomis

Posted: Jun 6, 2007 7:04pm
I noticed that Al Angello and Bob Sanders have discovered that some jugglers like some of the showy or manipulative magic. This is certainly true. Years ago I belonged to a jugglers club in Ann Arbor. At one of our meetings, I took a bunch of ropes along. Without fail they all wanted to learn to snap two knots in two ropes simultaneously.

To see a really great magician who is also a great juggler and entertainer overall, pick up the DVDs of Charlie Frye. He fools me, he impresses me, and he cracks me up consistently.


Dennis Loomis

Hey Dennis
What did you think of Laurie's knot?

Hey yourself, Al.
Laurie's knot reminds me of Will Rogers doing it. He actually used the VERY stiff rope used for rope spinning. You have to use a much longer piece of rope if it's that stiff. Laurie's rope is longer than what I usually use, but it's very impressive to see. I've only seen a couple of other lady magicians that snap a knot. Mary Mowder of Sacramento does a lot of great rope magic including snapping knots. She's also skilled at both contact juggling and wand spinning. Her version of a Flip move is on my DVD.

To Laurie: Congratulations on mastering the snap. I look forward to seeing a clip of you doing it with both hands. I would recommend that another of the very showy knots to learn is the Butterfly also known as the Eskimo Yo-Yo. It's a knacky thing, but once you get the knack you'll have another impressive knot stunt for your repertoire. You will need a limber rope for it.

Dennis Loomis
The Sherrif of KNOT-ingham

Dennis, you mentioned a new DVD? Wish to share? Is it available?

Yours Aye the Seadawg