Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Slydini Silks.
Are the Slydini Silks currently available?
Yes
- Palmer Magic is the manufacturer of the Silks. Slydini gave Palmer the sole manufacturing rights to several of Slydini's products.
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There are 2 silks in each package and no instructions.
How long does a set of Slydini Silks last?
The silks are extremely durable and will last through dozens of performances if treated with reasonable care. They are nylon and much stronger than most cloths.
Gradually, the Slydini Silks will start to show signs of wear. They will also get dirty with use, but cleaning instructions are enclosed. If treated roughly, the silks will develop only minor runs since they are made from "Rip-stop Nylon."
Should a customer purchase "Backup silks"?
Please note that although the Slydini Silks are very durable, they will lose their sharp, fresh appearance after being used a number of times.
Therefore, it is suggested that those planning to learn the Slydini Silk routines purchase two sets of training silks. Similarly, those planning to perform the routine regularly should acquire at least two sets of the good silks.
A magician planning to perform the trick daily would do well to keep several spare sets in reserve. Periodically, the lady that sews the silks moves on and has to be replaced. The last time this occurred, it took quite a long time to find a sewing lady whose workmanship met Palmer's standards. That long search caused a total depletion of inventory for many months.
Which is the best size of the silks to use?
Most performers prefer the 18 inch silks as they are easier to use than the 24 inch silks in the Slydini Silk routine.
Why are there no instructions included with the silks?
There are cleaning instructions included; however, no directions are provided on how to do any of the Slydini Silks routines.
Sometimes the Slydini Silks lie in magic shop display cases where anyone can buy them. The instructions for the routines are omitted to discourage mere curiosity seekers from purchasing the silks. The Slydini Silks is too good of a routine for just anyone to do it. The people we want to do the Slydini Silks are those dedicated magicians who are willing to put in more time to learn it right.
Serious magicians can obtain the instructions by using the references to one of the books or video that contain them. The best sources for learning the Slydini Silks routines are the books, "The Magical World of Slydini" and "The Annotated Magic of Slydini" as well as the video tape "On The Loose" volume 1 by Bill Malone.
Why does one of the silks have an orange hem?
The silks come in white color only. One silk in each set has two orange hems to facilitate keeping track of which end goes with which silk. This is an essential factor in performing the routine well. The sets are available without the orange hem, but Palmer strongly advises against this version. The orange hem will not draw any remarks from the spectators, as it will go virtually unnoticed.
Why are the Slydini Silks manufactured exclusively by Palmer Magic?
Slydini gave Palmer, the owner of Palmer Magic, the sole manufacturing rights to the Slydini Silks as well as several other Slydini products. He personally taught Palmer the secret of sewing them correctly.
There is a rip-off version on the market, but it is quite obvious that the sewing is inferior. Palmer's Slydini Silks come with very small hems and small tight corners. This is specially important when you encounter knots that are tied very tightly. You do not want to get into trouble do to inferior workmanship.
Performers find that the routines are far easier to perform well when using Palmer Magic's Slydini Silks. Palmer Magic regularly gets orders from dissatisfied purchasers of the knock-off Slydini Silks.
What are training silks?
Training silks are an economical tool for learning the routine. It is not unusual to wear out a couple of sets of silks in this process.
Training silks are almost perfect; only a minor flaw in the material or in the sewing prevents them from being sold at full price. Some magicians save money by using only the training silks, feeling that the audience will tend not to notice their slight imperfections.
Here is a note from a happy customer:
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Dear Palmer,
Many thanks for Slydini Silks received today. Excellent.
Your training silks are better quality than the rip-off merchant's 'top quality' ones.
The quality of the sewing is just great.
Paul
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Contact palmer@palmermagic.com for more information about the availability of lessons.
What are the four main tricks Slydini did with these silks?
Here is the standard Slydini Silk routine:
Slydini tied the two silks together; they then "melted apart." He had a spectator tie them together and again they melted apart. Slydini then had the spectator tie the silks together with a square knot; they again came apart by magic. He ended the routine by tying the two silks together in a Weavers Knot that he proceeded to split into two knots.
After performing the standard routine, Slydini sometimes had the spectator try to untie one of the split knots. While the spectator was struggling with the knot, Slydini untied the other one by hand. Slydini then took the spectator's silk and also untied its knot by hand. Then, mysteriously, the two knots appeared back in each silk.
He also did a stage version of the Slydini Silks. He started this routine by having a spectator tie a set of silks together. These were then put into a glass on a table. Slydini next put two untied silks into a second glass. After Slydini made magical motions, the tied silks came undone and the untied silks became tied together.
Slydini felt that this provided the proper timing and misdirection for producing an object from inside the four silks; he felt that a bottle of wine, a dove or rabbit would be perfect. Performers tend to receive a terrific audience reaction when executing this production suggested by Slydini.
For fun, Slydini performed the Houdini Hanks. This routine starts by tying each silk to form a ring or loop. These two loops started out linked. After a hard, fast pull, the two loops became magically unlinked. The silks were then open to examination by the amazed audience. Slydini's patter for the Houdini Hanks involved a story about Houdini escaping from a jail cell.
An additional trick was done with the silks after the Houdini Hanks had been performed. Slydini asked a spectator to help untie one of the silk loops. While the spectator was struggling with the knot, Slydini untied the other one within a second. He then took the remaining silk from the spectator and again did a speed untie.