Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

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I.M. Magician
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Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby I.M. Magician » January 21st, 2015, 11:42 pm

I am currently on a Himber Wallet kick. Your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

What size and type of Himber Wallet do you prefer? How do you use it? Do you have a favorite manufacturer? Do you use any of the ideas in the Himber Wallet book by Harry Lorayne?

Please respond to any and all questions above. I would like to have your imput.

Roger M.
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Roger M. » January 22nd, 2015, 12:49 am

I have two which I'll never part with, both of which are better than anything else I've ever seen in a Himber Wallet.

The first is an original Jerry O'Connell, hand made by Jerry himself on his own leather work bench. It's a beautiful creation, thin, flawless, and very different from the "new" O'Connell wallets that come in bulk from Asia. The new wallets have absolutely nothing in common with the original wallets Jerry himself made with his own hands.

The second is a Presley Guitar wallet that is frankly, a touch nicer (and far thinner) than even Jerry's original wallet. I looked for a Pressley Guitar wallet for years before finally finding one. It's the thinnest Himber Wallet I've ever seen by a factor of at least two.

I've got a couple more nice Himber Wallets, including one of the new O'Connell wallets - and while they're "OK", they're nothing even close to the Original Jerry and the Pressley Guitar wallets.

The above capped off with a deluxe edition of Harry's Himber Wallet book, unmatched in its scope and quality of effects with a Himber Wallet.

Inspired by Harry Anderson, I think the Himber Wallet represents some of the finest magic anywhere when used in any of the "Polaroid Money" routines ... especially the way Harry does it.

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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Doomo » January 22nd, 2015, 1:01 am

Yeah...whatever. .thin means nothing. There are far better switching wallets.

Just saying.

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Q. Kumber
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Q. Kumber » January 22nd, 2015, 7:22 am

A Himber Wallet is nothing more than a tool in your arsenal. Whatever kind you use, it should not draw any attention to itself and should look like something that people might carry.

The Harry Lorayne book is a great place to start.

I have yet to see any man in the real world carry a thin wallet. It might have been thin when he bought it but if he uses it regularly, his wallet will be full of stuff.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 22nd, 2015, 11:50 am

That's a great point, Quentin. I think Roger means that the wallet should start as thin as possible before you shove all the stuff in it that makes it look like a real wallet and not like a prop that has just been removed from the box.
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Leonard Hevia » February 3rd, 2015, 1:46 am

I think Roger means thin in the sense that the spectators won't be able to detect the third side underneath the wallet. A Himber or z-fold wallet is supposed appear as a bi fold wallet. The third side underneath should never be seen, let alone suspected. Scotty York's handling is my way to go for a Himber or z-fold.

And then there's the mystery of the Varrichio/Weber Wafer Thin Wallet I purchased used three years ago from a local dealer. When I opened the parcel, the wallet was a mini-Himber with a window on the right side. Last week I actually read the booklet that came with this wallet. The wallet is described as a strapless z-fold and the beautiful Earl Oakes illustrations clearly show this.

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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Doomo » February 3rd, 2015, 7:56 am

Leonard Hevia wrote:I think Roger means thin in the sense that the spectators won't be able to detect the third side underneath the wallet. A Himber or z-fold wallet is supposed appear as a bi fold wallet. The third side underneath should never be seen, let alone suspected. Scotty York's handling is my way to go for a Himber or z-fold.

And then there's the mystery of the Varrichio/Weber Wafer Thin Wallet I purchased used three years ago from a local dealer. When I opened the parcel, the wallet was a mini-Himber with a window on the right side. Last week I actually read the booklet that came with this wallet. The wallet is described as a strapless z-fold and the beautiful Earl Oakes illustrations clearly show this.


Sorry Leonard. I have a rather extensive collection of wallets. Including the V/W and while thin the basic design did NOTHING to conceal the third panel. I have found several ways to defeat the issue. While I liked Scottys routine it did nothing to end the 3rd panel issue. If you had come to MagiFest I had samples of 3 different wallets that all solved said issue.

Tony
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lybrary
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby lybrary » February 3rd, 2015, 9:19 am

A Himber Wallet resource that often gets overlooked is the Al Mann manuscript "The H Factor". Al not only shares a number of really strong routines with the Himber Wallet but also teaches his way of handling it and other tips and tricks.

As the licensed retailer of the remaining Al Mann stock I do have a couple of the H-Factor manuscripts still available if anybody is interested http://www.lybrary.com/the-h-factor-p-477.html (Note: they are unbound, the way Al Mann stored them in his garage.)
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Roger M.
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Roger M. » February 3rd, 2015, 9:26 am

Starting off thin works for me.

I also appreciate the superb quality of the Original Jerry, and the Pressley Guitar Himber wallets as well. Nothing made in leather today equals either of them in terms of how they're constructed and what they look like.

You make nice stuff too Tony, I've got plenty of it. But I don't agree with your take on a thin Himber wallet.

I've done Poloroid Money with the newer (and 4 times thicker) O'Connell wallets, and although the mechanics are the same, the effect is more enjoyable for me to perform with a thinner wallet.

I've never been called out on a Himber wallet effect, be it thick or thin, be it cards or money.
If you watch Harry Anderson do his version of Polaroid Money, the wallet is irrelevant.

Michael Westen
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Michael Westen » September 30th, 2015, 6:20 pm

Not a Himber wallet exactly. I use the Bendix Bombshell as my card in wallet as well as a Himber. I have one of the old ones that Abbott's carried many years ago. The instructions have some great ideas, Max Maven has a great routine, maybe 20 or better.

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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Max Maven » October 1st, 2015, 10:39 am

Nobody ever topped the Lee Noble Himber. Those old enough to remember it will know what I mean.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby erdnasephile » October 1st, 2015, 11:06 am

Tony Miller has some interesting thoughts on the original Himber wallet in this thread (about a third of the way from the bottom):

viewtopic.php?t=28758

Max Maven
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Max Maven » October 1st, 2015, 12:01 pm

But Lee Noble's wallet was not the original Himber design...

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Q. Kumber
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Re: Let's discuss the HImber Wallet...

Postby Q. Kumber » October 1st, 2015, 2:38 pm

Beware of the Maven who speaks with a preponderance of proof :)


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