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Everlast – mind reading ring – review

Phil Sweeting — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 00:01:21 +0000

Everlast – also know as the ‘Mind Reading Ring’ is a mentalists’ accessory which enables you to perform a limitless number of effects. It is the latest take on the idea of a Swami or Boon or Thumb Writer and has a number of unique features. Here’s our review…

What do you get?

You get the ring itself which comes in a nice little box. The box also contains a card with a link to online instructions. The instructions run to less than 12 minutes long! But I actually really apprecate that they are ‘short but sweet.’ It really doesn’t require an enormously detailed amount of teaching. And you are most likely to develop (or already have) your own routines to use with the gimmick.

Nevertheless, in that short space it manages to explain the principle, include 3 ‘starter’ effects (live performance plus explanation) and a few extra tips. The first routine is a basic number revelation. Nothing ground-breaking here – but a good place to start if you’ve never used anything similar.

The second routine is a neat idea for a different kind of revelation. The spectator does some scribbling on a pad. And then when they rub it away with an eraser, it leaves behind the information they were thinking of.

The third routine is a simple ghost-writing demonstration (the spectator signs a business card and the name they are thinking of appears on it) – utilising another commercially available item (a haunted handkerchief – something like this).
These are all great starting points. And there’s a vast amount of literature dedicated to effects using this kind of principle. If you’re really serious about it then take a look at The Nail Writer Anthology.

Further thoughts

If you’re used to a swami type gimmick you’ll probably already have lots of routines you can adapt with this. I really like the idea of hiding the writer ‘in plain sight’ on a ring. It feels more flexible than many more traditional solutions. On the other hand, you may have to think about how it fits your style. It looks quite different in style to my wedding band, for example.

Like all these things, there is a bit of a knack to using it properly. But I found I could get adequate writing pretty much immediately, and with practise no doubt it will improve. My review ring had a rough/sharp point inside where the gimmick is attached – and was actually a little painful to write with. I imagine it would be pretty easy to file this down if you had the same issue.

I achieved good results on a number of different kinds of paper/card – even on semi-glossy card. The major selling-point for this is hinted at in the name. The gimmick should last for a very long time without needing to be replaced – unlike many traditional variations. I obviously haven’t been using this long enough to comment – but it certainly looks as if it should last a long time.

It is worth bearing in mind that you’re really going to want to wear this on your thumb – which is probably ‘fatter’ than your normal ring size. MagicShop.co.uk are stocking it in size 10 (UK size U) and size 12 (UK size Y) – which are both quite a bit larger than my wedding band size. But the size 10 was only just big enough to fit in the ‘writing position’ – and to roll further down my thumb for normal wear I would probably need size 12.

So all in all I think Everlast is well worth a look if you are in to performing mental magic. The range of effects with this kind of accessory is (in a much overused phrase) only limited by your imagination. The strength of these kind of effects on an audience is out of all proportion to the difficulty for the performer!

I looked at the Size 10 Everlast which is currently reduced at MagicShop.co.uk to only £14.94 (normal price £22.99).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Epic Writer – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 23:01:40 +0000

It is difficult to know where to start with this Epic Writer review. For a start, if you’ve seen an advert you will probably already know what this is – as it proclaims itself ‘The world’s first ballpoint pen writer’. That claim has been disputed – apparently something similar was marketed in 1985 – but I’m not in a position to judge that claim. For our purposes it is enough to notice that it is a very economical way to experiment with this whole area of magic or mentalism.

If you’re not familiar with the idea of a ‘pen writer’ – it is essentially a gimmick which enables you to write without the need for a pen. This one is a gimmick which attaches to your thumb. Using a biro (rather than the more common pencil) is certainly a sensible move in lots of informal settings where biros are commonly available.

What do you get?

In addition to the gimmick itself – which comes in a tiny little box – you get a link to about 1 and a half hours of online teaching and a 20 page pdf to download.

The first quarter of an hour or so of the video explains how to set the thing up, how to care for and store it and the basics of writing with it.

The video quality is perfectly adequate, but it is unfortunate that in some of the preparation section the focus of the camera is not really in the right place making it a little difficult to see what is going on. However, it isn’t rocket science, and so you shouldn’t have any problems working out what you need to do.

Then we move into the routines – which, especially if you are just starting out in this area of magic, are invaluable. 6 are taught on the DVD and there are further ideas on the pdf. I’ll briefly outline the routines.

Impossible ESP Match – you successfully predict the shape the spectator will choose. A simple routine and a good one to practise with.
Participants as mind readers – 4 spectators manage to predict your pin number. I like the presentation and some of the psychology in this.
Beat the spread – (Atlas Brookings) – this is a great routine where the spectator names any card (free choice) and when they open the deck there is a prediction inside which tells them a number to deal down to. At that number is, you guessed it, their chosen card. You’ll need at least one other skill to perform this (a memorised deck – see various reviews coming up…) – but they don’t teach that, simply referencing some options for you.
RG’s Add a number – as its name suggests this is an add a number effect (the RG of the title is its creator Raven Gairloch). The magician writes a number on a card, then three (or more) spectators each choose two digit numbers and then add them up – it is the number you wrote at the beginning of the trick. Simple and effective.
Two Take prediction – essentially the prediction of a card and a number. This one didn’t do that much for me.
Emoji Prediction – (Luca Volpe) – this is a close up cut down version of an effect by Luca Volpe. In this routine you essentially predict which of two emoji’s will be left with the spectator after they have had 3 chances to change their mind. I like the topical subject matter and premise of this routine.

There’s also a 10 minute discussion on how to write ‘covertly’ (in the context of the discussion of a routine).

The supplied pdf describes some of these effects and a couple of others. It also includes some ‘readings’ for a cold reading routine which would be helpful if you’re new to this area too.

Just how Epic is the Epic Writer?

The device is well-made and with some practise (and a suitable service) will enable you to get some reasonable results. I was struck that in a couple of the live performances spectators commented on the messy writing! And this, of course, is the skill/challenge/weakness of using this kind of device. You will have to practise to get a good quality writing with this device, but given practise it opens up with a little performance skill some very powerful effects.

There are benefits to using a ball-point pen – given their ubiquitous nature – but there is also the risk that your device might dry up mid-performance. If you find yourself using this a lot, I suspect you may get more than one, just in case, and low-cost refills are readily available.

If you’ve never explored this area of mentalism before Epic Writer is a low-cost way to dip your toe (thumb?) in the water. And one of its strengths is that a good number of routines are taught to get you started. They also reference some other books and resources (like the classic 13 Steps to Mentalism) which will give you a lifetime’s worth of ideas.

Epic Writer is available from the Merchant of Magic for £18.99 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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