Hanson Chien sent me a new one. I received it today. It opened perfectly the first time. It opened perfectly the second time. Problem resolved.

Does the end grain look like end grain? I read elsewhere that it does not.

My end grain looks fine - it would fool me. A woodworker could probably tell the difference. But in a real life situation nobody’s going to examine one end of the block. It’s psychologically good because the grain runs horizontal, and any crack in the block would have to be vertica

I have to say, this is pretty good when you get one that works. I've been practicing with it all night and it is working perfectly. I am starting to fool myself with it.

Yes. I had a damaged one that did not look like it should. I received a replacement today and it is the perfect illusion.

I have been working with Wilson at Hanson Chien on my Holy Wood block problem. They have gone the extra mile to make sure I am a satisfied customer. I received a new block via FedX and it is perfect. The illusion is even more perfect since there are no vertical “lines” on either end. And yes, I would feel confident handing this out to a spectator. I can’t wait to put this in my walk-around set - I think it will be a killer. If you’re on the fence, but it now. You won’t be sorry.

Don’t but it, buy it!

I am glad to hear this! Having seen how much they strive for quality, I bet they were as upset that defective units made it out the door as the ones who received them. Would potentially be a worthy nominee for the 2023 Thurston award.

They have my vote for the best trick of 2023

I'm glad to hear your positive feedback.

The effect was published in 2021 and received numerous nominations that year.

I appreciate everyone's support. This magic trick has always been one of my top five favorites.

Has anyone had laymen able to pull it apart? Curious if you hand it out or not.

I have spectator remove it from the box. Have never had anyone even get close to discovering it's operations. They really don't even try. One thing to remember about Holy Wood is that it is routined as a transformation effect not a simple penetration. So they are trying to get their minds around how a deck of cards they were just using slowly became a block of wood, not how a card went through a block. It wasn't a block of wood when the card went through to their way of thinking. it was a liquid pulp. So not even an avenue to really explore.

Since the release of this product, the most common question we receive from consumers is: What if the audience wants to inspect the wooden block, and can the wooden block be examined?

Firstly, whether the audience wants to inspect the wooden block depends on your presentation. I prefer presenting the effect where a deck of cards transforms into a wooden block. Generally, the audience doesn't feel compelled to inspect the wood because the fascinating part for them is understanding how a deck can transform into wood.

However, if you present it in a puzzle-like manner (such as the matchbox penetration), where a card passes through a box and then a wooden block is revealed, it naturally sparks curiosity in the audience, so they want to inspect it.

Finally, as for whether the wooden block can actually be inspected, I've heard some people mention that the prop is too tight for them to open. Nevertheless, a slightly tighter prop provides less risk for the magician. However, with the correct technique and appropriate force, you can easily open the mechanism. I'm satisfied with it.

I just received mine today before it sold out again. I must say that it is very interesting and I cannot wait to try it out. I am only halfway through the tutorial on this to even have an opinion. But, I will say this about Holy Wood. This is one of those pieces that you don't just receive and start playing with it before you watch the video (highly recommended not to break your new magic). I have actually made this mistake years ago and you never just play with a piece and try to figure it out without instructions. I believe this piece can and will be very deceptive if you take your time and go through the teaching of the effect. I am a happy customer so far and I haven't even tested it out yet, but, very deceptive it can be. First impressions are very good.

A new version was just released:

HOLY WOOD: ENGRAVED EDITION
https://www.hanson-chien.com/products/holy-wood-engraved

Nice souvenir idea for VIPs.

I'm not going GIVE it away!

Why not? $25 is not a lot for a VIP souvenir. And it looks great.

Haha.. My bad... I thought you meant the $120 gimmick

Ah yes! Sorry. I should have been more specific. I was referring to the "HOLY WOOD - NORMAL BLOCK ENGRAVED" item.