Hi
I would like to know the best brand of multiplying balls, balls and shell. Wood, plastic or silicon? Also, could I find them in various sizes? I would like to perform classic ball routines, but also Roth’s balls routines, that uses 2 smaller balls held in one palm.
Thanks for helping me…

'House of Fakini' make the best billiard balls, they are solid silicone, available in lots of vibrant colours, available in various sizes. However, they are expensive, and very hard to get a hold of.

You can see them at:

http://www.dennymagic.com

Denny almost always has them on back order...

(PS- someone told me if you order the balls or thimbles directly from 'The House of Fakini', they are half price. Does anyone know if this is true?)

This is true, however there is a three year waiting list to get them straight from Frank Radky. I used to work in a magic shop and we tried to order some for retail, but the waiting list was too long.

wow!

You can sometimes find them at http://www.dennymagic.com I got mine in just a couple of months from them, vs years. They get shipments in on a fairly regular basis. They also get most of the other Fakini products, thimbles, golf balls, shells, diminishing balls, jumbo thimbles and the like. Check em' out if you want Fakini without the huge wait.

Keith

If you do get Fakinis, get them from Denny and Lee's. Don't buy them at Tannens, where they are double the price.

Try stevensmagic.com

I'd have to agree, Denny and Lee would be the best place to get the balls. And yes the House of Fakini are the best billiard balls out there. Trust me it is well worth the, I'd say, month or two wait from Denny and Lee.
-Bill

The Fakini balls are excellent. I have found similar ones of almost the same quality in a toy store and bought them in different colors for color changes. These were also 1 3/4" and fit the shell perfectly. They were about a dollar each. Too bad they didn't sell shells.

Yes, there is really nothing special about the balls that consitutes their high price except that it is used for magic.

Try to make billiard balls out of silicone. Very difficult, and worth what Radke charges. Coincedently, this is the only type of silicone I'm allowed to play with!

Markis, are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how much a mold costs to make these? Several thousand dollars just for the mold, then the silicone itself is rather expensive, especially the pure white and day glow colors he uses. It takes silicone a long time to set and production is VERY slow. One can only make a few sets at a time. The profit margin is not that high. Do some research, you would be surprised.

Fakinis are certainly the way to go. However, as a substiture when learning and seeing if you want to make the investment, you can often times get 1 3/4 inch super balls at most toy stores. They come in a lot different colors and have a good feel as well. Try them out first before investing the money for the Fakinis.

Fakini balls come in sets of five (1 inch) for only $17.00. It's best to start that way instead of using any toy store balls.

Not sure where you are buying them. But I have found that Fakini's are a lot more pricey then what you have stated. I would reccomend buying toy store balls because they are very cheap, have a nice grip to them, bounce and they come in a variety of colors to do any type of color change with. This way you can work on fundamentals without the large investment. If you still like doing billard balls, then you can invest in a good fakini set.

I would also not use the 1 inch as they are just way to small for an audience to really see well. I would stick with a 1 and 3/4 inch ball or bigger.

Try opening the link "The Scot" mentioned in the second post. It shows the prices of Fakini's balls.

Kyle, try the 1 inch balls by Fakini. I'm sure you will like them. It's ok to perform in front of a group of 10 or less. After you get experience try increasing the balls a notch or two. Always remember, "Practice makes Perfect."

I will have to check out that link. Thanks. I just have never seen real Fakinis at that price before.

You could use the 1 inch set if doing more close up style manipulation. And, if you can get a set for under $17, then I surely would go for it.

However, I still think the better investment would be in the larger 1 3/4 inch size. These are still fairly small in size but can be seen better no matter how large of an audience you are performing to. You could use them for both close up situations as well as stage shows and not have to use two different sets. You may pay more for them upfront, but I think it might be the better investment.

I have used the 1 3/4 inch balls for years and have really liked them. They work great for praticing as often as I do. I also keep a set of different colored balls that are much cheaper. This allows me to be able to practice color changes and other effects without the cost of getting numerous colored balls from Fakini. They are great for praticing with.

The Fakini balls referred to in the above post for only $17.00 are one inch manipulation balls.
This is not a multiplying billiard ball set. Two totally different animals.

Take Care,

Vincent

Vincent:
Thank you for sharing that with us. I was saying there was no way a set of Fakini's could sell for that price. Not when a complete 1 3/4 inch set sells for around $65.00.

I still think a great way to practice and save money is to find and use some super balls at a toy store. They are very cheap and come in different colors. They have a fairly decent grip to them and work well for practice.

The Vernet balls are also cheap and a good way to practice.