Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

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jwalkmagic
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Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby jwalkmagic » January 6th, 2013, 12:14 pm

Can't seem to find a decently made Arne or Devano card rise out there. Does anyone know of a decent one on the market?

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 6th, 2013, 1:44 pm

There are none. Your best bet is to search for an old original Devano deck or one of the ones that Goshman used to sell. Both use pins, not tape or sticky stuff, to raise the cards.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Don Knox » January 6th, 2013, 2:27 pm

There is one person that makes the pin type rising deck. I don't have one but I have read that the are very well made. Here is the link: http://www.richbark.com/m_closeup.html

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 6th, 2013, 2:49 pm

Not well made. I bought a few from Denny Hanney about 10 years ago. None of them worked. I fiddled, but eventually threw them out. If the Richbark decks worked well, then the old ones by Goshman wouldn't command such high prices.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Doomo » January 6th, 2013, 2:54 pm

I have to agree with you about the Richbark ones. They are not good. I bought 10 of them and ended up giving them away.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Ian Kendall » January 6th, 2013, 2:55 pm

Keith Bennett was making some thin model risers a couple of years ago. I got one of his prototypes at Blackpool, and it works as nicely as any other that I've seen.

The downside is that due to the thinness of the gimmick, the weight is not as much as it could be. I found that if held vertically, the card rose without a problem (and multiple rises were possible), but if the cards where in a tumbler, and inclined slightly, the rise was not as good. The moral? Get a well fitting tumbler, or a houlette...

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Jim Riser » January 6th, 2013, 4:27 pm

I was fortunate enough to see Al Goshman do his rising cards many times at The Magic Castle. I liked the effect and the method but things did not fit my style of performing. Goshman performed seated and utilized a silk handkerchief to help disguise the needed help for the gimmick. I merely filed the Devano idea away for later revisiting.

So probably 40 years ago I wanted to add a rising cards effect and wanted the Devano traits but did not like the decks on the market so I decided to make my own. This was for my own use and I did not need to compare it to anything else. I only wanted it to do what I needed for my standup performances. I utilized a weight much heavier than anything ever seen in commercial Devano decks. This allowed easy card rises from within the box and from a spectator held glass beer mug. I had handled too many decks with pin gimmicks that were too iffy for me. And tape was certainly no improvement. So on the one I made, I placed a flattened dab of silicone sealer on the tiny sliding brass plate. This was not sticky like tape but would securely - by friction only - grab the card to lift. It never failed me for probably 20 years of use. Every now and then I would clean the silicone dab and it was good to go. There are even better high friction items on the market now which would work great on the gimmick. (Think the material on the bottom of dashboard coffee cups.)

The heavy weight made the deck easy to control by pressure from outside of the box and the extra weight of the gimmick section of the deck made for a never fail rise from the beer mug while the spectator did all of the required motion.

The only thing I needed to do was make certain that I never allowed a loud thud caused by a free falling lead weight.

As I recall, the chunk of lead sheet I used for the weight was 1/8" thick by 1" by 2". That is a lot of weight for a Devano but it worked perfectly for my needs.

I have no idea why a Devano like Goshman's could not be made today. I do know that there is still room for improvement and experimentation with the principle for those wanting to add a card rise to their act.
Jim

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby jwalkmagic » January 6th, 2013, 5:29 pm

So Jim if only some highly skilled magic craftsman would decide to manufacture such a thing................

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 6th, 2013, 5:31 pm

Here, here.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby PickaCard » January 6th, 2013, 6:01 pm

I believe the Tenyo T-218 The Rising Card is a Devano Deck.

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 6th, 2013, 6:03 pm

It is, but not a good one. The Tenyo gimmick uses no threads. The weight is attached to a strip of cellophane (or something slightly stronger but clear) which has a sticky dot on it. The gimmick is also half the deck thick. It's really of use only to a beginner.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Jim Riser » January 6th, 2013, 8:06 pm

OK, let's discuss what makes a good Devano deck. What I wanted for my act, made, and happily used is most likely not what most of you are seeking.

Desired features? What to avoid? What does an old Goshman deck have that others do not? If we can decide on the ideal Devano deck, perhaps I will make a few as an experiment. It will not be a regular item merely a diversion.
Jim

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 6th, 2013, 8:30 pm

Good Devano Deck:

1. Gaffed block not too thick.

2. Weight sufficient to raise the cards at an even pace, even when the deck is tilted slightly as it might be in a glass or if the spectator is holding it.

3. Pins, not stucky stuff, to raise the cards. The pins should be just long enough that if you squeeze the deck very tightly, they will bring a double card up.

4. Smooth operation--a smooth and magical rise.

That's what the Genii is looking for, and I have it in an orignal Devano Deck, but it's made of bridge size Waddington's cards which are out of place in my hands.

Jim, if you want to examine my original (made by Mitch Devano) just let me know.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby jwalkmagic » January 7th, 2013, 9:47 am

The first one I had did use sticky stuff but otherwise worked like a charm. I don't know who made it.

I bought it from Hank Lee when he was still in the cramped little walk up on Lincoln St. It was made in poker size Aviators and as I recall had two rather widely spaced monofilament lines to do the work.

I think this is one of the problems with the ones I have been seeing lately either just one line or two that are so close together that it gets twisted cause problems in the operation.

I wish I still had the old one I might try to use it as a model to make a new one for myself.

Joe

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Jim Riser » January 7th, 2013, 2:49 pm

Can we add?

5. Poker size deck
6. Commonly seen deck design

Just trying to refine the want list.
Jim

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 7th, 2013, 3:36 pm

Yes, Jim, the deck should be a Bicycle poker size deck. Red.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Ian Kendall » January 7th, 2013, 3:42 pm

Or blue.

Jim Riser
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Jim Riser » January 7th, 2013, 3:50 pm

Or green (for Paul) or pink or yellow or black or ...

7. Red backs
8. King for gimmick face?

RK, red poker bike it is.
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby jwalkmagic » January 7th, 2013, 5:10 pm

I wouldn't mind a Tally Ho option but red or blue Bicycle would be great.

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Denis Behr » January 8th, 2013, 3:18 am

Couldn't one just stick any card on the back of the gimmick to make it fit with a different deck?

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Ian Kendall » January 8th, 2013, 7:32 am

I've tried that, but the block that I have (and I think this is a good thing) is not completely glued to the edge, which means you can, in a manner of speaking, riffle it. If you stick a blue card onto that, there's a chance that some red will leak.

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Jim Riser » January 8th, 2013, 12:57 pm

Ian,
When you write of red leaking, I have a much different picture in my mind.
Jim

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Ian Kendall » January 8th, 2013, 2:20 pm

Prolly the same thing, to be honest. Paper cuts can be a bitch... :)

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby John M. Dale » December 14th, 2016, 1:18 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:Good Devano Deck:

1. Gaffed block not too thick.

2. Weight sufficient to raise the cards at an even pace, even when the deck is tilted slightly as it might be in a glass or if the spectator is holding it.

3. Pins, not stucky stuff, to raise the cards. The pins should be just long enough that if you squeeze the deck very tightly, they will bring a double card up.

4. Smooth operation--a smooth and magical rise.

That's what the Genii is looking for, and I have it in an orignal Devano Deck, but it's made of bridge size Waddington's cards which are out of place in my hands.


So, Chief Genii, is the one you snatched up from JC what you were looking for? Is it poker sized? How does it compare to the Waddington version?

JMD

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby John M. Dale » December 14th, 2016, 10:06 pm

John M. Dale wrote:
Richard Kaufman wrote:Good Devano Deck:

1. Gaffed block not too thick.

2. Weight sufficient to raise the cards at an even pace, even when the deck is tilted slightly as it might be in a glass or if the spectator is holding it.

3. Pins, not stucky stuff, to raise the cards. The pins should be just long enough that if you squeeze the deck very tightly, they will bring a double card up.

4. Smooth operation--a smooth and magical rise.

That's what the Genii is looking for, and I have it in an orignal Devano Deck, but it's made of bridge size Waddington's cards which are out of place in my hands.


So, Chief Genii, is the one you snatched up from JC what you were looking for? Is it poker sized? How does it compare to the Waddington version?

JMD


Mr. Kaufman,

After reading what I wrote in my last post, it appears that I might have come across as being snarky when, in fact, I am truly interested in your thoughts about the Devano that you recently acquired from Mr. Carney. When I inquired of John about the quality of the Devano he offered here on the Genii Forum, he mentioned that he had already sold it to you.

I've been keeping an eye out for a quality Devano or AMY for a while. Mr. Richbark still advertises his (of which you and Doomo had a poor opinion in 2013) and Marty Martini sell one that has gotten some good comments at the Green Place (but I have very little confidence in the info from there) but that about all I've seen (except for some crap from China I've seen on eBay). Knowing what to look for is part of my research for my search.

So, now that I've probably over-explained my interest, I'd still like to hear your thoughts on the Devano,

Thanks,
JMD

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 14th, 2016, 11:06 pm

I have not received the Bertram-made deck from John yet so cannot say anything about it. But several people have emailed privately offering to buy it!
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Tom Gilbert » December 15th, 2016, 12:49 pm

Marty Martini does make a good deck, but email him and see what you think.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby erdnasephile » December 15th, 2016, 1:31 pm

The Douglas-Wayne built Devano deck works reliably and well. Haven't seen them for sale for quite some time, however.

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby John M. Dale » December 17th, 2016, 2:55 pm

Tom Gilbert wrote:Marty Martini does make a good deck, but email him and see what you think.

Thanks for the recommendation, Tom. I'll check it out.

JMD

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John M. Dale
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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby John M. Dale » December 17th, 2016, 3:12 pm

erdnasephile wrote:The Douglas-Wayne built Devano deck works reliably and well. Haven't seen them for sale for quite some time, however.

According to http://www.thebestmagic.com/content/douglas-wayne-illusioneering, George Richbark was one of the founders of Douglas-Wayne. Maybe the one you describe was built by him.

Thanx for the info.

JMD

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Re: Any decent Arne or Devano card rise out there?

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 17th, 2016, 3:39 pm

I've had several Richbark decks which I bought from Denny & Lee. None were usable.
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