GYPSY THREAD

[Guest]

HELP..I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE NAME OF THE THREAD THAT BREAKS EASILY FOR THIS TRICK,,,I THINK IT IS TAILORS BASTING THREAD OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS,ANHYONE CAN HELP,,PLEASE,,I AM GETTING TOO OLD TO BREAK REGULAR THREAD,,,,STAN KRAMIEN

[Pete Biro]

Cocrrect "Basting thread" -- try dental floss has cutting blade.

[Guest]

I JUST KNEW BIRO WOULD HAVE A ANSWER

[Guest]

One of The Best ideas I've heard these last few years, an idea that made me smack my head, was to do the Gypsy Thread with 2 colors of thread (you break one length, a spectator breaks a length from a different colored spool and gives you his pieces to roll up in the little ball of thread bits), the climax--LOGICALLY--being a zebra-striped length of thread. Awesome.

I should know the name of the chap that came up with that, but I can't think of it at the moment. Sorry.

It is a great idea that adds a LOT to an old classic.

[Guest]

Dave:

That was published I believe in MAGIC Magazine. Not sure of date though.

[Guest]

I suggest waxed dental floss. It holds together better when rolling into a ball.

Tony Brent
Outta Control Magic Show
Orlando

[Guest]

I just found the routine I alluded to above, where the restored thread ends up striped with 2 alternating colors: It was indeed in MAGIC (October 2003): "Heather's Thread" by Nabil Murday.

I have since heard Nabil sometimes uses three day-glo colors when he does this on stage, with black-lighting...

[Steve Walker]

When Bob Jardine was the Bar Magician in the Hat & Hare pub, downstairs at the Magic Castle, he used to do a gag for magicians with Gypsy Thread.
He would have a small candle [similar to Eugene Burger] and burn the thread into pieces however when he restored it the thread would be "scorched" at intervals where the thread had been restored.

[Richard Kaufman]

The idea of using Dental Floss belongs to Lonnie Chevrie.

On the new four-DVD set on Bob Read from International Magic, Bob does "The Gypsy Thread" at one point. Needless to say, he made a very funny trick out of it.