"Hot Knife" by Rodger Lovins
Suggested Retail USD$49.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 7 Out of 10

"Hot Knife" is Rodger Lovins' take on a classic and in terms of workmanship, it's a beautiful piece of work.

It's "Hot Rod" with a different face, complete with the six colored spots changing color, so there's really no need to go into details about the effect; we've been there and done.

"Hot Knife", though, isn't so much about the effect as it is the knife itself. It's gorgeous to say the least. Done in nickel silver and bone, this knife is pretty. The assembly is a three-blade swing, made in stainless. Even the riveting it perfect. This is a knife that does magic and still functions perfectly as a pocket knife that will last a lifetime.

All that craftsmanship makes "Hot Knife" heavy, a lot heavier than a typical "Hot Rod" or even the brass models. This isn't a drawback, but it will take some getting used to. For me, getting used to the weight was a small price to pay just to have a high quality knife that does everything it should. You can still perform all the usual moves with "Hot Knife", plus some of the "non-standard" displays and changes, and that's what really counts.

One thing that should be mentioned, just lightly. Although it's not mentioned in the ads, the packaging states that this is "the best color changing knife you will ever vanish". This is obviously some kind of marketing goof, since nowhere in the dealer ads and nowhere in the instructions is the knife vanishing even mentioned. So forget about that aspect of it; the knife doesn't vanish (oh, it could, but it's not explained anywhere). If this effect were carried over into the dealer ads, I'd be yelling and screaming about deceptive marketing practices; as it is, it just looks like someone fell asleep at the keyboard when the packaging was being put together.

All in all, "Hot Knife" is a great piece of work as both a prop and a tool and, while carrying pocket knives around isn't as usual as it was in the thrilling days of yesteryear, it's still common enough that pulling one out of your pocket won't get you the same looks as if you pulled out a hunk of plastic.

"Hot Knife" by Rodger Lovins
In a Blink: 7 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
It's the old "Hot Rod", so you know what that means -- no reset, no setup, all of that. Lovins knife version is as practical as it gets, being both a quality prop and a quality knife.

Workmanship: 10
What can I say? This is beautifully put together. The handles are gorgeous, the riveting tight, the knife large enough to be easily visible to a spectator, and with three nice blades besides. All of this makes the knife a bit heavy but that's not detrimental to the knife's function at all.

Documentation: 5
It's the "Hot Rod" so you're not going to get a dissertation here. Lovins instructions are exactly what you would expect from such a simple effect.

Effect: 5
"Hot Rod" is one of those classics that gets around. It's still good magic.

Presentation: 5
The routine is the same as the classic; nothing surprising here.


Shane