card stab routine

[Guest]

i recently saw bob sheets do his card stab routine and loved it. can someone tell me where i can find a good card stab routine thats been written up. i have looked through all my books and i cant find one. thanks in advance for any replies.

[Bill Mullins]

Before you go looking for the perfect Card Stab Routine in print, consider this:

Bob Sheets' Card Stab routine is very good.
Therefore, either the Card Stab routine is very good, or ---

Bob Sheets is very good.

I vote for the latter (although his routine
is pretty good).

Bill Mullins

[Guest]

Stars of Magic
Malini's Card Stab

and Bill is right,

Bob Sheets is VERY good!

[Guest]

i agree that the performer makes the routine and bob sheets certainly does make the routine that much better. i just liked the effect and would like to read up on it and maybe create my own routine. thanks for your replies.

[Pete McCabe]

At a Tannen's Jubilee, I was the volunteer from the audience at Pete Biro's lecture during his card stab. It's quite hilarious and very far from the beaten path as far as Card Stabs go.

I will not tell you what year this was, though, out of respect for Pete and myself.

[Jeff Haas]

If you liked Bob Sheets doing his card stab, see him doing his cups & balls routine and his three shell game some time. He's terrific with those routines.

Jeff

[Guest]

I do believe Sheets is on the bill for the big S.A.M. Convention in New York this summer, so... if you're gonna be there, don't miss Sheets.

Here's a cool rumor: I hear he's gonna be working a 'Street Performers Event' (with several other street-magi) @ the T.A.O.M. Art Emerson has arranged a public exhibition of street magic... now that's cool.

[Richard Kaufman]

There are many card stabs in print: a more obscure one is Nate Leipzig's version, written up in a small booklet by Victor Farelli.

[Guest]

here's another cool rumor about this years TAOM street performers event. along with Bob Sheets, Cellini and Eric Evans will also be performing.

[Guest]

Speaking of TAOM where is it going to be held this year?

[Bill Mullins]

Texas

[Guest]

I agree with Kaufman, its a pity that Leipzigs version is not more widely spread, because its more stage oriented that Malini stabbing.
Leipzigs version of Stabbed its very, very dramatic.

The effect of Leipzig is so good that Nelson Downs created a version which its described in a letter to Fawcett Ross (its included in Fawcett Ross book)

Daley has a variant of Leipzig called " 2 cards in fear" described in Jinx, which dismissed the little discrepancy that has Leipzigs version.

I supposse Farelli booklet describes Leipzigs version he did when acting in Europe. Because from personal experience Leipzig method described in Gansons version its not 100% sure.

If any interested ask me about, Ill tip the details Ive discovered from doing Leipzigs to real public.

Also noting that Farelli in another obscure booklet (I call it obscure because the booklet has black covers) describes his version of Leipzigs cards across.

[Guest]

I forgot telling you that the version of Geofrey Buckinham described in "Its easier than you think" books ,its a peculiar way of thinking about the presentation of stabbed effect and also its stage oriented.

I think Marlo in his first booklet explains his impromptu way (its for close up) of doing Buckinham effect.

Dont forget the famous "Allerton " version with mnemonic deck (the best and complete description its in Francis Carlyle book).
Bill Simon in "Effective card magic" describes a very ingenious version of this, which doesnt use a mnemonic deck.

Al Koran has two versions: one described in his book "Professional presentations" under the name Encore card stab (stage oriented, but its good in close up). The other version which its impromptu its described in the book " Mastered amazement"

[John Pezzullo]

I first read about Bob Sheets and his card stabbing routine in a small article written by Peter Pit. The article was published in "Genii" back in late 1981, the first issue of "Genii" that I ever bought.

Peter Pit commented on the strength of the routine and the solid impact that it made on the lay audience that Bob Sheets was performing for at the time. These comments were written more than twenty years ago and I presume that Bob Sheets had been performimg the routine for a number of years beforehand.

When you watch Bob Sheets performing his routine you must be mindful of the fact that what you're witnessing represents more than twenty years of repetition, refinement, internalisation, and development.

Anyone wishing to develop a card stabbing routine that's even half as good as Bob Sheets' version had better prepare themself for a long and winding journey.

[Steve Bryant]

Bob Sheets' infectious laugh and high spirits are uncopyable and a big part of what make his version of the Malini card stab and everything else he does fun to watch. It's a shame Genii never did a full report on The Brook Farm Inn of Magic that Bob ran in Chevy Chase with Steve Spill and Eddie Goldstein (along with closeup stars such as John Kennedy). It was the most complete and enjoyable evening of magic and dining I've ever experienced. Hilarious magic. On Saturdays they had a pizza matinee dinner for kids. One rule: no parents or other adults allowed to stay. Wish I could have seen THAT as well.

[BrendanK]

Does Johnny Thompson not perform and explain his version of Malini's Card Stab on one of his recent L&L videos Commercial Classics of Magic

[Guest]

Ted Lesley's Wonder Workshop (and Stevens Magic Emporium in the US) sell a great version of the card stab. In fact, you do it twoice with a preidction at the end. truly one of the strongest card stabs I have ever seen.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat

http://www.mindguy.com

[Guest]

Yes, Johnny Thompson does do his version of the Malini Card Stab on his L & L tapes.

Also, Daryl does his version on the L & L "Card Revelation" series of tapes. He credits Al Baker's version which is done with a Stripper deck The Daryl handling uses normal cards. In both of these versions, the deck is wrapped in a paper napkin, which makes it quite effective. A spectator can decide whether you stab just under the card or just above the card.

[David Acer]

Back when I was a demonstrator at Perfect Magic in Montreal, we sold John Kennedy's "Mid-Air Card Stab" by the truckload.

THE TRUCKLOAD, I TELLS YA!

[Guest]

A couple of years ago, at a Florida convention, I saw a young man perform a card stab using his foot. He threw the cards into the air, plunged his foot into the fluttering cards, and caught the selected card between his toes.

[Guest]

A couple of years ago, at a Florida convention, I saw a young man perform a card stab using his foot. He threw the cards into the air, plunged his foot into the fluttering cards, and caught the selected card between his toes.

[Guest]

Re: a card stab using his foot/toes

I believe you're refering to 'Adam Grace' (a VERY hip/devious/talented, etc) magician that is well hidden somewhere in Mississippi.

His magic is STELLAR!

Not only is the foot stab amazing, he has a BRILLIANT (and emotional) presentation to go with it.

.02,
Doug Conn

[Pete Biro]

I believe Brian Gillis did the toe catch on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

[Frank Yuen]

And I think it was written up in an old issue of Genii years ago (by Jonathon Pendragon I think). If memory serves, it was a Rudy Coby issue.

Frank Yuen

[Guest]

Anyone know of a normal deck, gaff-free, mid-air card stab routine?

[Richard Morrell]

Originally posted by Jakob Liljenwall:
Anyone know of a normal deck, gaff-free, mid-air card stab routine?

Yes, John Bannon has an impromptu gaff free version of the Kennedy trick in Smoke and Mirrors called Steel Convergence.

Also whilst its not strictly a stab, you might want to check out Steve Bedwell's Cloud Burst Catch on his A1 video, basically you throw the deck up and seemingly grab the selection from out of the falling cards.

Martin Lewis sells Eric Lewis's Comedy Card Stab, and it also appears on his Making Magic DVD vol2.

Lastly I remember seeing Frank Garcia on video do a card stab with the deck wrapped in a napkin, where the spectator could stab the deck and you then tear away the napkin and show they had stabbed next to their selection, quite easy but a little discrepant...

Rich.

[Guest]

Thanks! It sounds like smoke and mirrors has exactly what I'm looking for. Any comment on the rest of the book?

[Guest]

Don Alan has a version of this classic trick that is, as all of Don's material tends to be, a lesson in presentation and audience management.

Don always said that he would trade a move for laugh every time, and the Card Stab is no exception. He gets tons of laughs, and a great effect.

I have a video of Don doing this for a roomful of magicians and thier guests in 1989, at an Abbott Get Together. He does all his signature material, the Chop Cup, the Bowl Routine, Invisible Deck, "Clyde", Scotch and Soda, Rising Cards, Cigarette Thru Quarter, and his Card Stab.

Even this late in his performing career Don was superb, and the Stab looks great, as I recall. I haven't watched the video in years, but I'm going to re-visit it now. I don't know if it appears anywhere else, but it's worth looking for...

Best, PSC

P.S. For something a bit different, look at Johnny Bensias' trick, "Stabbed in the Pack"...

[Richard Kaufman]

The Garcia card stab appears in Million Dollar Card Secrets, and it is reprinted from its first publication in The Phoenix. It's quite clever since both packets are rolled over, thus allowing the spectator to stab anywhere. HOWEVER, it's not Garcia's! He pinched it from an earlier publication (Tarbell?)--can't recall at this point.

The Don Alan card stab is thoroughly explained in The Looking Glass.

[Guest]

The finest (and most baffling) card stab I've seen is the Larry Jennings Card Stab from one of his Paris Sessions videotapes. Extremely clean and direct. And simple to perform.

Perhaps this will see print someday in Mr. Jennings Takes It Easy?

[Matthew Field]

I've been peformong the "Garcia" Card Stab ever since I saw it on one of the early Tannen's "Stars of Magic" videos.

In the Kennedy Card Stab, the deck and knife are ungaffed (although the knife is a special one), and the card box is slightly gaffed.

Regarding Bannon's "Smoke and Mirrors," I think it's a great book, but I like everything John does.

Matt Field

[Richard Kaufman]

I don't have any unpublished card stab handlings from Larry Jennings on file.
Perhaps the one on the Paris tape is not his, and he was just performing it? I don't recall.

[Pete Biro]

McCabe said, "I will not tell you what year this was, though, out of respect for Pete and myself."

That may have been just after 1933.

I may market that "hilarious" routine.

[Robin Dawes]

In the "deck wrapped in paper, package stabbed next to selection" category, it is worth mentioning Daley's "Two Cards in Fear". This appeared in 'Annemann's Miracles of Card Magic' (and probably also in the Jinx, but I don't have my copy of the Jinx with me at this moment to confirm).

Robin

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
There are many card stabs in print: a more obscure one is Nate Leipzig's version, written up in a small booklet by Victor Farelli.

How is it different from the not-so-obscure version that's in (I believe) the Vernon book on Leipzig as well as the Ammar ETMCM video?

-Jim

[Reinhard Mueller]

Freunde,
Two years ago Richard wrote :

Posted by Richard Kaufman (Member # 3) on June 05, 2002 05:22 PM :
There are many card stabs in print: a more obscure one is Nate Leipzig's version, written up in a small booklet by Victor Farelli.

In looking through my collection of books I found a little, no black(!), booklet by Farelli Controlled Coincidence, London 1931, which teaches a special, simple set-up of the deck.
The basic effect is, in brief:
A spectator selects a card by inserting a knife into the deck. Again he inserts the knife into the deck, and the card above, and the card below the knife denotes spectators selection.

I think you all realize that there are two different stabbing effects:
I quote from Bart Whaleys The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Magic, Oct. 2000:

1. Effect where two chosen cards are replaced in the deck, which is wrapped in paper (and sometimes bound with a rubber band). Then, when the magus or spectator stabs the packet through the side with a knife, the chosen cards are found to lie aside both sides of the blade

2. Type of effect where a blindfolded magician discovers the spectator's chosen card by sticking a dagger or sword into a scattered pile of cards and impaling the correct one.

Reinhard

[Pete Biro]

Don Alan did a great and entertaining card stab using a rough/smooth Svengali deck.

[Richard Kaufman]

The Farelli Controlled Coincidence booklet is quite rare: it was originally supposed to appear as part of Greater Magic. You will find this detailed in the new material in my reprint of Greater Magic.
The Leipzig Card Stab is a different booklet by Farelli.

[Reinhard Mueller]

Just found an advertisement "Nate Leipzig's Card Stab" by Victor Farelli in a Demon Telegraph # 157. It seems to be from 1952.

[Guest]

a magician from swiss named Tobias has one of the best Card Stab menuscripts I've seen.