Custom Tenyo Products

Post topics about the clever and unique creations the from Japanese magic company.

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Mahdi Gilbert
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Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Mahdi Gilbert » May 5th, 2016, 10:10 am

Hi Everyone,

I really like Tenyo products. I think most of them are absolutely ingenious. The only reason I don't perform Tenyo items is because of the material and look of most of their products (plastic and colorful). Is there someone at Tenyo or on here who makes custom Tenyo orders out of different materials?

Joe Mckay
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Joe Mckay » May 5th, 2016, 2:43 pm

Hey Mahdi,

Penn Jillette gives you a shout out in his latest podcast (episode 218). Seems you really impressed him on Fool Us.

Go to the -53.00 mark (53 mins from the end).

http://pennsundayschool.com/episodes/

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Larry S. » May 5th, 2016, 3:00 pm

Mahdi,
Your question reminded me of something done a few years back on a World Magic Shop episode with Dave and Craig. There's a thread on the Magic Cafe about this (search for "Pimp My Tenyo")- someone had gussied up a Crystal Cleaver to look quite fancy and they had it on the show, I believe. They asked viewers to send examples as well, there might be some in later shows.

(Richard, if I'm out of line mentioning other forums, etc., I apologize; just go ahead and delete this).

Larry S.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 5th, 2016, 4:05 pm

There is a company called "Tenyo Elite" that had remade five Tenyo items out of metail or, more lately, wood. They're quite nice but expensive.

Tenyo itself does not seem to have any desire to make high end versions of their props (though they did two brass sets of items in the 1980s, now very rare). For Tenyo, their business is based on meeting a retail price point for the greatest number of their customers: Japanese laymen who buy their tricks in department and toy stores.
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erdnasephile
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby erdnasephile » May 6th, 2016, 12:18 pm

I remember reading somewhere ;) that Tenyo considers plastic to be the very best material to make their tricks from.

Here's a link to the Tenyo Elite website: http://www.tenyoelite.com/products.php

PS: Does anyone know if the Tenyo Elite business is doing well? I wonder how much the high prices cut into their potential sales.

PPS: OP: for some Tenyoesque effects made out of nicer materials at much better prices, you might check out Mr. Sugawara's creations. He's got some great fooling effects available: http://www.seomagic-usa.com/catalog/ind ... rers_id/56

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 6th, 2016, 1:11 pm

The two Tenyo releases in wood, "Zig Zag Cig" and "Ultra Tube" sold out their limited edition first runs of 50 almost immediately.
On the other hand, the first two releases, made in aluminum, are still available.

I wish they had made "Match Sticks," the new release in wood, of brass instead.
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edshern
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby edshern » May 12th, 2016, 11:53 am

I've tried DIY distressing some of the plastic using: acetone, solder gun or other heat source, sandpaper, etc. I wanted to make the look very aged. turns out I suck at DIY :(

Look here: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view ... &forum=258

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby I.M. Magician » May 12th, 2016, 12:47 pm

I never understand why anyone is embarrassed using plastic Tenyo props. I can appreciate someone wanting to make the prop look interesting or different but not just because it's made of plastic. If it's a skill or hobby, that's great! To change the way the prop looks just because it doesn't look like wood or metal is difficult for me to understand.

My point is that you are displaying props which are not ordinary household items but unique and made for the specific purpose of performing a miracle so what difference does it make what it's made of? Is it so difficult for your audience to accept the props as they are? Are your spectators prejudiced against plastic magic props?

This discussion pops up every now and then and everytime it does, I am fascinated. I don't remember anyone saying these things back in the day. They accepted the props for what they were. They did have concerns about quality but, many years ago, that wasn't as big an issue as it is now because magic tricks were made better in many cases.

Of course if you feel that the props look more professional to you if they are made of wood or metal, then fine. But what makes you think that your spectators feel the same way?

Does an audience react differently to Tenyo Zig Zag Cig if it's made of wood instead if plastic?

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erdnasephile
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby erdnasephile » May 12th, 2016, 3:17 pm

I think part of the issue is that some of the Tenyo stuff has the name of the effect emblazoned on the prop itself, which makes it look really "proppy". That probably bothers some folks. (I have to admit, I ended up covering up the "Vault Vision" logo on mine).

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby I.M. Magician » May 12th, 2016, 4:22 pm

I agree that, in some cases, words on the prop is, let's say, tacky and inappropriate.

Vault Vision is an example of inappropriate and the word PRINTER on Midas Machine is appropriate.

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 12th, 2016, 4:51 pm

The printing of the name of the trick on the props is something that Tenyo founder Akira Yamada insisted on once in a while. "Ultra Slice." "Squeeze Play," "Ultra Tube," and a few others suffer from this. But if you're lucky in your searching, you CAN find first runs of these tricks which do not have the name of the trick printed on them. I showed a few of these in the Tenyo book.

Note that the original release of "Vault Vision" has the words "Money Game" printed on it. That makes sense. The ones that have "Vault Vision" printed on them were Milton Bradley Magic Works releases.
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby I.M. Magician » May 12th, 2016, 4:56 pm

Isn't the word ULTRASLICE only on the soft carry case?

I am not certain but suspect that the white printing on the blue disk in Squeeze Play can be removed.

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 12th, 2016, 5:26 pm

Yes it's on the case. But unless you want the lid to fall off and the contents of the box to spill out, you keep it in the case.
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erdnasephile
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby erdnasephile » May 12th, 2016, 9:28 pm

Hi, RK:

Pardon me if this is in the Tenyo book (my copy is not handy where I'm at right now), but is there any difference between the original Tenyo prop and the MB Vault Vision prop in terms of the gaff? When my MB prop has the penny in place, the gaff still sticks out instead of being perfectly flush. Not sure if that's the way it's supposed to be: (the instructions do say "almost flush", but that seems inelegant somehow).

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 12th, 2016, 9:36 pm

I don't remember, offhand.

A bunch of the Tenyo-created items were made by Milton Bradley in a factory on Long Island, while others were bought in bulk from Tenyo. You can tell by what it says on the underside of the prop. If it's made in Japan, it has to say so.

If it was made by Tenyo, then it was done using the original mold and works exactly the same way. If not, then it probably doesn't work as well.
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Brad Henderson
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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby Brad Henderson » May 13th, 2016, 9:56 am

here are some thoughts as to why magicians don't like using props that evoke the idea of a magic 'trick'


http://conjuringarts.org/2016/01/on-mag ... ther-name/

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Re: Custom Tenyo Products

Postby I.M. Magician » May 13th, 2016, 11:14 am

The thing is, I remember that kid in the neighborhood who used to return home from the trick shops in center city with a pocket full of those plastic tricks and other tricks he bought and do them for us.

I heard violins! The other kids didn't seem impressed but I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I wanted to get some of those! That's what started me off and I still have very fond memories of it all to this day. I loved those tricks, whether they were plastic, cards, chains, or whatever. It filled my world with joy that continues to this day.

So, for me and many others I am certain, those props have a very deep seated importance. I enjoy taking out those tricks and playing with them and performing them as much as I did when I was a kid.

Perhaps your spectators may feel the same way as I did (and still do) about those unprofessional pieces of apparatus. There is something to be said about the interest in those props even though they don't present you in a professional way if you know what I mean.

For example, I remember RK talking about the EZ-Magic set of plastic paddles he remembered from his youth and just acquired all these years later. He seemed thrilled to find them and use them! That's what I am talking about! There's a place for them as much as the high end stuff even if it's for different reasons.


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