The ICUMMT - The Invisible Close-Up Magic Multi-Tool

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As first mentioned in the last post, if you want to be rigged up to perform all sorts of magic effects with seemingly nothing on you, then I think this is one of the most versatile set-ups you can use. 

Required items:

  • a rubber thumbtip
  • a 1/4" neodymium disc magnet
  • some type of pull apparatus. For the purpose of this explanation will just assume it's a piece of elastic cord that is safety-pinned up the sleeve of your jacket.
  • a strong monofilament (fishing line)
  • PK Ring

Glue the magnet inside the tip of the thumbtip (I used this stuff.)

Take about 8 inches of monofilament. Tie one end to the PK ring. Tie the other end to a length of elastic cord which is attached to a safety pin. This gets pinned up the sleeve of your jacket in typical pull fashion. When the elastic is not extended the ring should hang to about the middle of your forearm. 

When I used this regularly it was set up in a particular jacket that worked well for an up-the-sleeve type of pull (stiff, wide sleeves). I just pinned the apparatus inside and would have it on me any time I went out in that jacket. The thumbtip would be in the watch-pocket of my jeans.

Whenever I saw an opportunity to perform something, or, more frequently, when I sensed someone was going to ask me to show them something, I would push up my left sleeve slightly, grab the pk ring that was dangling there, and put it on my left ring finger or pinky finger. I now had half of a universal pull in position. But we'll get to that in a moment.

What can you do with this set-up? A better question is, what can't you do with this set-up. No... wait... that's a much worse question. There's a lot of things you can't do with this. Here are some of the types of effects you are prepared to go into from this set-up.

1. Unlike with Annemann's Invisible Pull, you can use the thumbtip as you would a normal thumbtip. So you're set for any thumbtip magic just by dipping your thumb in your watch pocket.

2. You're set-up for any pk ring based effects.

3. You're set-up for a watch stop from either hand via the pk ring or the magnet in your thumbtip.

4. You have the cleanest ring vanish imaginable. Just take your ring off (let the pull take it), apparently squeeze it, and it dissolves away. 

5. And the main purpose of this set-up is that it allows you to build a universal pull from seemingly empty hands as you perform.

Here's a basic example of that. Let's say you're at a bar and you decide to show someone a quick trick. Slide the ring off your finger and hold it in essentially a left finger palm. Get the thumbtip on your right thumb. This is all done before you "start" the effect. You pick up a bar napkin and let it unfold. You run it through your left-hand in standard thumbtip silk vanish technique and steal the thumbtip away. The magnet in the tip of the thumbtip connects with the pk ring, essentially creating a universal pull. The napkin is stuffed into the left fist and vanishes via the pull. You're completely clean at the end unless your spectator starts undressing you, which is entirely possible when she's so turned on by your napkin vanish.

What I did with this most frequently is I would be standing around outside a bar with some friends while they smoked. I don't smoke but I like being outside. Someone would light a cigarette and I'd ask for a drag. I'd give it a long inhale, then I'd put the lit cigarette in my left fist (it would get snuffed out on the magnet inside the thumbtip) then I'd take the lighter and push it in my fist as well (the thumbtip I used gripped a standard Bic lighter pretty well). Then I'd exhale the smoke and vanish the cigarette and lighter in the puff of smoke. 

Another nice thing about this set-up is that it can vanish things that aren't actually stuffed into the thumbtip. For example, with the ring part of the pull in finger palm and the thumbtip on your right thumb, you can take a napkin or a folded-in-half dollar bill with your right hand and place it in your left, pulling off the thumbtip as you take the item. The bill or napkin get's pinched between the two magnets and can be pulled away from there (In this case the vanish is very jacket-dependent. Make sure you have the sleeve space to accept something like that.)

I never played around with using it as an under-the-coat style pull, although I think you probably could.

I think there's a lot more that could be done with this, actually. I don't use the ICUMMT any more due to a shift in my philosophy on preparedness, but there are definitely times when I wish I had it on me. 

ALL MANUFACTURING RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE JER-- aw, fuck it, I'm never going to take the idea any further. If someone else wants to, knock yourself out.