Rising Card Trick

[Roberto]

Hello all!
I'm just getting back to magic after being away for a couple of years and I'm trying to put together maybe five or six close-up effects that I enjoy performing for people.

One effect that came to mind is the Rising Card effect. I remember running into this trick back in '89 when I stumbled into a Magic Masters shop in Atlanta. I immediately purchased the effect, rushed back to my hotel room and the next day I started fooling people with it and had lots of fun in the process. But you obviously couldn't hand this deck out for examination.

Could you guys recommend a great Rising Card effect, perhaps one that can be examined afterwards? I've heard some great stuff on Gary Plant's Rising Card effect but have never seen it. Many thanks!

Roberto

[Richard Kaufman]

What you purchased from Magic Masters was the Devano Deck, invented by Mitch Devano of England.

The only sleight of hand method which duplicates that effect is On the Up and Up, however it is currently out of print though you might be able to find one on eBay. Essentially, the chosen cards are angled so their inner right corners protrude from the lower right corner of the deck and your right pinky pushes them upward one at a time. It uses a sleight of Eric Mason's, based on Fred Robinson's "Ambitious Riser"--both of these were originally published in Pabular.

[Richard Kaufman]

I have to amend my previous post: there are indeed methods using invisible thread loops, and just plain ordinary thread, that many use for a Rising Cards routine. In these cases the thread pulls free of the deck so it can be handed out. For some reason I initially assumed you were looking for a sleight of hand only method.

[Roberto]

Hey Richard,
Thanks for the advice on the Rising Card effect. Either way, sleight-of-hand or gimmicked doesn't really matter for me so long as the effect is strong, direct, and I can end clean. Is there a book or effect with the invisible thread version that's still available? I'm also interested in the Gary Plants version. If anyone out here uses this effect please share some input here on the forum or via private mail, if you prefer (I'm not looking for the method just it's practicality) Gracias!

Roberto

[Kent Gunn]

Plant's version is the schnizzle.

Here's what some real magicians said about it.

"The most notable magic was a rising card effect performed by Gary Plants. Among those baffled by Gary's inexplicable illusion were: Larry Jennings, Mike Skinner, Alex Elmsley, Bill Goodwin, Roger Klause and yours truly."

Quote from Tony Giorgio's column in the July 1996 Genii regarding Geno Munari's Close-Up Classic magic convention.



"All the top pros know that the Rising Cards is one of the killer card effects. The bad news is that the most used method has been totally exposed. Gary's method goes far beyond what's been done beforeit's diabolical, practical and examinable! Now you can fool all the wise guys!"

Bob Kohler



"That is superb! Absolutely sensational. I don't have a %*$#&^%$% clue!"

Michael Close



"Expensive and worth every penny. Highest recommendation."

Phil Willmarth



"I have never been so badly fooled. It's a must for every corporate worker!"

Bob Bengal


If you go here:

http://www.thecardplant.com/order.htm

You can get one.

[Richard Kaufman]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... =schnizzle

[David Alexander]

Sleight of hand method - ordinary cards - Expert Card Technique, page 211

[Ian Kendall]

David found the reference I was looking for - the Witchcraft card rise is something I've done on and off for years (I was scanning Card Manipulations for it...)

Take care, Ian

[David Alexander]

Also, using the "Dual Control" device produces a wonderful rising card effect. The card can be signed, it rises out of an ordinalry cased deck held at the tips of your fingers and the deck with the card sticking out of it can be handed to the spectator the moment the rising stops.

Larry Jennings worked out the handling and showed it to me at the Castle. He told me how it was stolen by a guy who was present when he showed it to someone else. Tannen's bought it and sold it under the thief's name, but Larry told me he was the person who worked out the handling. I don't know if Larry ever published it, but I used it in my restaurant work back in the 1960s and know that it plays strong.

[Leonard Hevia]

Hi Roberto--the Henry Evans Rising Card is not bad also. You can make the card or purchase a set. It's not expensive. The deck can withstand a cursory examination afterwards, and the effect can be done with the spectator holding the cased deck.

Evans performs this in his Something More Than Illusion DVD volume 1.

[Richard Kaufman]

If you want to do any any-card-called-for (free choice!) rising card, then Angelo Carbone's "Notion of Motion" is great (not cheap at just over $400, but it does something most other versions cannot).

[Angelo Carbone]

Roberto, there is now a video of Notion of Motion on the website http://www.risingcard.co.uk

Granted it is not examinable but it is an alternative to the standard rising cards.

Angelo

[the Larry]

If you get "Knowing the Rising Cards" by Will Ayling then you will know enough methods.

[David Alexander]

If you watch the video carefully you can just make out Hooker's ghost pushing the card up. ;-)

[Carlo Morpurgo]

Nice....at least I can watch this effect more than once....

[Tom Frame]

Your effect looks terrific, Angelo! Bravo!

[Roberto]

Hello all,
Just came back to check this thread, thanks for all the suggestions. I have already started to hunt down some of the mentioned routines. I did purchase Plant's Impossible Rising Card trick and let me say, this is nice! Everything is made up so well. I've been working on polishing my handling/presentation on the effect before I start showing it around.

Angelo,
Thanks for posting the link to your video however, I tried to play the video and received a message that it is temporarily unavailable so I'll try again later. I did see the full page ad of Notion of Motion in the May '09 issue of Genii and almost wet myself reading it. Sounds like an incredible effect. Quite pricey at over $400 (Ouch!)

Roberto

[Angelo Carbone]

Hi Roberto!

Yes try the video again. I have not had that unavailable message yet. Yes it is pricey but a) it is because of the effect you can do with it and b) so much hand labour goes into making it.

Best wishes,

Angelo

PS Thanks guys for your comments :)

[Carlo Morpurgo]

Angelo, if you don't mind me asking, how durable is the apparatus?
Naturally before spending $400 one would like to make sure it will last a while.

[Angelo Carbone]

Hi Carlo!

At the end of the day its just a deck of cards so they will last as long as any other deck of cards. In fact probably longer as they are handled far less than a normal deck and are placed into the case to do the trick.

Again the case is just cardboard as all bicycle cases are. This special case is probably the one that would need more care to look after so either keep it in the presentation box supplied or put a loose metal card guard over it.

The gimmick should last forever.

Angelo

[Richard Kaufman]

It's say, considering the manner in which Notion of Motion is construction, that unless you throw the deck on the floor and stomp on it, it's going to be just as resilient as any other deck of cards.
And, if you have the ability to perform it, then you also have the ability to take care of it--they go hand in hand.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Does the construction permit use of Gertner's Gravity switch or sleeving in general without getting snagged?

[Dave Mithaca]

Interesting question, Jon.

I would think that after having a normal deck in play, using one of Bob Fitch's wonderful deck switches (topit) would be a nice way to go.

I've got Angelo's Notion of Motion from several years ago and I keep it in a nice leather jewelry case along with John Kennedy's Flight Deck. If one takes care of NofM, it should last a very long time.

[flynn]

Why not the old pinky card rise? Just wondering cuz I've done it couple times today after seeing this post and got people thinking I was using thread.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Why not the old pinky card rise? Just wondering cuz I've done it couple times today after seeing this post and got people thinking I was using thread.

Not quite the same as having the deck isolated while they wave the sharpie they used to sign their card over the pack. And you might be surprised at how many non-magicians know that method for doing the trick.

[Pete McCabe]

Somewhere in the last month or so I read a rising card in a recent magazine, although I can't remember which one (not Genii, that's all I'm sure of). It required a very simple modification to the cardcase -- can't say more without giving it away. But it really works and is extremely practical, dead easy, and looks great.

If anyone can recognize this trick from this vague description please point me to the source so I can put it in my file.

[Jeff Pierce Magic]

Pete, are you collecting rising card sources? If so I have a question I'd like to ask you.

Jeff Pierce

[Angelo Carbone]

@ Jonathan: I think sleeving should be fine but there is a very slight risk of slightly damaging part of the construction of the case. Depending on which way up the deck is on the sleeve. Flap end downwards would be better. However if you are having a regular deck examined first and then switch to the cased deck after, you can modify the case yourself as detailed in the instructions so there would be no problems at all.

@ Pete & Jeff: I have a number of sources of Named Card Rises in the supplied instruction manual. It may be of interest to some.

IMPORTANT! Can I ask anyone who chooses to order my trick to not order through the website or you will be charged the full price. If you want to take advantage of the discount, please email me first as detailed in the advert. I can then tell you where to send the reduced payment to.

Thank you!

[Cugel]

@ Jonathan: I think sleeving should be fine but there is a very slight risk of slightly damaging part of the construction of the case. Depending on which way up the deck is on the sleeve. Flap end downwards would be better. However if you are having a regular deck examined first and then switch to the cased deck after, you can modify the case yourself as detailed in the instructions so there would be no problems at all.

Angelo - Jonathan wasn't really interested in an answer. He just throws these comments out like candy.

[Pete McCabe]

Jeff,

I do not collect rising card methods. But I like this method, and I'd like to be able to contact the creator on the chance I have something to publish that uses it.

[Leonard Hevia]

There's a nice any card called for rise in Karl Fulves' New Card Rises. It requires an Exacto knife and a lot of work to prepare the deck, and I'm not sure if the deck can be in the case during the rise, maybe. It's certainly worth the effort to track this book down if you love this effect.

[David Alexander]

It should be noted that one of the early versions of the Any Card Called for Rising Cards is the Neyhart Houlette. Described in Greater Magic, it is a clever piece of work that did not work every time due to the sensitivity of the mechanism. Auction prices have ranged from $600 to $1200.

If Angelo's device is as reliable as it appears, his price is quite reasonable.

[flynn]

Why not the old pinky card rise? Just wondering cuz I've done it couple times today after seeing this post and got people thinking I was using thread.

Not quite the same as having the deck isolated while they wave the sharpie they used to sign their card over the pack. And you might be surprised at how many non-magicians know that method for doing the trick.

Out in here in Phoenix no one has any idea thats cards can be controlled to the top so I'm guessing that part of the trick makes the trick. I pulled the card "out" right away also so they didnt get to see a bad angle.

[Leonard Hevia]

$600-$1200 is a lot of money to pay for a finicky piece of equipment. Houlette card rises never rocked my world, but then your mileage may vary.

The card rise I described from the Fulves manuscript can be done with the deck inside the card box. The box would have to be cannibalised. You cannot remove the card from the deck after the rise. That would betray the method.

Fulves suggests dividing the tedious work between two decks to make the effect a bit more manageable. You Xacto just the red cards on one deck, and do the same with the black cards in the other. In the same way as David Regal's Deja Voodoo effect, a spectator names either red or black, as you remove the appropriate deck from your jacket. Another spectator names the suit and another the value, and you're set to go.

I don't believe you can remove the card from the deck in Mr. Carbone's method. The ad does not mention that the card can be removed after the rise. When you read the copy in magic advertisements, you have to be mindful of the omissions.

[the Larry]

It should be noted that one of the early versions of the Any Card Called for Rising Cards is the Neyhart Houlette. ...

David, I followed your suggestion and typed 'Neyhart Houlette' into Google. I found
http://www.lybrary.com/neyhart-houlette ... ers_id=259
and from there
http://www.lybrary.com/samuel-hooker-ri ... p-680.html

Has anybody bought these? Opinions? Before I commit to a purchase.

[Richard Kaufman]

Angelo's method is not mechanical in the sense that the Neyhart Houlette is. There no mechanism to fail. Neyhart Houlettes never worked very well. I've read letters from Carl Jones complaining that he could never get it to work consistently--and that was when it was new!

[Jim Riser]

The Neyhart Houlette reads like a dream come true in Greater Magic. The complete set consisted of the specially cut delicate indexed deck of cards, the gimmicked bakelite houlette, and a plain matching houlette to pass out for examination. I'm not sure who would waste time having a houlette examined.

I have had the opportunity to work on several over the years. All of them had a failed solder joint on the idler pulley mounting plate. Part of the mechanism is delicate on these houlettes. The index system works well as does the thumb powered drive wheel. From there things go down hill.

The tiny pulleys within the mechanism are all brass V grooved pulleys with a very narrow angle on the V. The drive belt is a thin silk thread treated with something rubber-like to improve its grip on the drive pulley. This silk thread could not be knotted or the knot would jam in the tight V pulleys. The ends of the silk thread needed to be braided to make a smooth joint. The V of the drive pulley had some sort of rubbery substance at the bottom of the V to increase the grip on the silk thread. Still the thread slipped or bound in a pulley groove. You could crank all you wanted on the thumb drive wheel and the thread would not move.

The rubber tubing on the two 3/4 long lifting wheels would tend to dry out and loose its grip on the card. I finally located a source for the correct replacement rubber tubing on these. It is not a common size. Somewhere in my workshop I still have a couple short lengths of the tubing. They are probably dried out by now too.

I feel that the idea behind the Neyhart Houlette is sound but the design needs work. There are now better solutions for the very troublesome silk thread belt. With the advent of micro manufacturing and nano technology, the Neyhart Houlette concept again becomes viable. It is now possible to utilize positive slip free belting, better gripping rubber tubing, and precision tig welding for assembly of the delicate parts. The houletes can now be made from materials other than bakelite. If I ever run across a broken Neyhart Houlette for sale at a low enough price, I might redesign it with newer materials for the fun of it. It's a big but doable project with today's technology.

I certainly would not suggest trying to use the standard issue Neyhart Houlette in a performance.
Jim

[Angelo Carbone]

I have been fortunate to handle the Neyhart Houlette as there is one in storage at the Magic Circle in London. It certainly is a fragile piece of equipment. The one there does not work either.

Angelo

[Pete McCabe]

Angelo,

Off topic, but a while back you shared a video of a trick where you hold a card face up and spin it, and when it stops it's a different card. I recall you saying you hoped to be able to release this. Any update on this beautiful change?

[Pete McCabe]

Roberto,

Almost forgot to answer your original question. I would strongly recommend you try Kundalini Rising by Jeff McBride. This is one of the strongest and most practical (any deck) versions of the trick I've ever seen.