Best Okito Box and Routine...Your opinion?

[Leonard Hevia]

A brass Steve Shufton Okito Box recently came my way. It's thick and meaty, with beveled edges and features that would make any Okito Box enthusiast quite happy. Charlie Miller might have labeled it "a man's box." One of Shufton's modifications was to raise the height of the box to accommodate 5 coins, so 4 half dollars rattle nicely inside the box because of the extra headroom. If he decides to make these in dollar size, that would be cool.

[Curtis Kam]

Hey, here's a little-known coinbox fact: There's actually a whole darn channel on Youtube that calls itself "Okito Box". Who knew? Have a look, and you'll see bits of odd and sometimes interesting explorations of this prop in this post-Rothian (his book, that is, David's still around) world. For instance, there's this: [youtube]http://youtu.be/NW5g5Hym7Uk[/youtube]

Not sure why that link thang isn't working, or if it is.

[Brad Jeffers]

Here you go Curtis ...

[Q. Kumber]

While I never saw Ken Brooke perform his Okito Box routine, Paul Daniels has described it as one of the most magical effects he has seen.

[Jonathan Townsend]

While I never saw Ken Brooke perform his Okito Box routine, Paul Daniels has described it as one of the most magical effects he has seen.

Is that the one with the teacups? in Art of Closup Magic?

[Q. Kumber]

While I never saw Ken Brooke perform his Okito Box routine, Paul Daniels has described it as one of the most magical effects he has seen.

Is that the one with the teacups? in Art of Closup Magic?

The one you mention is on page 62. I believe the one Paul was referring to starts on page 64 and also appears in the book, 'Ken Brooke - The Unique Years'.

[erdnasephile]

I've been continuing work on the Okito box since this was last discussed.

Does anyone know if Frank Thompson's work on the box has been published anywhere?

(I checked the Conjuring Archive and there are just a very few references: Just a Scotty York reference and one sequence in Apocalypse, as well as related credit for the Latta and Bossi moves in print.)

[erdnasephile]

Also, I think this routine is not fancy, but looks very practical:

https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic ... x-routine/

[Richard Kaufman]

Frank Thompson's material is somewhere in Howie Schwarzman's head. Where it will stay.

[Randy DiMarco]

At one time Howie sold a special gaffed box that came with an instructional video tape. Maybe some of the Frank Thompson stuff is on that tape. Of course you will need to find the tape.

[Bob Farmer]

See:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/5468

This is a routine I created for people who don't do coin box routines.

[Bill Mullins]

From an article by Schwarzman in MUM, May 2007:
"Perhaps someday Frank's [Thompson] notes, like the Phoenix, will emerge again. They were in safekeeping with Phil Thomas, who had an unfortunate fire at the old Yogi Magic Shop location, and many of the damaged books and boxes that were removed have yet to be unpacked. At this writing it is unknown if, or how much of Frank's notes survived. I hope that they did. There is a wealth of unpublished material there. Perhaps someday there will be a book. Who knows?"

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, everyone for the Frank Thompson info--too bad it looks like the majority of his stuff may be lost to posterity. For that matter, will a Schwarzman book ever see print?

Also, I know that Marlo had some interesting work on the Okito Box. However, I couldn't find anything from two other notables: Vernon and Miller. Did either of them have any work on the box?

[Richard Kaufman]

No Thompson book.
No Schwarzman book.

Lessons to be learned from both losses.

[erdnasephile]

No Thompson book.
No Schwarzman book.

Lessons to be learned from both losses.

Indeed.

On a non-related note, links to the Okito Box Youtube channel above seem to be broken. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRG7i2 ... kDVk3ZOInQ

In addition to some interesting coin box magic, this channel also contains the best use of the world's worst Tenyo trick that I've ever seen.

[webbmaster]

Eric Decamps showed me a routine on several occasions with a silver dollar size box and silver dollars. I'm clueless. Very fooled !

Also, check out Gregg Webb's Boston Box routine in Genii, maybe several years ago by now, Tour of Boston.

[Jonathan Townsend]

H. Sawa has a fun routine with patter about the trains in Japan.
Joe Cole published some of his work - also looks fun.
But if you want to play outside the usual box try Bob Farmer's Mojo Boogie Box routine.



Rumor has it Curtis Kam is tipping some of his coinbox work in his current lecture. There may also be a video. Curtis?

[erdnasephile]

I don't like Okito boxes. I owned a Johnson box until I dented the lid. There are a few effects I like though.

Chad Long's backfire in Okito Reverse-Embly on DVD 1.
Chastain Chriswell's "Outside the Box" especially when all the coins go back into the box at once.
Bill Goodwin's finale.
Mohammed Bey's routine and the extras from Edward J. McLaughlin.

Ray

I finally saw Chad Long's routine: really, really nice.

Does anyone know if Bill Goodwin's finale has been published somewhere?

[Jonathan Townsend]

What is Bill Goodwin's finale ?

[Terry]

H. Sawa has a fun routine with patter about the trains in Japan.
Joe Cole published some of his work - also looks fun.
But if you want to play outside the usual box try Bob Farmer's Mojo Boogie Box routine.



Rumor has it Curtis Kam is tipping some of his coinbox work in his current lecture. There may also be a video. Curtis?

I believe Curtis has completed a video with Penguin that is due out in a month or so?

[Curtis Kam]

Sorry I missed that question. Yes, rumor confirmed. The longest Okito Box routine you’ve ever seen is now performed, explained, and in the hands of the fine folks at Penguin.

Jon, to answer the other question, I suspect the finale mentioned above is Bill’s sequence where the coins, the box,and the lid all pass through the magician’s hand.

What do I win?


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[Jack Shalom]

A long time ago, RK wrote:

"Okito made his original coin box from a pill box: a natural pre-existing object that people would recognize.
NOW--what do you think your box SHOULD look like?
The answer is ... nothing special, nothing unusual. No dragon!"

That is why I have rarely been impressed by any Okito Box routine using an "Okito Box." Reminds me too much of the nickels to dime thing. Even in a great routine and even if specs inspect it, I think it's very hard to dispel the notion that it must be gaffed in some way.

[Curtis Kam]

Oh, you’re gonna hate my routine then. I tell ‘em that it’s an Okito Box from a magic store.

If I were at all concerned about making the box a “normal thing”, I suppose, in this day and age, it would be as simple as delivering a line or two from The Matrix and opening the box to reveal a red pill and a blue pill.


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[Brad Jeffers]

I suspect the finale mentioned above is Bill’s sequence where the coins, the box,and the lid all pass through the magician’s hand.

Is that the same as this ...

Paul Cummins has a great Okito Box effect in his FASDIU book. It starts out as the basic illusion where the box is placed on the back of your fist and the coins penetrate through your hand. Then the box penetrates your hand, and then the lid also penetrates through your hand, one after the other!

[Curtis Kam]

Brad,

The short answer is, no, the handling’s a bit different. Paul’s was published in Apocalypse.

The handling attributed to Billy Goodwin is, as far as Craig Ousterling and I can tell, Gordon Bruce’s. I’m told it appeared in a little manuscript or lecture notes that I’ve not seen. It’s the most elegant way that I know to accomplish this rather brutal effect.


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[erdnasephile]

Mr. Kam:
Thanks so much for that reference---gonna track that down.

I would love to see a large book of Mr. Bruce's material someday....or a large video (Hi, Kent! )

[Jack Shalom]

Oh, you’re gonna hate my routine then. I tell ‘em that it’s an Okito Box from a magic store.

That could be intriguing...the backstage view as Andy at the jerx might put it.

[Curtis Kam]

Jack, you’re right, although I never quite realized it. And I’ve enjoyed Andy’s writing since the MCJ days.


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