Little bit of backstory. ‘Security Lock’ was actually going to be the first Tenyo Magic trick I would review for these ‘TENYO TUESDAYS!’. Because I didn’t have a solid definitive writing style (at least, ANY sort of format to writing reviews) and the fact that it’s a bit of a weird trick to review (C’mon, it’s a Lubor Fiedler trick); I decided to do the ‘safe’ thing and go with a trick that was more universally accepted as ‘pretty damn good’ in an attempt to earn my chops. Since the first ‘TENYO TUESDAY!’ I’ve re-written the review for ‘Security Lock’ two other times, and this revision finally stuck; got to writing, and off it went. And here we are! And, after this review, we have breached the halfway mark of my current Tenyo inventory.
SECURITY LOCK
Inventor: Lubor Fiedler
Year: 2015
Cost: $15-$20
Type of Effect: 1st effect: ‘Impossible Escape’. 2nd effect: Penetration
Skill Level: Intermediate
CONTENTS:
- 2 thick plastic cards
- 2 transparent green sleeves
- 2 'credit card' stickers
- 1 lock
- 3 lock keys on a ring
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, present a card inside a transparent green sleeve, which has a padlock through the card and sleeve. The magician unlocks the lock and presents the sleeve and card to the spectator to prove that the card can move freely. After the sleeve is handed back, the magician takes the lock, free from the sleeve; locks it and places the card back in the sleeve and hands it to the spectator, to which they are now unable to remove the card—but the magician CAN remove the card from the sleeve. IMPOSSIBLE!
EFFECT #2: You, the magician, present a card, a green sleeve, and a lock. You then place the card in the sleeve and put the padlock through the two. The magician is then able to pull the card the card through the lock and out of the sleeve.
REVIEW:
It’s sad for me, a Lubor Fiedler fan, to say that this is the last Tenyo that Lubor Firedler made before his passing last year. It has been said that, at one point, Lubor brought an entire TRUNK of original works to the Tenyo Magic office. The trunk did leave the office, but whether or not any of them was approved is unknown. At this point, anything that COULD be approved by Tenyo would more than likely need to be resubmitted by his estate. I will say that there isn’t a Lubor-made trick for 2016. And as much as I want to stay optimistic for possible future Lubor-made Tenyo; I’m afraid that the last one we’re going to see with
Lubor Fiedler’s name on it would be the one we are about to review: ‘Security Lock’.
If you’re not familiar with the works of Lubor Fiedler. Let me put it this way. I consider anyone who has a trick under the Tenyo umbrella to be a genius. Lubor Fiedler and his tricks have a distinct ‘madness’ to them. Much akin to villainous scientist, but actually succeeds. His works make you wonder what the world would be like if he had chosen politics or some sort of diabolical global plot.
‘Security Lock’ is no different from Lubor’s brand of corporeal madness. Now, I will say this: most of what Lubor has made in the way of Tenyo Magic is a bit tough to implement in a set or routine in some way, shape, or form. We’ve gone over a couple of Lubor’s works in the past (‘Impossible Pen’ & ‘Ghost Card’), and so far, you have to be sort of ‘mad’ in order to utilize them.
That doesn’t change here.
However, ‘Security Lock’ is one of MAYBE two or three Tenyo that Lubor has made that has the potential to get used more than his other works (the other ones I am thinking of is ‘The Third Eye’. ‘Parabox’ is the third, but that one is a bit more relative). But even still; challenges abound.
So, lets’ get into what you get inside the ‘Security Lock’ box. Heh, lock-box.
You actually get TWO tricks in this one. Not separate routines. Two tricks that make up two different routines. However, you only get ONE lock. It’s a very nice looking green and silver lock; looks like something The Riddler would use. So share and share alike for separate routines.
You get two transparent green sleeves. The lock is mandatory for one routine, and makes one routine stronger, so just use the dang lock. You get two plastic cards and two stickers to place onto the cards.
The final result is a credit card looking prop. And you get two of them! Sweet deal.
Can you use your own or a borrowed card?
You COULD. That’s a big ‘COULD’. You can’t use anything with raised numbers on it like a bank card, as that would damage the sleeve. And because of this, it’s a rather unpredictable liability that you’d have no way to get out of if you attempted to borrow an audience members card.
Honestly, I’d stick to the cards you’re given and play them off as ‘membership cards’. The big benefit to the whole shebang is that is all plays from the pockets. I’d be careful of what else you have in the pockets because, again, you’re working with pliable and possibly easily scratch-able green, plastic sleeves and plastic cards with stickers on them.
Now that we’re starting to delve into the ‘cons’, what doesn’t jive well with the ‘Lock?
A few things, but nothing that’s with the props themselves, the props are diabolically delicious! The biggest problem with the ‘impossible to move’ ‘Security Lock’ routine is that it comes off more as a puzzle than anything else. It’s not a bad trick, in fact it’s extremely different and neat, and the way it works is DIABOLICAL! It’s evil! Again, ‘mad genius’.
I’ve been wrapping my head around to try and routine a way to make this NOT seem like a puzzle, but it all keeps looping back to the idea that ‘the magician did something clever that you can’t do!’
The other issue with that routine, and this is where it gets goofy. You give an un-inspectable item to the spectator.
Really? An un-inspectable item that you hand out to others? That doesn’t make sense.
C’mon. It’s Lubor Fiedler. Your pre-conceived notions of how things should work be damned.
You better have your audience management on point, because without it, ‘Security Lock’ is sunk. Figure a way to have their involvement without examination and you’re good as gold!
The second routine lacks the amazement factor that the first routine brings to the table. Worse is that it might be too easy to figure out. I mean, it’s a well done routine. But I think that it comes off more of a puzzle as well. I mean, I think it’s pretty hard to explain why you have a card inside a sleeve that has a lock through both. The context is tough to explain is what I’m getting at. The benefit, though, is a routine that can be inspected before and after it’s done. So it has THAT going for it.
So can I recommend this? I feel like whenever I do a Tenyo review of a Lubor Fiedler trick, I am harsher on them than other Tenyo. Truth is, they all bring a special something to the table. And with that, unique and crazy bring unique and crazy pros and cons. For a Lubor trick, it’s much more viable for working with than most. Both routines produce amazing effects, but both have very distinct hurdles that all relate to presentation and/or social skills.
One effect requires both a good skill in routining AND audience management skills. The other requires a lot of practice to do fluently AND good presentation skills.
The benefit for overcoming these hurdles are absolutely diabolical effects that can play from the pockets and hit like a brick. That’s what all you workers want, right?
SECURITY LOCK
Inventor: Lubor Fiedler
Year: 2015
Cost: $15-$20
Type of Effect: 1st effect: ‘Impossible Escape’. 2nd effect: Penetration
Skill Level: Intermediate
CONTENTS:
- 2 thick plastic cards
- 2 transparent green sleeves
- 2 'credit card' stickers
- 1 lock
- 3 lock keys on a ring
EFFECT #1: You, the magician, present a card inside a transparent green sleeve, which has a padlock through the card and sleeve. The magician unlocks the lock and presents the sleeve and card to the spectator to prove that the card can move freely. After the sleeve is handed back, the magician takes the lock, free from the sleeve; locks it and places the card back in the sleeve and hands it to the spectator, to which they are now unable to remove the card—but the magician CAN remove the card from the sleeve. IMPOSSIBLE!
EFFECT #2: You, the magician, present a card, a green sleeve, and a lock. You then place the card in the sleeve and put the padlock through the two. The magician is then able to pull the card the card through the lock and out of the sleeve.
REVIEW:
It’s sad for me, a Lubor Fiedler fan, to say that this is the last Tenyo that Lubor Firedler made before his passing last year. It has been said that, at one point, Lubor brought an entire TRUNK of original works to the Tenyo Magic office. The trunk did leave the office, but whether or not any of them was approved is unknown. At this point, anything that COULD be approved by Tenyo would more than likely need to be resubmitted by his estate. I will say that there isn’t a Lubor-made trick for 2016. And as much as I want to stay optimistic for possible future Lubor-made Tenyo; I’m afraid that the last one we’re going to see with
Lubor Fiedler’s name on it would be the one we are about to review: ‘Security Lock’.
If you’re not familiar with the works of Lubor Fiedler. Let me put it this way. I consider anyone who has a trick under the Tenyo umbrella to be a genius. Lubor Fiedler and his tricks have a distinct ‘madness’ to them. Much akin to villainous scientist, but actually succeeds. His works make you wonder what the world would be like if he had chosen politics or some sort of diabolical global plot.
‘Security Lock’ is no different from Lubor’s brand of corporeal madness. Now, I will say this: most of what Lubor has made in the way of Tenyo Magic is a bit tough to implement in a set or routine in some way, shape, or form. We’ve gone over a couple of Lubor’s works in the past (‘Impossible Pen’ & ‘Ghost Card’), and so far, you have to be sort of ‘mad’ in order to utilize them.
That doesn’t change here.
However, ‘Security Lock’ is one of MAYBE two or three Tenyo that Lubor has made that has the potential to get used more than his other works (the other ones I am thinking of is ‘The Third Eye’. ‘Parabox’ is the third, but that one is a bit more relative). But even still; challenges abound.
So, lets’ get into what you get inside the ‘Security Lock’ box. Heh, lock-box.
You actually get TWO tricks in this one. Not separate routines. Two tricks that make up two different routines. However, you only get ONE lock. It’s a very nice looking green and silver lock; looks like something The Riddler would use. So share and share alike for separate routines.
You get two transparent green sleeves. The lock is mandatory for one routine, and makes one routine stronger, so just use the dang lock. You get two plastic cards and two stickers to place onto the cards.
The final result is a credit card looking prop. And you get two of them! Sweet deal.
Can you use your own or a borrowed card?
You COULD. That’s a big ‘COULD’. You can’t use anything with raised numbers on it like a bank card, as that would damage the sleeve. And because of this, it’s a rather unpredictable liability that you’d have no way to get out of if you attempted to borrow an audience members card.
Honestly, I’d stick to the cards you’re given and play them off as ‘membership cards’. The big benefit to the whole shebang is that is all plays from the pockets. I’d be careful of what else you have in the pockets because, again, you’re working with pliable and possibly easily scratch-able green, plastic sleeves and plastic cards with stickers on them.
Now that we’re starting to delve into the ‘cons’, what doesn’t jive well with the ‘Lock?
A few things, but nothing that’s with the props themselves, the props are diabolically delicious! The biggest problem with the ‘impossible to move’ ‘Security Lock’ routine is that it comes off more as a puzzle than anything else. It’s not a bad trick, in fact it’s extremely different and neat, and the way it works is DIABOLICAL! It’s evil! Again, ‘mad genius’.
I’ve been wrapping my head around to try and routine a way to make this NOT seem like a puzzle, but it all keeps looping back to the idea that ‘the magician did something clever that you can’t do!’
The other issue with that routine, and this is where it gets goofy. You give an un-inspectable item to the spectator.
Really? An un-inspectable item that you hand out to others? That doesn’t make sense.
C’mon. It’s Lubor Fiedler. Your pre-conceived notions of how things should work be damned.
You better have your audience management on point, because without it, ‘Security Lock’ is sunk. Figure a way to have their involvement without examination and you’re good as gold!
The second routine lacks the amazement factor that the first routine brings to the table. Worse is that it might be too easy to figure out. I mean, it’s a well done routine. But I think that it comes off more of a puzzle as well. I mean, I think it’s pretty hard to explain why you have a card inside a sleeve that has a lock through both. The context is tough to explain is what I’m getting at. The benefit, though, is a routine that can be inspected before and after it’s done. So it has THAT going for it.
So can I recommend this? I feel like whenever I do a Tenyo review of a Lubor Fiedler trick, I am harsher on them than other Tenyo. Truth is, they all bring a special something to the table. And with that, unique and crazy bring unique and crazy pros and cons. For a Lubor trick, it’s much more viable for working with than most. Both routines produce amazing effects, but both have very distinct hurdles that all relate to presentation and/or social skills.
One effect requires both a good skill in routining AND audience management skills. The other requires a lot of practice to do fluently AND good presentation skills.
The benefit for overcoming these hurdles are absolutely diabolical effects that can play from the pockets and hit like a brick. That’s what all you workers want, right?
