Magical Originalities
Ernest E. Noakes
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Some Effects With SilkWHILST talking of silk tricks, perhaps it would not be out of place for me to mention one or two effects. Take, for instance, the production of a handkerchief from sword point. The first sword I made was for a very well-known illusionist, who requested me to make a long, good-looking, reliable "blade," that would work every time. Most of my readers have seen this sword in use! and as I made it up a little out of my usual mode, with "points" (not of the sword, but of his suggestion), I do not consider myself free to describe this one in detail, as this "sword" had never been a sword and was made piece by piece to carry out each detail. The "handkerchief sword" I placed on the market years ago is made from a "bayonet sword," and, when faked, permits of the sword being sheathed.
I will presume that my reader desires to make up his own sword. Having purchased your sword and sheath, you first remove the stiff spring at the top of the sheath, by filing away the heads of the side rivets, and driving them out with a punch. The sheath is now finished!
The sword is prepared as follows:--The point must be softened by making it white hot and allowing it to cool very gradually, and about 3/8-inch of it bent to form a right angle. (See illustration.) This small portion is now drilled with a 1/16-inch drill. If the reader does not possess a lathe, he must use a shoulder brace, or small geared brace that works with a handle. Having drilled the hole, a somewhat larger drill is used to slightly counter-sink each side of the hole to render it smooth, and emery cloth finishes the smoothing. The superfluous metal round the drilled hole is now filed away, leaving a nice firm eye on the extreme point of the sword, and this finishes the work on the point.
The next thing is to remove one side of the handle to receive the holder for the handkerchief. This necessitates a hack-saw (and generally a few spare blades!). The fake is made out of a length of metal tube. It is flat where it is to rest against the sword handle and the shape of a "D" forming a sort of tunnel with curved sides and top, and flat bottom. This will have to be firmly fixed to the handle by screws. To ensure the firing every time, the fake must be as large as possible, to permit the immediate release of the handkerchief.
To hold and release the handkerchief inside the fake, a small slot is made in the top of the fake nearest to the guard, and long enough to admit the small ring which is attached to the elastic and through which the handkerchief will be placed later on. Working over the middle of this slot is a sliding wire bolt, which holds the ring in the slot, and which, when the performer pushes the bolt back, allows the tension of the elastic to draw the ring to the point of the sword.
To load the sword, the elastic is fastened to the extreme end of the handle, led through the fake, threaded through the eye on the point, and the small ring (blacked) tied to the elastic so as to just take the strain and remain there, and the handkerchief placed through the ring. The elastic is now pulled out and brought down right through the fake, so one hand grasps the handkerchief, whilst the other places the bolt on the fake, through the ring. The loose ends of the handkerchief are now carefully persuaded inside the fake without jamming.
The elastic at the point of the sword is now turned to the side of the point to prevent it being rubbed at all, as the sword is placed into its sheath.
The sword in sheath rests upon a table, the whole of the faked portion of the handle being blacked. When the production is needed the sword is openly drawn from its sheath, wiped with a handkerchief on the side facing the audience, just for misdirection, and on pushing down the bolt the handkerchief travels to the sword point, where, with a gentle pull, the handkerchief is taken from the ring and the sword laid down again on the table. A half-circle flourish with the sword renders the flight of the handkerchief quite invisible, even at close quarters.
Another method of mine for producing a handkerchief has been already explained in other books, but as no "practical" detail has been considered necessary in the description, perhaps I had better describe it correctly. Standing at the side, or behind the table, a glass jug of water is taken in the right hand, and an empty glass in the left hand. Water is poured to and fro from jug to glass, to prove the glass is quite empty, and then, whilst holding both jug and glass, a handkerchief appears in the glass.
The "secret" is very simple, see drawings. The glass has a small hole near the bottom, large enough to allow a silk thread to run freely through it. To prepare the trick, the handkerchief to be produced is pulled from opposite corners, then doubled in half, and the loop of the thread which should be 3 inches long is passed over the handkerchief whilst it is "halved." The loose loop now holds the handkerchief, and the handkerchief is twisted round and round until it cannot fall out of the loop. The load is now placed in a shaped servante of the size of a "condensed milk tin," so that no possible resistance can exist. The thread has already been threaded through the small hole in the glass and one end firmly secured to the table. The exact length of thread used must be equal to the distance from the table to almost the extreme reach of performer's arm.
When all is ready and the water has been finally returned from glass to jug, the performer, without "snatching," lifts the glass quickly to arm's length (of course removing thumb from the hole now that the water test has been made). The loop itself passes through the hole, but the handkerchief coming against the hole, the thread breaks on the edge of the hole and t leaves nothing but the handkerchief in the glass, and performer comes forward with the glass and jug and requests someone to remove the handkerchief. If a little finer thread is used just for the loop it makes it a little surer still, but I have found that the pressure of the loop against the sides of the hole is quite sufficient to break one side or the other of the loop.
I have seen a similar idea lately where the handkerchief comes from the wand, but this method means either a very small handkerchief, or a very "fat" wand, and does not work nearly so well. For all similar effects, friction must be avoided, as the slightest pressure or snatching may cause trouble.
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