I am SO trying to keep up with the new round of 'Tenyo Tuesdays!', especially since what I have left are really simple Tenyo that are sort of tough to make a review on, or Tenyo that have A LOT of things to them that make it tough to pin down if, and when, they would be good to implement.
So we're going to review a Tenyo this week that burned me out back in October due to its absolute simplicity. Not sure if that'll reflect here, but after bringing this one out with my daughter and remembering how to do this complex routine with it, I decided to review it--partially to get it out of my system!
CLEAN CUT
Inventor: Hiroshi Kondo
Year: 1990
Cost: $20-$40 ($40 new)
Type of Effect: 1st effect: destruction/restoration
Skill Level: Beginner!
CONTENTS:
- 1 ‘Clean Cut’ device
- 1 Length of rope
EFFECT #1: At the very simplest. You, the magician, take an ordinary piece of rope and send it through the ‘Clean Cut’ device. With a quick swipe, the device slides and the rope is now cut in two pieces. With another quick swipe, the device is now in its original configuration and the rope is now restored, taken out of the device, and can be handed out for inspection
REVIEW:
‘Clean Cut’ is a trick that has been replicated and copied A LOT. I remember getting a cheaper version for my daughter, and man, you get what you pay for. The device was hard to work, the gimmick was warped, and glue was showing through. Oh man, worst $10 bucks on magic I ever spent.
Thanks, now defunct Magicgeek.
Because of this, my daughter now has my Tenyo Clean Cut. And what a difference in quality. The device moves a smooth as butter, no glue showing, everything looks ‘clean’, as the name suggests. Ah! A sight to behold!
The problem I am having with this review is that there is not a whole lot I can say about ‘Clean Cut’ as there’s not a whole lot to it. The device cuts the rope. Said device also restores rope. FA-DA!
In fact, a lot of people, if you let them, can probably figure out what is going on, despite the mechanical genius that has gone into it. At least, I find it very fascinating. Something as complex as the workings of the device, only to make something that works so, so simple.
Here’s the big takeaway: What is the difference between the original and knock off versions?
First of all, the knock offs vary in ‘quality’ if you would call it that. In some cases, the gimmick is warped and shows through after you cut the rope. Sometimes the gimmicks are glues into the device—limiting your ability to construct more complex routines. The rope in the knock offs are…well…just knock-offy. In the original, you get ¼” magicians rope. Looks nice, feels nice, handles real nice (except for when you sometimes put the rope through the device and it ‘expands’ and completely halts your progress, making you look kind of doofish).
Believe it or not. ‘Clean Cut’ is one of those rare Tenyo in which there’s not a lot to it, but there’s a LOT you can do with it because the gimmicks can be removed, as opposed to the knock-offs.
Even better that if you have a young magician, they can get this thing to work PRONTO. Instant magician.
The biggest problems I encountered with ‘Clean Cut’ are three things:
1) Price. There’s not a whole lot of people selling ‘Clean Cut’. Those that are, well, they KNOW they are one of the few and you’ll be paying a lot for it. HOWEVER, there is a LEGAL offshoot of Tenyo called, ‘Milton Bradleys: Magic Works’. Which was a US game company that rebranded several Tenyo pieces and made a few originals (which, by the way, the originals from Milton Bradley, are really good). ‘Clean Cut’ was one of these legally rebranded Tenyo. So if you don’t want to spend $40 for a Tenyo ‘Clean Cut’. The Magic Works ‘Clean Cut’ will suffice and works just as great. The only difference I have noticed is the color. Tenyo’s ‘Clean Cut’ device is this light olive green, Magic Works is this grey blue.
2) The gimmicks (at least mine) sometimes slide around. Before performing it, I usually do a quick check just to make sure that the gimmicks are properly alligned.
3) As stated earlier, getting the rope through the device initially can sometimes be a pain. When you’re sliding it through, it sometimes expands and stops the rope in its place. It takes a bit of practice, I guess. But I haven’t figured a way to get it through without looking terribly clumsy. Takes me a good minute to get it through—even after modifying the rope in an effort to shoot it through the device like a rocket surgeon.
All in all, it’s a simple effect that you can do a lot with. Despite its small size and instant reset, I’m a bit wary that it can be much of a fooler unless you make a more extensive routine. The effect, in its original form, can be VERY quick and you would need to sit down with it for a while to make a good routine with it. It can be worth your time, but I think the whole thing—both the routines and the trick in general, plays best toward younger audiences than anything else.
So we're going to review a Tenyo this week that burned me out back in October due to its absolute simplicity. Not sure if that'll reflect here, but after bringing this one out with my daughter and remembering how to do this complex routine with it, I decided to review it--partially to get it out of my system!
CLEAN CUT
Inventor: Hiroshi Kondo
Year: 1990
Cost: $20-$40 ($40 new)
Type of Effect: 1st effect: destruction/restoration
Skill Level: Beginner!
CONTENTS:
- 1 ‘Clean Cut’ device
- 1 Length of rope
EFFECT #1: At the very simplest. You, the magician, take an ordinary piece of rope and send it through the ‘Clean Cut’ device. With a quick swipe, the device slides and the rope is now cut in two pieces. With another quick swipe, the device is now in its original configuration and the rope is now restored, taken out of the device, and can be handed out for inspection
REVIEW:
‘Clean Cut’ is a trick that has been replicated and copied A LOT. I remember getting a cheaper version for my daughter, and man, you get what you pay for. The device was hard to work, the gimmick was warped, and glue was showing through. Oh man, worst $10 bucks on magic I ever spent.
Thanks, now defunct Magicgeek.
Because of this, my daughter now has my Tenyo Clean Cut. And what a difference in quality. The device moves a smooth as butter, no glue showing, everything looks ‘clean’, as the name suggests. Ah! A sight to behold!
The problem I am having with this review is that there is not a whole lot I can say about ‘Clean Cut’ as there’s not a whole lot to it. The device cuts the rope. Said device also restores rope. FA-DA!
In fact, a lot of people, if you let them, can probably figure out what is going on, despite the mechanical genius that has gone into it. At least, I find it very fascinating. Something as complex as the workings of the device, only to make something that works so, so simple.
Here’s the big takeaway: What is the difference between the original and knock off versions?
First of all, the knock offs vary in ‘quality’ if you would call it that. In some cases, the gimmick is warped and shows through after you cut the rope. Sometimes the gimmicks are glues into the device—limiting your ability to construct more complex routines. The rope in the knock offs are…well…just knock-offy. In the original, you get ¼” magicians rope. Looks nice, feels nice, handles real nice (except for when you sometimes put the rope through the device and it ‘expands’ and completely halts your progress, making you look kind of doofish).
Believe it or not. ‘Clean Cut’ is one of those rare Tenyo in which there’s not a lot to it, but there’s a LOT you can do with it because the gimmicks can be removed, as opposed to the knock-offs.
Even better that if you have a young magician, they can get this thing to work PRONTO. Instant magician.
The biggest problems I encountered with ‘Clean Cut’ are three things:
1) Price. There’s not a whole lot of people selling ‘Clean Cut’. Those that are, well, they KNOW they are one of the few and you’ll be paying a lot for it. HOWEVER, there is a LEGAL offshoot of Tenyo called, ‘Milton Bradleys: Magic Works’. Which was a US game company that rebranded several Tenyo pieces and made a few originals (which, by the way, the originals from Milton Bradley, are really good). ‘Clean Cut’ was one of these legally rebranded Tenyo. So if you don’t want to spend $40 for a Tenyo ‘Clean Cut’. The Magic Works ‘Clean Cut’ will suffice and works just as great. The only difference I have noticed is the color. Tenyo’s ‘Clean Cut’ device is this light olive green, Magic Works is this grey blue.
2) The gimmicks (at least mine) sometimes slide around. Before performing it, I usually do a quick check just to make sure that the gimmicks are properly alligned.
3) As stated earlier, getting the rope through the device initially can sometimes be a pain. When you’re sliding it through, it sometimes expands and stops the rope in its place. It takes a bit of practice, I guess. But I haven’t figured a way to get it through without looking terribly clumsy. Takes me a good minute to get it through—even after modifying the rope in an effort to shoot it through the device like a rocket surgeon.
All in all, it’s a simple effect that you can do a lot with. Despite its small size and instant reset, I’m a bit wary that it can be much of a fooler unless you make a more extensive routine. The effect, in its original form, can be VERY quick and you would need to sit down with it for a while to make a good routine with it. It can be worth your time, but I think the whole thing—both the routines and the trick in general, plays best toward younger audiences than anything else.
