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A Selection of
Questions and Answers
Why have your Engraved Silver
Cups increased in price so significantly?
In June 2006 several aspects contributed to the raise in my cup prices.
You may remember reading about the recent price hike in international
copper prices in the world markets, but this is NOTHING compared to the
escalation in international SILVER prices. Please remember this topic is
regarding a precious metal SILVER and then you can imagine the
ramifications. My Engraved Silver Cups will continually rise in price.
The international silver rates have more than doubled since I last made
an order for my silver cups. I was also slapped with a 200% labor increase
by my spinner (this includes spinning, engraving, polishing, gold plating
and etching etc...). The price was determined and I then offered this
price to the magic fraternity to see if there was any interest. I was
happy to learn that there were still many who were willing to pay these
higher prices for quality and the opportunity to own a set of my Engraved
Silver Cups. Another cause for the higher prices is because of the fall in
the international dollar rate. Anyone who follows the world markets will
immediately recall that the dollar has dropped against other world
currencies in the world market place, which in turn has again affected the
price of my cups.
Please also note: all of these price raises are OUT OF MY CONTROL.
Therefore on October 31st 2007 I was unfortunately forced to once again
increase ALL my cup prices. I realize this will place my cups out of the
reach of some of you who would like to purchase them and I am sincerely
sorry for this, but as I mentioned above my cup business is luckily only a
very small home based side business, which is critical to understand,
because it would be impossible for me to support myself solely from the
already small amount of cup and ball sales I presently receive. I
persevere with my cup business to supply those discerning individuals in
the magic community who are fortunate enough or determined enough to
afford my Engraved Silver Cups. I sincerely appreciate everyone who has
ever supported my endeavor to attempt to supply something remarkable to
the magic fraternity by purchasing a set of my cups.
How can I purchase a set of
your cups in England?
You can telephone England 44 (1256) 354-178 (within the UK telephone 01256
354178) and leave your order by voice mail. Please leave a return phone
number and email address, so we can contact you. Our business is solely a
small internet business, so please email your questions or order to:
Mystere24a@aol.com
What are the cups made from
and how are they made?
The cups are made from a solid disk of silver, which is expertly hand
spun. There are no additional parts. After the cups are spun the bottom
bead (ring at mouth of cup) is rolled against the side of the cup. Two
swage rings are then also spun into the cups using a different principal
and finally the cups are meticulously hand engraved, etched with a limited
edition number, punched with the Brett Sherwood stamp inside the top of
each cup, hallmarked with a 925 stamp and finally given a beautiful
polish.
Is the gold real gold?
Yes, real 24 karat gold electroplated. The gold
plate is applied onto the sterling after the cup has been engraved.
How resilient is the gold
wash on your gold and silver/gold cups?
My supplier has supplied me with a new resilient hard wearing 24 karat
gold electroplating, which should last extremely well depending on how
much the cups are used and in what way they are handled. The new coating
looks amazing and is thick enough to appear like SOLID GOLD!
"I have now used the silver cups in several performances and almost
virtually have not left the gold cups untouched and unhandled since I got
them. They have a wonderful "feel" to them and, while my routines employ
no vigorous banging, clashing and sliding of the cups against each other,
through probably 500 runs through my routine, the gold cups show
absolutely no wear and no loss of shine. My routine does nest and unnest
the cups a few times, and, so far, there are no scuffs on the finish, etc.
They are so good that I plan to get the silver/gold set."
Cup and Ball Expert - John Mendoza
How would you compare your
cups to other cups on the market?
You may think my comments a little bias, so let someone with expert
knowledge answer your question. Please check out James Riser's web page
which is all about what makes a good set of cups with lots of comparisons
and many styles of different cups and my cups will be
found at the end of his list as he says "I have saved the best for last!"www.jamesriser.com
Will you be adhering to the
limited editions?
I am contracted with the Dai Vernon Estate not to exceed the numbers of
the agreed engraved cups. Therefore no more that 1400 total sets of
standard sized engraved cups will be produced.
First time available in history and the last.
What is the availability and
measurements or your cups?
I have a small supply of cups currently in stock, but because of the high
production costs required for silver items and the work intensive detail
required I can only order in limited amounts at a time. I anticipate minor
delays in the supply line, but I am determined to do my utmost to keep the
production line rolling over without delay. The sizes of my cups are;
height 7cm, mouth diameter 6.8cm, top diameter 4.7, and depth 6.7cm.
Have you had any problems
using credit card for international transactions?
Yes, prior to using your credit card for purchasing my cups please contact
your credit card company (Visa/ Master Card) and tell them to please make
sure they do not have any automatic international security blocks for
out-of-country sales, as this could further delay your shipment being sent
on time - thank you. This has happened several times. This is why it is
important to leave your email when ordering in case of any unexpected
problem arises with your order and will be less expensive to reply.
It says on the Riser site that
every engraving is different?
Yes, each "style" of cup has completely different engravings i.e. the all
gold cups are all the same, but they have completely different engraved
patterns to the all silver sets and the silver/gold sets etc. Check out
the various detailed photos on my web site for clarification. As they say
"a picture is worth a thousand words".
Are your cups hand made or
made using a computer?
Yes, all my cups are entirely hand made. They are masterfully spun by hand
then a plethora of intricate designs are engraved onto each cup by hand.
It takes one master engraver about one full day to finish engraving one
cup. I have always preferred hand-spun cups to the new CNC (turned or
lathed out of a solid block of brass or copper etc.) computer cups being
made more recently today. CNC cups are made by a computer program and they
are all exactly the same, but by contrast I much prefer the human element
of art and talent required in making my cups by hand and this gives me a
sense of pride performing sleight-of-hand with these objects constructed
by talented hands themselves. Those of you who have had the opportunity to
hold my cups will understand what I am talking about. I have been told
they simply "feel" perfect. I like to use a snowflake analogy about my
cups, because at first appearance a set of my hand-made cups will appear
'all-alike' - like snowflakes appear alike - but with closer inspection
you soon realize that they are all each somehow marvelously individual and
I think this is both wonderful and profound.
Because your cups are
expensive I am worried about using them. Do they dent easily and or wear
well?
My cups are very ornamental, but they are not fragile. On the contrary, I
specifically did not want a thin walled cheap tin sounding cup. My cups
were intentionally made on the heavy end at approximately six ounces of
solid sterling silver to each cup. Therefore, they are substantial in
weight and they 'feel' safer than one would expect from their intricate
appearing exterior. I have been using a set of my own cups for over six
months and they only have normal wear marks that any cups will incur and
no dents even though I use a wand to tap and turn-over the cups, but I do
not go crazy smashing them together or hammering them with my wand etc.
Because of the investment required, I can understand your concern, but
instead of leaving your set of cups at home on the shelf, remember they
were specifically designed as "working" cups in a close-up situation where
their beauty and detail can be fully appreciated.
"When I first received the silver cups, I was pleasantly surprised.
While the pictures are great, you have to actually see them in person to
appreciate them. They look wonderful, and had a great feel, but my first
reaction was to showcase them, not actually use them. Over the course of
the first few weeks, I got more daring and found that these cups are made
to be used, not just sit on a shelf. I was very careful at first, but now
don't worry at all."
Randy Ehler - California, USA.
What designing details make
your cups original other than beautiful exterior work?
The internal and external design and dimensions are original to myself. My
cups were specially designed with a stepped outer beading/swages (rings)
shaped to help eliminate accidentally toppling during the course of one's
routine and the approximate six ounces aids in this as well. They are
actually difficult to accidentally knock over, but can easily be pulled
over backwards with a wand. Special attention was made to allow a very
comfortable hand placement resulting in each finger and thumb having its
very own isolation point between separate swage
rings placing ones fingers and thumb into a perfect holding position to
facilitate perfect leverage and ease of operation. By gripping the cup
with the 2nd finger (and the thumb opposite), between the two center
rings, one will notice that the third finger also rests comfortably
between rings and on top of the bottom bead. This position will
automatically position the little finger in an ideal position for any
unseen stealthy activity underneath the cup's edge without any worry of
slipping. My cups were made intentionally to fit ones hands
-"like-a-glove"
The largest bottom base bead (ring) facilitates catching a cup during the
standard cup through cup drop-through illusion. If desired the cups are
also designed to accomplish the backward "roll-over" flourish beautifully.
Inside the cup's mouth please note the 925 sterling hallmark. Opposite the
hallmark please note the limited edition serial number. Inside the top of
each cup can be seen my quality stamp Brett Sherwood (BS) logo. When in
the stacked position, please note that my professional tooling has
eliminated any excess wobbling and each cup stops nicely on top of the
lower partner's upper swage (ring). My cups were also designed to
intentionally stack "higher-up" than any traditional cup. In a stacked
condition, this allows a greater cavity space and this void space will
comfortably contain three 1⅛" balls while in the stacked position.
The balls will remain nicely balanced on the
lower cup when uncovered for a beautiful display. For even greater
visibility the use of a larger single manipulation ball can be utilized up
to an amazing 1⅜" (see striped ball in photo below). My cups were also
intentionally designed to easily accommodate a regulation size tennis ball
as an amazing final load.
Will your cups tarnish easily
and if so how do I clean them?
Several people have asked me about this topic. I have never really given
it much prior thought, because I have been using my silver cups everyday
for over six months and I haven't noticed any tarnishing. Recently because
of these questions regarding tarnishing I did some research and found
something very interesting. Silver is tarnished by sulfur-containing
materials like wool, felt and oily salts from your fingers and, if not
removed, may show up as corrosion patterns that may require professional
help. Never store your cups in any type of plastic, rubber bands, or
newspaper, because these items contain high amounts of sulfur, which will
accelerate tarnishing. The best way to minimize tarnish is to USE YOUR
STERLING CUPS! Constantly using your cups will keep them bright and shiny.
If you use your sterling cups regularly, you will only need to polish
twice a year, at most. If you need to ever polish your cups use a very
soft cloth, such as flannel, and a non-abrasive silver polish, never
toothpaste! Keep polish away from gold accents. Your silver will scratch
and chafe as it is used and washed. This is a normal and natural part of
silver's character! The interlacing of scratches eventually gives your
silver the soft, rich patina that makes it more beautiful with age. This
process allows sterling to become a cherished family heirloom.
Why are your cups so
expensive?
First and foremost my cups are made from a solid precious metal - pure
sterling silver (.925). Some of my cups have added accents of pure 24
Karat gold, which obviously increases the price of the silver/gold or all
gold plated sterling cups respectively. My cups are all handmade, i.e.
masterfully hand spun and then intricately engraved also by master
craftsmen.
A few years ago I went on a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico and purchased a
hand made silver belt buckle made by Navajo Indian artists. I paid $350
for this beautiful buckle and it weighs less than a quarter of the
weight of EACH of my cups (do your own mathematics here). Intensive top
quality artistic hand labor is prohibitively expensive these days and in
this modern age of machines and computers it is harder and harder to find
talented craftsmen willing and able to do this work.
The hand labor involved to masterfully spin and then hand engrave each cup
is very expensive. An example of hand labor on a 9" hand made Bowie knife
can fetch $900 and this is a steel knife blade - not silver! Each
of my cups takes a master engraver about one full day to engrave. A master
jeweler/engraver in the USA can charge easily about $25-$35 an hour and if
you multiply this by 8 hours you come to $200-$280 for labor on each cup
(US labor prices)! Add the development time required to design my tooling,
silver, spinning costs, etching, stamping, polishing, bag, balls,
certificate and finally three years of invested time developing every fine
detail and this illustrates just how my cups are priced.
Compare the following investments:
1. A laptop computer can cost $4000 and will require updating in 2-4
years.
2. A car can cost $30,000 and need replaced after 5-10 years.
3. My cups cost a fraction of these investments and will NEVER need
replaced and in time will actually increase in value!
My cups are a limited edition and thankfully they have received rave
reviews not only for their stunning appearance, but also because they are
considered an improvement over the 'king-of-cup designs' - the "Paul Fox
Cups". My cups are heavier, will hold larger loads and although beautiful
they are also sturdy enough to be considered "workers" (sturdy
functional cups which can actually be used in daily performance instead of
gathering dust on a shelf at home).
After considering all the work that has gone into producing each of my
cups, I trust this explains much of why the Brett Sherwood Cups are
considered an affordable investment to treasure your entire life!
Do you have all the
different styles of your cups always available?
Quality is always my top priority and I never want to compromise the
quality of my cups simply to fulfill orders. I believe this is the wrong
philosophy to have in any business.
The reason I have mentioned my business philosophy here is simply to
emphasize that there may be waiting periods between shipments of my cups,
because they will not be released until they are all correctly completed
and this quality control takes time, especially as everything is hand
made. I wouldn't expect anything less if I invested in a set of my cups
myself.
If you pay for a set of my cups via PayPal or leave your credit card
details you will receive your cups immediately or you will be first in
line to receive your cups from the next supply I receive. No money will be
withdrawn from your credit card account until your cups are ready to send.
We will try our best to keep a healthy stock of cups at all times, but in
the unlikely event that our stocks are depleted by over demand we thank
you in advance for your patience.
Where did you get your
ideas to create your amazing cups?
The initial impetus to create my own cups came from the beautiful silver
engraved cups Dai Vernon used, (which were apparently based on a Paul Fox
plaster mold). I never thought to copy the Paul Fox cups, because I felt
they had restrictions that I could hopefully improve upon.
I only designed my cups to fulfill my own strict standards in an
attempt to not only produce the most beautiful cups ever created, but I
demanded improvements in the technical functioning designs of current
existing cups, to enable larger loads, larger nesting void space (attic)
and utilize the illusion of 'the load appearing larger than the cup it was
produced from'. My cups were intentionally kept to a close-up size,
because I wanted the intricate engravings to be fully appreciated, plus
the final loads 'kill' at close proximity. I also desired a smoother
rounded shape than a square angular type cup shape, because I felt this to
be a much more elegant shape. The raising of the upper swage ring was a
radical decision by me, as I was unaware of anyone doing this previously
and this was just one of many alterations I made on my cup design.
"Economy of Space" was my motto and although the raising of the upper
swage does effect the stacking of the cups slightly I had to be ruthless
in the design and ask myself "What are these cups used for"? The answer
"They are used for nothing except doing the cups and balls!" Therefore,
the swage could be raised, because it was much more important to
have more load space than a deeper nesting set of cups!
"My ambition was always, to create the perfect cup for - me!" I
never dreamed of the reception I have already received from so many
knowledgeable magicians regarding my cups. I am delighted that there are
so many magicians that appreciate not only the obvious beauty of my cups,
but personally more rewarding to me is their recognition of the technical
refinements I utilized in my quest for the perfect set of cups.
My sincere thanks go to Mr.
Tilman Gruenewald of The
Netherlands for this very
interesting Q&A story:
Dear Brett,
The cups have arrived today. Thanks a lot. They are great. I will take
some more time to write you again tonight, but can already say that I am
very (!) happy with them. I was also positively surprised by the fact that
you applied your smooth range discount though the cups were ordered before
the discount was introduced. Thanks a lot! I have to mention, however,
that I found a (very) small dent in the middle ring of one of the cups. I
definitely do NOT intend to return the cups for refund because of that. I
like them a lot and dent really is rather tiny. However, I am of course
asking myself whether such a dent can be smoothed away and whether I can
send the cup in for repair? Given how tiny the dent, I am not entirely
sure whether this would be worth my and your effort, but you will
understand that I would like to take some more time thinking about it.
Just to say it again: I am VERY happy with the look and feel of your cups.
Excellent work.
With kind regards, Tilman
...continued
[I offered Tilman a complete exchange of his cups or a paid repair of the
small dent, but before this could be decided upon Tilman took his cups to
a silver jeweler for expert advice and this interesting incident took
place.]
Dear Brett,
I went to get a second opinion about the small dent and by coincidence
entered the shop of an elderly, soon to retire silver jeweler who turned
out to have some professional experience in metal spinning. When he saw
your cups he basically went down on his knees because he was so impressed
by your work. He told me not to worry about the small dent, which, he
said, could easily and inexpensively be removed completely by inserting a
tool into the cup and hammering the bead back into shape from the other
side. He also pointed out that the dent really was very minor and did in
no way diminish the value of your work. Having witnessed this expert's
immense enthusiasm about your smooth silver cups, I now think that I was
being overly picky when complaining about the dent and I am feeling very
sorry for any inconvenience my last emails may have caused. I therefore
want to apologize and thank you again for your impressive service and for
taking my concerns so seriously (more seriously than they deserved).
Special thanks for your very kind last email, offering to replace the set.
Last but not least thanks a lot for your very beautiful cups. I very much
hope to have enough money in the near future to buy another set.
Tilman Gruenewald - The Netherlands
Why Do You Use The Dai
Vernon Name To Help
Sell Your Fantastic Cups - You Do Not Need To Use His Name?
I hope I can clarify WHY I use the Dai Vernon name in my advertisements.
First of all my cups were inspired by the famous Dai Vernon cups and prior
to marketing my engraved cups I wished to gain the acceptance of the Dai
Vernon Estate out of professional courtesy and primarily out of my deep
personal respect for 'The Professor'. My cups were designed as my own
personal "dream cup", but I would have kept the original prototype to
myself if The Dai Vernon Estate did not wish me to continue with an
endorsement. I was very happy to receive 'The Estates' valuable acceptance
to endorse my cups and I trust many of you are happy my cups are available
as well? I truly respect the name of Dai Vernon and display his name with
pride as a tribute to the great man and I am honored to be associated with
his name. I know I cannot please everyone in my life, but I feel if I had
not approached this project in a professional manner and instead simply
put my silver engraved cups on the market without contacting 'The Dai
Vernon Estate' there would have been hell to pay! Instead of one email I
believe there would have been countless negative emails voicing contempt
in my direction. The Dai Vernon Estate has granted me the legal right to
display Dai Vernon’s photographs and use of his name. Out of respect and
as a lasting tribute to Dai Vernon I proudly display his name, which in
return establishes my cups as an item of quality and beauty and in return
I hope my cups continue to conjure stories of 'The Professor'. And So It
Goes...
A friend of mine here in
California has your
Engraved Silver Cups and I was utterly 'Knocked-Out' at the balance and
quality. However, my question is based on my own paranoia - I suppose? I
am very interested in buying a set of your engraved cups, BUT I am worried
that I will be too frightened to use them and my investment will sit on
the shelf. Do many people inquire about this?
I am very glad you asked me this question, because not only do people
email me regarding this very question, but also I have seen this same
topic mentioned on different websites (some started by other magic venders
as well as the 'sour-grape' people) and I would like to finally include an
in-depth response here. First and foremost it is 100% OK to worry about
damaging your cups, because they are expensive, BUT this is HIGHLY
UNLIKELY to happen, because my cups were intentionally constructed out of
very heavy walled silver. Yes, I could of saved lots of money making the
cups thinner, but my main aim was to not sacrifice the quality and
durability. These cups were made for the top working professionals who
perform constantly fulltime around the world. I have used the same set in
my close-up show now for over two years and they still look GREAT! Yes,
there are very minor scratches, BUT I have 'LIVED AND LOVED' working
everyday for over two years with my cups and a few scratches actually add
to their ancient engraved appearance! My cups are like any luxury item,
i.e. a nice new car looks beautiful sitting polished in your garage and
the new watch looks nice in your drawer at home, but we all treat
ourselves occasionally and this is one more instance where you will never
regret 'working' with your cups or wearing that new watch or driving that
new car. Here is a priceless piece of philosophy " Remember there were
people who 'turned down' the dessert on the Titanic"! I have no problem
with collectors who will resale my cups in a mint condition at a later
date to make a profit, but they never intended 'working' with my cups in
the first place and should NEVER be confused with performers like
yourself. They are interested in MONEY or perserving magical prosperity,
but they NEVER intended to ever perform with the cups, as they could get
scratched and loose value. Personally, I truly believe the REAL VALUE of
my cups is in the fun and satisfaction you will enjoy every working day of
your life rehearsing and performing with my cups - they are truly
"magical". Remember none of us live-forever, so what are you waiting for?
If you can afford my cups in the first place, please do not cheat yourself
out of all the satisfaction awaiting your every performance. LIFE IS FOR
LIVING, so treat yourself and get busy living.
Your work is stunning. My
question for you regards the different attributes of brass and copper.
What are the advantages of either or is it simply one of personal taste?
The copper is beautiful and would be my pick of the two for appearance
alone.
Thank you for the compliment! I believe you should primarily get which
metal cup you personally like the appearance of, as long as it is a top
quality functional cup, it should last a lifetime, therefore you should
like your choice. Remember you get what you pay for!
Regarding the attributes of the copper and brass, there are several:
First obviously is the color, do you prefer brass (a light gold color) or
copper (my special copper has an additional rich rose glow). Both will
tarnish eventually. Will the color contrast nicely with your manipulation
and final loads (balls / fruit etc), mat, accessories (wand), background
(your clothes). All these small details are important.
Apart from the physical appearance, these two different metals have very
different densities. I believe this basically means how compact the metal
is per unit volume etc., but this will not affect the physical limitations
of your cups. Anyway, in relationship between the two, brass is a much
harder compacted metal and thus is more difficult to spin by hand (so I
have been told many times by my spinner). Most hand spun cups are made
from copper, apart from the Johnson cups, but these are CNC (computer
controlled lathe) not hand spun. My copper and brass cups are expertly
hand spun and weigh a little more than the Johnson's at 6&1/2 ounces, but
they actually feel lighter because of the distribution of weight =
perfectly balanced. I personally find the Johnson’s' top heavy, because of
the CNC lathe leaving thicker material inside the top wall. Anyway, I
digress... because of the difference in metals, brass has a nice 'ring',
whereas copper does not 'ring' like brass.
I'm considering purchasing
a set of your lovely cups. I just have a few questions that I hope you can
help me with? I've read in your FAQ that to clean the cups, you recommend
to only polish the silver twice a year. What about the gold? Is there a
need to clean those? If I do damage/dent the cups in the future, do you do
any repairs? Or can I just get it done locally? I'm currently staying in
Australia. I thank you
for your time in responding to my questions.
Thank you for your interest in my silver/gold cups. Regarding the
polishing of the gold and silver, as I mention in the Q&A - the more you
handle the silver cups the more the cups should NOT require polishing. I
have been using the all silver set for about two years and they only
required polishing once, following a two months rest. This will make you
practice more (which is a good thing), but once you receive your cups you
will never want them out of your hands anyway -- they feel great! I assume
this non-tarnishing will apply to the gold plate as well? However, I have
not handled these extensively myself. I have not checked into ‘how to’
avoid gold tarnishing, but there are several chemicals that will tarnish
the gold and or silver. Also if you use small baseballs, please store them
separate from the cups, as the oil and chemicals in the baseball leather
can badly tarnish your gold plated cups. Never attempt to polish with
‘Brasso’ polish -- this is abrasive and will REMOVE the gold plate -- not
a good idea. If you intend investing in a set of engraved cups and only if
you can obviously afford it - may I suggest you also invest in a set of
smooth copper for long practice sessions. Several magicians have purchased
these copper/brass sets to practice with and perform with on general
situations and they use their engraved silver sets for the more up market
occasions.
Denting can happen to any type of metal cup if dropped onto a shape edge,
but if you are careful, there should be no problem with denting. I never
use the crash vanish (hitting two cups together to vanish the ball
between), because the silver on the rings is slightly thinner than the
straight walls. This is because it has been stretched fractionally thinner
during spinning and can dent doing this move. Always, remember that these
cups are made from silver and should be handled appropriately… i.e., not
crashing them together or banging them unnecessarily with a wand. One
person said he dented a side swage (ring) by dropping a cup and was able
to have it removed by a local jeweler, who pushed it out from inside, but
if it had been dented on the base bead (bottom ring) this would have been
very difficult to remove, because the dent cannot be pushed out from
inside the enclosed looped base bead. If you have read through all the
testimonials on my website you will see many magicians have favorably
commented on the sturdiness and solidity of my engraved cups. They are
definitely made for working with on a daily bases and common sense should
guide you. However, unfortunately some individuals are apparently devoid
of common sense. If in doubt about a potentially heavy-handed cup move,
remember they are silver -- leave it out or exchange it for a different
alternative (gentler) handling. However, please do not be frightened by my
comments, because personally I have had NO problems in over two years
working with my own personal engraved cups.
Is each of your cups turned
individually by hand or do you use a duplication lathe? I would imagine
that doing one cup at a time by hand would take some considerable time,
especially making sure that there are no errors.
Yes, you are correct, it does take a long time to hand spin my cups, which
are individually spun. The benefit of this method is the final result -
QUALITY. This was the method Danny Dew used to spin his famous Paul Fox
designed cups. You get what you pay for! My new copper and brass cups are
also individually hand spun and finished to a remarkably high standard and
I would have it no other way. The profession I love (magic) deserves
nothing less than the finest in quality tools (props) I am capable of
producing. Just as musicians seek out the finest in musical instruments to
highlight and compliment their musical prowess, magicians should respect
their art and themselves enough to do the same. Many magicians spend years
perfecting their sleight-of-hand skills and should purchase tools (cups in
this instance), which emphasize their technical abilities and in the same
instance these tools (props) should represent YOU and the QUALITY of your
magic image. Yes, you can use paper cups if paper cups are what and how
you want to frame your magic, but if you are reading this you obviously
are seeking the finest money can buy? If you wish to appear impromptu or
alternative - paper can work on a limited bases. I agree that quality
presentation of magic is what sells you, not quality cups, BUT quality
presentation in conjunction with quality cups is an UNBEATABLE
COMBINATION! Frame your magic abilities with quality and you will always
have the advantage toward creating that professional image. Regarding
quality: my new 'smooth' cups have no gaps in the base bead etc. and I
firmly believe that these are the finest copper and brass cups being
currently hand spun in the world today. I personally prefer using a cup
made by a talented artist (spinner), than a cup cut out of a solid block
of metal by a computerized machine (cloned), but this is a personal
choice. Further, apart from the Paul Fox design, why are the original
Danny Dew hand spun cups so enviable today? Because a talented artist
(spinner) created them – individually! This is the same attention to
detail I am now applying to my entire range of hand spun cups. Whichever
cups you decide to invest in, I wish you all much enjoyment with the
greatest close-up trick ever invented - 'The Cups and Balls'.
Can you suggest cleaners
for your brass and copper cups?
Although I personally have never used the following cleaner, I must credit
Mr. John D. Clarkson for kindly recommending an American automotive
cleaner called "NevR Dull" as very effective. It is chemically-treated
cotton wadding that comes in a tin. It is used by classic automobile
devotees to keep the chrome sparkling on their automobiles. I am told it
does a fantastic job on brass and copper. In fact, it apparently cleans
better than ‘Brasso’ and other cleaners. The NevR Dull cotton turns black
and removes even more grime. (Note: Not for use on silver or gold
plating).
A BIG thank you goes to Mr.
Bill Boroska who queried a small inconsistency he noticed after studying
his cups over several weeks. Upon my offer to replace them, as per my
30-day warranty offer, I received this very perceptive and astute reply.
Funny thing, I was talking to a friend of mine (my partner, actually)
about the cups and I pointed out what I call the little "dimples." I was
sternly admonished. "Bill, this is the charm of having something hand
made! Each is slightly different. There ARE little imperfections. They're
one of a kind! Shut up!" And, of course, he's right! Don't give it another
thought. The cups handle like a dream and I love them
(maybe even more since my much-deserved lecture!).
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