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Hi there. I am thinking about doing a routine which requires 2x Bill Tubes. And so I am wondering about the quality of diferent ones, since price is an issue when you're buying 2!

I saw a model by (I think) Magic Makers which was very good indeed - nicely made in brass.

But there is also a cheap Royal magic one in plastic. Now I know that you can't really compare these two, but how deceptive is the Royal one?

Alternatively any thoughts on where to get 2 brass ones at a good price would be appreciated...

Thanks.

I don't know about their price now, but I got my brass bill tube from Davenports years ago and it was very nice indeed; think I paid about £20-25 for it. The gimmick was fantastic and virtually invisible, even on close inspection, so a spectator would have no chance of seeing it (assuming you actually gave them a reason to suspect in the first place!) Might be worth getting yourself down to Davenports and having a look at their model. But do call them first to make sure they have some in stock!

Jason Waskett wrote: I'm sure there was a bill tube sold by them over four years ago that was just a screw thread for the lid, but it was the longest screw thread EVER.

This sounds like a Sing Sing ring box.

Have a look here:

http://www.paul-howard-pro-magic.co.uk/

The ring box is under Close-Up, and there are two bill tubes under Money Magic.

Barry

Jason Waskett wrote: Someone was telling me that there was a really good routine in The Gen, but even though my local club library has all these, I've a feeling it would take me days to find it. Although it came with four seperate ideas for routines though.

.

Ill take a look through my Gens and se what i can come up with. It wont be untill the weekend, but i will do it..

While the bill tube can be deceptive (very!) it still leaves the question of wotinhell is it?

Nobody, now or ever, carried bills around in a brass tube! The bill tube simply screams "magic prop!"

I have to agree with Peter there.

can you still get the bill tube that looks like a packet of sweets?

or did i imagine that?

I think a Lippincott box is a good alternative to a bill tube; it also looks less like a magic prop, in my opinion.

Peter Marucci wrote:While the bill tube can be deceptive (very!) it still leaves the question of wotinhell is it?

Nobody, now or ever, carried bills around in a brass tube! The bill tube simply screams "magic prop!"

I read a suggestion in one of the classic magic books that, if you must use a bill tube, you could explain that it was made to hold "radium needles". Can anyone remind me which book this is in? I thought it was "Amateur Magicians' Handbook" but I can't find it there now. Certainly Henry Hay decries any apparatus that screams "magic apparatus - fake!"

Barry

Peter Marucci wrote:While the bill tube can be deceptive (very!) it still leaves the question of wotinhell is it?

That's a good one Peter

Fact is, you are very much correct; it looks like a duck e.g. it must be one... that is, it must be one of those nifty James Bond like gadgets magicians are known for and thus, the first thing any spectator is going to grab if given half the chance.

My recommendation would be to follow the wisdom of one Mr. William McComb... use the concept being the routine but find an alternative "device" that seems more logical e.g. more innocent.

I use to love working with Bill Tubes and their evil cousin, the Niffen Tube. But that was in an era in which I was the cute kid doing tricks and prior to (or in around) the days of the Watergate scandal and the nation's embrace of cynicism -- being both, suspect and rude about everything and thus, believing it their right to rue the hell out of most any sort of performer but most especially magicians.

As to the question itself... MagicMakers is fairly reputable whereas VIKING has built a strong reputation for this sort of precision craftsmanship... then again, so has Owen's magic, but I doubt you want to suffer the sort of Sticker Shock they tend to deliver with their products.

Stay Away from "Royal"... they manufacture on the cheap on purpose; their market is for the novice and making generic items for making up magic kits or give away items used in magic shows or cereal boxes.. So I doubt you'd be interested in sacrificing your reputation in said manner. HOWEVER, if you wanted to experiment with the idea, as I suggested, so as to come up with an alternative handling, the Royal tubes may be a good move PROVIDED you are not using them in performance, just as part of your back room R & D.

I second all the post and the opinions about Viking mfg, their material is top notch.
In Capricornian Tales and Hauntiques, there are descriptions of very unusual uses of Bill Tubes.
I modified a little one of the Bill Tubes. Picture here under.

Thanks for all your thoughts. Very interesting and helpful.

Does the Sing Sing ring box work like a Bill Tube? If so, it might be that getting two of them would do the job.

I agree with the comments about 'screaming prop' - but a good routine should be able to overcome that in my opinion.

For the record, the routine which influenced my thinking on the double tube idea is from Ken Brooke's Magic , The Unique Years, pp100-102. The genius of the idea is that the tube can be in view from the beginning which massively strengthens the effect to my mind.

Lord knows why but, looking at Christian's photo has made me wonder if you could use it to house a bullet....
the bullet with your name on it.

in fact you open up the tube and show that there is a bullet, with a small label on it with your name.

this is covered with a handkerchief, and handed to teh spectator to hold.

suddenly there is a loud bang.
the spectator removes the hank, and opens the case.
inside, a spent cartridge, and the charred remains of a label that now bears their name.

Clearly, its a good job that the bullet was inside the case..

dont ask me for a method.

Im just visualising the effect at the moment.
Its probably impossible

another thought ( Im on a roll here)

use the tube in a confabulation style effect.

age it up to look like something thats been sitting at the bottom of the sea for hundreds of years.
when its opened, inside is a piece of rolled up parchment, on it is written a number, or a word, or a picture, freely chosen by the spectator.

indexes, and forces should provide that info

I love the bullet idea! Brilliant! More thinking to do...

to me, the tube looks like a piece of " trench art" and that's what made me think bullet