I do not reccomend the Vernet balls. They are rough on the hands, do not have a good weight and if you drop them, they crack and chip. Also you can not do some of the more advanced moves with the vernet balls. My best advice is to just get yourself some of the cheap bouncy balls 1 3/4 inch and play with them. they really are much cheaper then anything else and if you get Fakini's, they are not so much different.

Hello:

I just received my current Stevens Catalog and he has the Mikame Billiard Balls in there. I've seen them before - they're wooden and beautiful...quite light, if I remember correctly.

Personally, I like the Fakini best, but Mikame ain't bad at all!

Ron

I have actually had good luck with the Vernet balls. There is no move I can't do with them. They don't chip at all, and I find that they have not done much to my hands.

I guess with any billard balls, it becomes a personal preference of sorts. I only recommend that you try different ones and see which ones work for you and your style of performance.

I have tried the wooden ones but I find that I do not prefer the tecture of them and the fact that they have the possibility of "talking" more then Fakinis. I know some of the masters have used wodden balls to great effect.

I guess you have to find out what is best for you.

I have tried Vernet, Fakini, Mikame and wooden billiard balls, and like Fakini for proffessional performances, but Vernets for practicing.

Didn't mean to burst anyone's bubble on the Fakini prices. I wish they were only $17.00 a set.
The Mikame balls are very well made, a quality set.
My only problem is that after using Fakinis for the past few years the wooden balls slip a little and it's like having to learn the routine all over again. Well,
not quite, but I think you know what I mean.
The Super Ball idea is a good one except for the lack of a shell. I guess you could buy extra, cut one in half and try to hollow it out but I would be very careful when doing so. No one wants to get cut.
Magic4U02, you have some great ideas. Enjoy reading your posts.

Take Care And Have Fun,

Vincent

Vincent:
Thank you kindly for the nice words. I guess I have been around the block a few times and have learned from a lot of my own mistakes.

I am also a designer, artist and illustrator, so I always tend to think more on the visual and creative side of things. My mind works differently then most. hehe =)

I also teach one of the largest SYM assemblies here in Philadelphia. They always keep me on my toes and usually forces me to keep in tune with things. They bring up problems and issues, and that forces me to come up with the answers for them.

The shell would be hard to produce with the bouncy balls. I usually just use the bouncy balls to practice my single ball moves, roll down effects and color changes. It is cheaper this way and I do not have to get my Fakini set messed up.

Another point I would like to make is that you should really probably practice using a similar billard ball to the ones you will use on stage. I am not sure I would practice with a Vernet set and then jump to a Fakini set during my show. I think the feel is so different, that it might throw you off. Just my opinion is all.

Production time is long, molds are expensive if you try the biz, and his product is famous for limited supply but remains the BEST for many!

To me it is worth the price and the wait.

Exactly. Fakinis are worth all the money and patience required to get them.

Fakinis are simply the best out there. I love the feel and grip of them and they work far better for me then any other brand I have personally tried. They are an investment well spent.

They also bounce, which is very forgiving!

I pesonally prefer the Vernet to any others that I have used. However I haven't used the fakini's so they may be better. However I have never incurred any trouble with the vernets before.
Marcus

As I have said before, I really think it becomes a preference thing and finding out what your fingers like and what you are used to.

Marcus:
I would try a set of Fakinis and see if you might like them better., They are very forgiving and will bounce if they are dropped on stage. They also have a nice weight to them and a great grip.

There is something about the Fakini's that makes them feel nicer than others. I think it's the weight. Anyone who doesn't have a set, invest in them.

You are right Zombie. I love the Fakini's for several reasons. Out of all the balls I have tried, they just seemed to grip better in my hands while also not hurting them with ridges as were on the Vernet sets. I also liked how smooth they were and the weight really is wonderful. The 1 3/4 inch set are perfect and the weight of them makes roll downs quite easy. Also the fact that they bounce can really work in your favor when doing a bounce color change or a bounced ball to silk effect. Just openes me up to many more possibilities.

Bouncing the balls also serve as great misdirection for steals.

Absolutely. Bouncing of the ball can be used for many great effects. I do a bouncing color change. I also do one where the ball is tossed into the air, allowed to bounce up and when it bounces up it changes into a silk. A lot of creativity you can do because of that.

Jeff McBride has a routine with custom Fakinis that were made to look like eyeballs, and he uses the bounce misdirection a lot.

Just thought I'd jump in here. After all the discussion about 1 3/4" fakinis, I thought I'd mention that if you really want visability and super control, try the 2" size. This sounds like a stretch, no pun intended but after continued practice, your fingers will adapt to the size. They almost stick to the fingers.
I can't believe that noone has had a chipping problem with the vernet balls however. If you drop them on a hard stage or floor, they do chip and as mentioned, you can't do the bounce moves with a vernet ball.

Kyle has it right though. As with any effect that has choices of props, it's all a matter of taste and preferrence.