XI
THIMBLE THAUMATURGY
“At my fingers’ ends . . .”
Shakespeare—Twelfth Night.
The humble thimble of everyday use is the latest addition to the armory of the magician. Starting from a simple vanish invented by the great English magician, David Devant, the ingenuity of many other performers has added so many sleights and manipulations that thimble magic has become a recognized and important branch of the art. Because of its small size the thimble is not well suited for use on large stages, although some performers have scored great successes in that field; but for the parlor, and for small and medium-sized stages, it is an ideal medium. Quite apart from their effectiveness and popularity with the public, manipulations with thimbles are of the greatest help in developing that suppleness of the fingers so indispensable to the practice of sleight of hand. Anyone interested in magic will be well advised to take up this branch of the art.
The thimbles may be of metal, silver, or steel, of wood or of celluloid, and they may be simply polished or colored—these are matters to be settled by individual fancy. The general consensus of opinion, however, is that a metal thimble, colored bright red, is the best for all ordinary purposes. Thimbles studded with brilliants make a flashy appearance but they should be avoided—at any rate, by the beginner—as they are unsuitable for many sleights. Some performers have their thimbles graded, a different size for each finger; others again have the mouths of the thimbles slightly flattened; the beginner, however, should choose a thimble to fit firmly on the tip of the forefinger and have all the others the same size. By slightly scoring the inside of the rim of the thimbles it will be found that they can be held securely on any finger. Again there are various kinds of faked thimbles; these should be avoided, because they are of no practical use in manipulations.
I. SECRET HOLDS
It is necessary first to study the various positions in which a thimble can be held in the hand secretly. The first and most important is the thumb grip.
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