"Shaker" by Rodger Lovins
Suggested Retail USD$24.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

"Shaker", an effect by Rodger Lovins, is a slick piece of work. Packed with great visuals and an unexpected climax, this is one audiences will love.

The effect starts off simply enough: a small ball is placed in a salt shaker, the shaker covered with a napkin and, when the napkin is removed, the ball is seen to have vanished and is produced from the pocket. The ball is put back in the shaker, covered with the napkin, shaken, and the balls falls out from under the napkin. Then things get neat. The ball is placed on the palm of the hand, the uncovered shaker struck against the ball, and the ball visibly penetrates the bottom of the shaker to appear inside the shaker. Everything is covered with a napkin and, in an effort to make the ball vanish, the napkin is crushed and the ball and shaker have both vanished.

I have to admit I really like "Shaker". The routine is put together quite well, the building of one effect on the other working beautifully to lead to the surprising climax, and the visual penetration really throws things for a loop. But beyond that, creating routines for "Shaker" is easy enough and there's a good amount of flexibility there to create more personalized routines and really make this your own. Simply, most of the moves you'd do with a Chop Cup you can accomplish with "Shaker" and that puts a lot of stuff on the table when it comes to going your own way with the prop.

The ads mention combining "Shaker" with Lovins' other creation, "Ultimate Coin Purse", and this is certainly possible and opens up a wide range of possibilities (think in terms of what routines you would do with two Chop Cups in play and you'll get the idea). The ads also mention that "Shaker" is "great for your favorite Chop Cup routine". That's a bit of a misnomer. If your routine involves the ball traveling to the shaker cum cup a few times, the constant unscrewing of the cap and dumping of the ball will result in tedium of the audience. Also loads are definitely going to be a bit of a thinking man's dilemma. Still, most of your favorite moves with the cup will apply to "Shaker" and go a long way to adapting your handling of "Shaker" to your handling of a Chop Cup.

Okay, so "Shaker" is flexible and easy to create more personalized routines with. It's also very well made and handles great. Problems? A couple.

The first of the problems is simply one of practicality. The supplied routine requires you to be seated. If that's an issue for you, you'll need to ditch the climax (the visual penetration will likely be enough anyway). Also, the shaker itself is large as it needs to be to be visible to an audience, and it's heavy. Packing this in a your pocket might be a little taxing. Then there's the whole justification thing about using a salt shaker from your pocket.

The second problem is the documentation. Lovins' documentation consists of a single sheet and the explanation is a lone paragraph, about the same length as the trick description itself. For those that have been around the proverbial block, that's not an issue -- it's easy enough to figure out. The less experienced folk among us are likely to be a bit overwhelmed by exactly what they should do when. A little thought, a little perseverance, and you can get by with what Lovins supplies.

The final verdict? I always look at things like this in black-and-white terms: would I replace what I usually do with this, replace my Chop Cup routine with "Shaker"? In the case of "Shaker", that's a tough question. And that means that "Shaker" has enough going for it that I'd consider it. Okay, that I am considering it.

"Shaker" is one of those slick pieces of work that just begs for that kind of consideration.

"Shaker" by Rodger Lovins
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Practicality: 8
No reset, no set-up, easy to do... "Shaker" has a lot going for it. Problems are few -- the shaker is big and heavy and that eats up a lot of pocket real estate, it can't be examined as a regular Chop Cup can, and the enclosed routine can only be done while seated -- but those boil down to either personal choice, performing style, and the restrictions of your venue.

Workmanship: 10
This is very well made and should last a lifetime.

Documentation: 4
The documentation is very short -- about the same length as the effect description -- consisting of a single paragraph. The more experienced with have no problem; newer practitioners may have a problem with some specifics.

Effect: 10
Lovins did a great job routining this and wrings out the most bang for the buck with the routine. The result? You'll get some great reactions with this one.

Presentation: 10
It's all about the visuals and the surprises and "Shaker" is loaded with them.


Shane