Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Discuss your favorite platform magic and illusions.
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Pete Biro
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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » November 13th, 2006, 9:38 am

ok, i HATE TO TIP THIS... BUT

Judson Cole, who featured the Flag and Egg in his very successful vaudeville career did pretty much as follows (I have changed some of the wording was too dated... and I do a bit of a Betsy Ross intro)....

Anyway, Cole would bring out an American Flag and talk about it's use in early show business... he would say something like, "The American Flag when waved would get a performer certain applause (wave flag ), well not always, but sometimes... Waving the flag like this (wave up and down and start to push into hollow egg) it would like a newlywed's bank account become smaller and smaller until it was gone and in its place was a deposit... in the form of an egg.

He would then produce a flag from his pocket and wave it over his head... saying, "Well not always, but sometimes!"

"It's a simple trick you see, the egg is hollow and I use two flags..."

He would then pull one flag out and describe where they were, etc.

At the finish he broke the egg into a glass, walked offstage to applause, come back out walking in a funny way, actually spinning as he crossed the stage, reaching the mike would say, "Success makes me dizzy."

FYI his act consisted of the Flag and Egg, the Egg bag with two kids helping, funny bits with chewing gum and a very funny routine withi a Thayer Rapping Hand.

Don Alan's silk to egg (which I have) created and also used by Howard Bamman featured a magician baffling finish where he would pour the egg contents back into his fist, pull out the silk and show the egg restored. Think on that!
Stay tooned.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 13th, 2006, 12:52 pm

Fakini makes a great latex egg. It will bounce but being egg-shaped, unless you tossed it right on it's larger, round end you probably won't know where it will end up!

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 14th, 2006, 1:00 am

for what is worth :
- you can eliminate the key/coin/extra silk etc as follows : explain that the silk is in the egg. Pull it out of the egg and put it in your pocket to show the fake hollow egg (using both hands). Then retrieve the silk from your pocket along with the real egg hidden in het hand. Push the silk in the fake & switch. When going for glass, dump the fake.
- Karl Fox (Clever like a fox) used a real egg from the beginning, stuffing the silk behind it and then fake-explaining that the silk was in the egg etc. No switch, very clean, nice idea.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 14th, 2006, 1:55 am

You guys really need to check out Karl Norman's 40 Years at the forks.

No non-sensical "silk jumping to pocket"

Totally justified reason for switch (and undetectable)

SUPER EASY and very straight-forward.

You can get the book from Denny and Lee I think.

Keith

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Bill Wells
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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Bill Wells » November 14th, 2006, 6:59 am

There is at least one version of this effect wherein the hankerchief does not go into the pocket.

The magician explains that he will teach everyone a trick. He shows a hanky and proceeds to roll it up into his hand. He awkwardly appears to take the hank with his other hand which immediately goes to his pocket. Saying "No - you thought I put it in my pocket", he shows it to still be in the other hand. He now tucks the hank back into his hand and recaps by saying "you all thought that after I balled the hank up in my hand that I stole it away and put it into my pocket" (actions match words as other hand again goes to pocket). Magician says "...and you missed seeing the hank change into an egg" as he reveals an egg where the hank is supposed to be. Magician allows audience to react. "But I told you I would teach you how to do a trick. This isn't a real egg, this is a magician's egg", as he turns the egg around to show hole and pulls hank partly out of egg. "When I told you I was putting the hank in my hand, I was really tucking it into the egg". Magician tucks hank back in."I made you think I was taking the hank in my other hand and that I was putting it in my pocket while I had the egg in my hand the whole time". Again actions match the words. Magician continues "Now if you do this effect and someone in the audience says - That not a real egg! - then you must show them that it is, in fact, a real egg". The magician breaks the egg into a glass.
In this version there is only one silk and it never goes into the pocket (at least not until it is inside the fake egg and the audience doesn't know it is going into the pocket). There is ample excuse not only for the switches but also for the hand to go into the pocket.

I do not know the source of this version. I have been doing it for at least 45 years. It may have been taught to me by the magician who was my mentor when I was a teenager. It may have been in a book someplace. It may have evolved from years of performing it. I simply don't remember.

I had not mentioned it earlier because I had thought most of the above messages were "tongue in cheek" and everyone really was very familiar with the egg and silk. I guess the joke (please note I did not say "yoke") was on me.

Bill
Bill Wells

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Pete Biro
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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » November 14th, 2006, 10:17 am

This thread has scrambled and fried a few brains.
Stay tooned.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 15th, 2006, 7:49 am

Ok guys, I didn't mean to have this topic turn into a joke-athon.

I hope you all stop yoking around & be a little less shellfish in your responses. If I see anymore of these kinds or responses I will eggnore you all; I'm not chicken either becuase I'm at my hard-boiling point. I feel like I've been poached by you guys. I realize some of our points of view are scrambled, but we must see the sunny side up of things..

ok, I'm tired now..

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 21st, 2006, 7:52 pm

Today, when the silk goes to the pocket, it's because somewhere along the line the whole "sucker" explanation started to overshadow the original effect, then the trick got streamlined so the transposition was eliminated.

Back in the 1800s, (it's either in Modern Magic or Secret of Conjuring or both) an egg is displayed first and placed in a goblet covered by a handkerchief.

A red silk is also displayed. The silk gets stuffed into the hand and becomes an egg.

When the handkerchief is removed from the goblet, it is seen that the egg has turned into a red silk.

That was the original effect. At the end, though, because the audience might suspect a fake egg, the egg in the hand is swapped off, with misdirection provided by revealing the silk in the goblet, for an egg that can be cracked open.

Presenting it the original way involves no exposure of the method at all.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » November 21st, 2006, 10:46 pm

Yah, but it requires a table and a bottomless glass and a cover.

The modern silk to egg can (and is) done with no table or glass/cover, etc. and is a more entertaining routine.
Stay tooned.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 22nd, 2006, 12:14 am

Originally posted by steveowens:
Ok guys, I didn't mean to have this topic turn into a joke-athon.

I hope you all stop yoking around & be a little less shellfish in your responses. If I see anymore of these kinds or responses I will eggnore you all; I'm not chicken either becuase I'm at my hard-boiling point. I feel like I've been poached by you guys. I realize some of our points of view are scrambled, but we must see the sunny side up of things..

ok, I'm tired now..
Good. Lets hope this is ovum and done t.hen.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 22nd, 2006, 8:32 am

Originally posted by Pete Biro:
Yah, but it requires a table and a bottomless glass and a cover.
Well, it wasn't a bottomless glass, but yes, a couple more props are needed. This way also uses three eggs: the one with the hole, the one that vanishes from the glass and the one that is cracked.

However, you could just display egg number 1, put it in your pocket, then later show it has changed into a silk. That could be the real egg that gets swapped and cracked. This could either include the sucker bit or not.

And I agree the new way is very entertaining and a bit more streamlined. I was just pointing out why we have that extra silk that comes out of the pocket. Whether we need to explain it or not, I guess, is the real question.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » November 22nd, 2006, 9:07 am

You don't need anything that doesn't add to the entertainment or the ease of working.

I really amounts to "what works for what you want to convey as far as the effect and the attitude."
Stay tooned.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Gerald Deutsch » November 22nd, 2006, 3:26 pm

As many have pointed out this is usually a "sucker trick" and such effects are usually good candidates for "Perverse Magic".

That's done by having the magician surprised by the revealation.

For example, after the effect is "explained", the performer could say that he has to act "as if" it was a real egg to further the illusion but unlike a real egg, he doesn't have to worry about it breaking.

And then it breaks - and the performer is confused and looks in book to try to understand what happened.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 22nd, 2006, 3:47 pm

I believe Pete is correct: the original version, invented by Colonel Stodare, required a bottomless glass, in addition to the Stodare or hollow egg.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 22nd, 2006, 5:57 pm

Maybe the original original version needed a bottomless glass, but the version in Modern Magic uses an ordinary glass or a goblet with a stem. The egg that vanishes from the glass is a blown out egg that is attached with a thread to the covering handkerchief.

The handling is that the egg and cover are shown together with the red silk hidden under the egg. The egg is basically dropped into the glass with the silk as the handkerchief covers them. Later the handkerchief and egg are drawn away, showing the red silk in the glass.

This is what Hoffmann has in Modern Magic. (It may also been in his translation of Robert-Houdin, who he seems to have borrowed from extensively.) The Hoffman handling is also in Cyclopedia of Magic edited by Henry Hay.


Also, you're gonna need the glass anyway to break the egg into, right? Maybe a table to set it on, too.

Just checking again, Hoffmann states this effect is "generally identified with the name Colonel Stodare." He then describes it as I wrote it.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 23rd, 2006, 12:51 am

Is the stodare egg the plain hollow egg, or one that splits in two, so you can crack the fake egg and have it appear to be a real one?
Ive got one of these in my collection, complete with the turned wooden yolk.

It needs to be re enameled, as the brass is showing through, but otherwise its in perfect condition.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 23rd, 2006, 6:27 pm

I think "Stodare Egg" can generally refer to any hollow egg used in this routine. In Hoffmann's description of the routine, he refers to "a hollow celluloid egg, with an oval opening in one side."

The basic part of the routine ends by simply by placing that egg, hole side downward, onto the table then showing that the glass now contains a red silk instead of an egg.

Tonight, Modern Magic isn't in the same place I am, so I can't double check to be sure, but I nearly 100% certain it's suggested that the celluloid egg be changed for a real egg to crack.

When Henry Hay included Hoffmann's description in Cyclopedia of Magic, which is the book I've got with me right now, Hay didn't included the final bit about cracking the egg at all, so I'm going by memory.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2006, 8:46 am

If you ask me the best version of the trick is the old T. Nelson Downs method.

A silk is poked into the fist and shown to change into an egg. The egg is turned around and shown to have a hole in it that contains the silk. The silk is visibly removed from egg and discarded. The egg is cracked in a glass to show that it is real. Simple and direct magic.

Levent

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2006, 9:44 am

I finally got to check Modern Magic directly instead of relying on Henry Hay's edited version in Cyclopedia of Magic.

In Hoffmann, the hollow egg is an enameled zinc egg with a hole. Hay updated that to celluloid.

Also in Hoffmann, it turns out the egg is never cracked at all. The suggestion is that if the spectators demand to see the egg, it be vanished before they can look at it.

Now I don't know where I saw the bit about swapping it for a real egg. . .

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » December 5th, 2006, 4:15 am

Three things.

1) Have any one experienced doing this effect close up/walk around situation? I will start experimenting with this - like to end with pulling the silk out of the red sticker stuck to my forehead - (Ammars ending is wonderfull).

2) If you are into the version where you go to your pocket for a tallisman, then I would suggest you go to your pocket for a salt shaker. The kind of shaker that actually makes a funny beep - beep noice when salt is poured out of it.

3) I guess you can use any white sticker colored to your needs by a filt pen. Any experience with different kind of stickers?

In the late Tommy Wonder's words, dont' treat these types of effects as a "sucker effects" - it will subconciously make you think of your spectators as suckers which they are not. They are your focus of attention and the reason why you perform - namely to astonish and entertain. Threat these types of effects as "faillure effects" - thats a much better context - I believe he is/was right on that,........too.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » December 5th, 2006, 6:28 am

Originally posted by Vraagaard:
Three things.

In the late Tommy Wonder's words, dont' treat these types of effects as a "sucker effects" - it will subconciously make you think of your spectators as suckers which they are not. They are your focus of attention and the reason why you perform - namely to astonish and entertain. Threat these types of effects as "faillure effects" - thats a much better context - I believe he is/was right on that,........too.
Ive just had a thought jump into my head.
A good name for this kind of effect is a hiccup trick....."Because?" I hear you ask. Well, a good cure for a hiccup is a surprise .

And that's what you get at the end..

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 1st, 2007, 2:49 pm

No one has mentioned the Zimmer Egg in this thread. If they did, I missed it.

http://www.vikingmagiccompany.com/?nd=full&key=419

This version supposedly eliminates going to the pocket.

Anyone have any experience with or comments about this one?

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » January 1st, 2007, 4:45 pm

I have one but never used it as the silk is pretty small to fit into the gimmick.
Stay tooned.

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 1st, 2007, 8:51 pm

How small is pretty small? 6 inch silk?

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 3rd, 2007, 8:32 pm

How about at the end when the egg is cracked to show it is real, there is a silk inside with the real egg contents? Then you have changed the fake egg into a real one and are still in tune with the previous song. Not an easy task but it would be different and logical.

Jerrine

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 5th, 2007, 7:19 am

How about at the end when the egg is cracked to show it is real, there is a silk inside with the real egg contents?
Wouldn't the silk be all wet and icky? Yuck! :D

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 5th, 2007, 7:06 pm

And a sticky, wet RED glob dripping out of the egg would be particularly gross.

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Pete Biro
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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » January 5th, 2007, 10:22 pm

Enough! Just do it the way it was created and do it well.
Stay tooned.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 6th, 2007, 12:39 am

Well, as the creator of this topic, I feel I must let the legacy of the thread be as drawn out as possible.. :D

So, I just did 2 shows: changing the silk into the egg, then showing how it was done, then changing it into a real egg. It was easily understood be all, as well as enjoyed!

Let's all beat this topic into eternity guys! For Pete's sake.. :D

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Pete Biro » January 10th, 2007, 12:09 pm

OK, beat the eggs? Anyway, I think it was Sid Lorraine who said something like "IT's done by my left foot" as he looked down and roatated his foot giving him the misdirection to make the switch.

Then there's the Don Alan version, created and also performed by Howard Bamman where the broken egg contents are poured back into your hand to show the whole egg and then the silk is pulled out of it for an encore.
Stay tooned.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » January 11th, 2007, 7:53 am

Actually, that's a good topic just on the switch of the eggs!

My switch is done right after a stupid joke..

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » February 7th, 2007, 8:23 pm

Most performers I know that do this trick use coat pockets. Due to other functions of my costume later in the show, an egg dropper is necessary.

Is there even a source of mass production egg droppers anymore?

Bob

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby NCMarsh » February 7th, 2007, 9:09 pm


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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » February 9th, 2007, 8:34 pm

Jonathon,

Soft eggs of anything except for some sponge eggs are scarce as hens' teeth.

Weller's quitting business really wrecked my train. The last ones are getting useless to me. I do depend on them.

Perhaps you could start with a large Super Ball and carve your "bouncer". I expect that you could shape it with a wire brush. But I have no solution if chunks break out.

Could you use some sealant to mold one?

Scheme!

Bob Sanders

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » March 17th, 2007, 7:31 am

At times (like walk-around) cracking a real egg is just not an option. That is when I produce another matching fake egg without a hole. It can be just as baffling to the audience as a real egg.

Enjoy!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » April 7th, 2007, 9:20 am

In answer to a telephone call from one who did not wish to be identified.

1. Yes, I've been doing the Walk-Around version of Silk to Egg for about 35 years.

2. No real egg or glass is used.

3. Yes, I hand the egg to the sepectator.

4. Yes, it resets!

5. No, only white eggs flash. (Why use them?)

Until recently, this version was only available in my silk lecture. The first time it will be comercially available as a trick will be at Magi-Whirl 2007.

Don't let the folks who say Egg to Silk is not for walk-around limit your abilities. Recognize theirs and move on.

These are frequently the same ones using a 6" or 9" silk to vanish in a TT. With the above there is no reason not to do the same with an 18" square silk.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » April 13th, 2007, 5:55 am

Since my first post in this thread on July 2006 I've been doing this close up/walk around. No problems at all doing this close up.

White egg, 12" silk, silk to pocket method with 2 silks involved, crack the real egg in a glass on the table (if no glass available use a plate or simply just hand it out(with a warning that this is a real egg)).

Ending the routine by finally produce the red silk out of the forehead after having placed the red sticker there prior to crashing the egg (e.g. see Ammar's routine for this method).

A tip on the red sticker. I just use a piece of paper colored red with a red sharpie. Use some double stick tape. For some odd reason the double stick tape doesn't work well when the egg is cold out of the fridge, so I attach it just prior to approaching the tables.

It works close up just as well, the 12" silk will help you cover the egg in your hand.

Thought I would mention it, since I asked a lot of questions about close up versions of this effect back in July 2006.

Guest

Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Guest » May 25th, 2007, 7:52 am

You do know that if you are using a good ceramic egg, you can use an 18" silk instead of a 12" silk? It gives 2.25X the surface to show! (Size matters!)

Also combining the vanishing 18" silk with 20th Century Silks (where it reappears tied in between two more 18" silks) gives you a routine instead of just a trick.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby debb71ie » April 11th, 2015, 3:37 pm

Hello Everyone. I am rather new to magic and I saw your discussion on Silk To Egg.

I have the silk and the TT and egg prop. Can somebody explain to me please when you have gone

through the routine and you swap for the real egg where you put the silk for it to disappear

and just have the egg in your hand ready to crack it to reveal it is real.

As I am having a problem holding the real egg and TT together to get the silk

to disappear....

Thank You..

Chris....

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Re: Let's talk Silk to Egg..

Postby Leonard Hevia » April 11th, 2015, 5:55 pm

Chris--when you purchased these items, did anything come with instructions?

Never mind--just go to the Hocus Pocus website and purchase one of Mark Wilson's Allakazam Silk to Egg. It comes with all of the necessary props and a DVD with Mark's instructions.

http://www.hocus-pocus.com/magicshop/

I saw Wilson perform this on one of Dick Clark's variety shows back in the late 1970s. I thought he was going to showcase one his illusions, and instead he did the Silk to Egg. If you want to grumble about having to purchase the props again--don't. You will get a fantastic tutorial by Mark, one of the all time greats. The extra silks and egg gimmick you already own will make a nice set of back up props.


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