"Sword of the Ring" by Magic Wagon and The Trickery
Suggested Retail USD$349.95
Available exclusively from The Trickery
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Sword of the Ring", produced by The Trickery and Magic Wagon, is a gorgeous mini-illusion that will floor spectators with its effect and magicians with its construction and leave both wanting to see it again and again.

I have to say, right off the bat, that I'm not a big fan of "collector-only" magic. But "Sword of the Ring" is so beautifully built, so wonderfully crafted, and just as good a magic effect as you could wish for, that this crosses the border between magic for collectors and magic for performance.

The effect will be familiar to anyone who has seen Kennard's "Mystery Ring Box" or Tenyo's "Crystal Cleaver". A small cabinet, a miniature sword, and a small ring pedestal are shown. A ring is borrowed from a spectator and placed on the pedestal which is then placed into the bottom of the cabinet and the cabinet closed. The sword is then run through the sides of the cabinet at the top, plainly seen penetrating both sides of the cabinet. The sword is then pushed down the grooves in the side of the cabinet until it reaches the bottom. When the door of the cabinet is opened, the sword is now seen to have penetrated the ring. The sword is pulled forward through the grooves in the cabinet, showing the ring hanging off of the sword where both the sword and the ring are given to the spectator.

That's quite an long explanation for something that plays much quicker than that would lead you to believe but the beauty of "Sword of the Ring" takes quite a few words to describe.

The short version? "Sword of the Ring" is a slick, visually appealing, and magical penetration of a ring onto a sword and it causes jaws to drop.

Here are the performance specifics (we'll get to the manufacture later).

The ring is not gaffed or gimmicked or switched or anything else you might imagine. It is a borrowed ring. It will work with any ring that will fit inside the pedestal (which amounts to a small ring box); a ring with a very wide band -- wider than a men's wedding band -- would be the only possible disqualification here. More, the ring is never in any danger of be damaged; done as directed the spectator's ring is always perfectly safe. There is no reset at all; as soon as you're done, "Sword of the Ring" is ready to go again. Naturally, this means that repeating it is not a problem either. There are no sleights involved at all and there's nothing to ditch at the end: this is entirely self-contained. Not everything can be examined, but you'll find that, thanks to a very open handling, the piece the spectators will go for every time is perfectly examinable.

Frankly, if this weren't a museum-quality piece, "Sword of the Ring" is one of those things you'd always pack away just because it is a beautiful piece of magic and it's just plain fun to do.

I did say "museum quality", didn't I? Well, now's as good a time as any to segue over to the manufacture of this delightful piece.

"Sword of the Ring" was made by Magic Wagon, who are among some of the finest craftsmen in the magic world. You wouldn't believe the amount of detail put into every aspect of this, from the fine wood to the accented door handle to "secret something" itself. The workmanship is, in a word, unbelievable. It truly is a work of art that any collector would love to add to their collection.

Now, as to the "secret something", the working of it all, while "Sword in the Ring" has obvious ties in effect to Kennard and Tenyo, the working is different in both cases. In the former case, you can now borrow a ring and in the latter the method is cleaner (and I won't go into the difference in appearance between cheap plastic and expensive wood). You are not simply getting a "collector's item" version of either of the previous tricks; you're getting something different in more ways than one.

Personal anecdote time. When I got this, the first thing that came to mind was this is one of those things I'll put on the mantle and break out whenever a house guest asks to "see something". But the blasted thing is so beautiful in construction and so clever in its conception that I do it every chance I get, even when there's no one but me around. That's either a sad statement on my own mental state or a resounding recommendation to the work of art that is "Sword of the Ring".

Trust me: it's a resounding recommendation. "Sword of the Ring" deserves no less.

"Sword of the Ring" by Magic Wagon and The Trickery
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
It's a collector's item, so you won't be throwing it in your hip pocket and running around town with it. However, it has no other issues whatsoever (no resets, instantly repeatable, and so forth) and, all things considered, you wouldn't want to take this to a restaurant gig anyway. This is perfectly practical for what it is: a piece that will floor those when you find yourself relaxing at home or in a formal situation.

Workmanship: 10
This should, by rights, be somewhere in the 100, 150 range. There are not enough words to describe just how wonderfully constructed this is.

Documentation: 10
The documentation you receive is perfect -- you'll be going with this in no time -- but the extra documentation online is full of even more ideas and handlings.

Effect: 10
This is so clean, so matter-of-fact, that it floors people. And that's an understatement.

Presentation: 10
I had my concerns, what with a cabinet coming into play, but the various small touches make this one a real beauty (and the heat is never on the workings at all). Bring this one out and there's your audience knows "Something Special" is in the air.



Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.