42 Amazing

Tricks & Stunts

with ropes
Appearing & Vanishing Knots
Cut & Restored Rope Effects
Rope Penetrations
Ring & Rope Routines
Stretching and Shrinking Ropes
and much more I

. 2002 by Electro Fun. All rights reserved

Contents
Introduction

Page ..5

Rope Flourishes, Appearing and

Dissolving Knots
Vanishing Bow Tie Knots
Tricky '8' Knot..
Knot so Easy !
Instantaneous One Handed Knot
The Appearing Knot
Knots to Order
Easy Slip Knot
The "Right" Knot !
Triple Appearing and Vanishing Knots
Multiple Vanishing Knots
Undaunted Knot
The Chefalo Knot
Dissolving Knots
Dissolvo
Twin Appearing Knot
Knot that is NOT
Pull and Vanish
The Stretching Rope
"Do as I do" Not!

Page ..6
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Page .. II
Page .. II
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Page .. IS
Page ..IS
Page .. 16
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Page ..20

Cut & Restored Rope effects

Easiest Cut & Restored Rope
Classic Cut and Restored Rope
Comedy Cut & Restored Rope Trick
Page-2"

Page ..22
Page ..23
Page ..24

Double Rope Restoration

Easy Restoration
Hindu Rope Mystery
'Multi' Cut and Restored Trick

Page
Page
Page
Page

..25
..26
..27
..28

Rope Penetrations and

Other Rope Tricks
Handkerchief through Rope
Knotted Ring
Ring in the Knot
Ring Off Rope
Ring on Rope
Another Ring on Rope
Ring On or Ring Off!
Double Rings on Rope
Rope Through Neck
Rope through Magic Wand
Three Ropes to One
Two to One Rope
Rings Release
Threading the Loop
Rope through the Thumb
Professor's Nightmare
(Unequal Equal Ropes)

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Page-B

Introduction
You can carry a piece (or more) of rope in your pocket, and use
it to r.erform some amazing magic for an intimate audience of a
coup e of spectators, or on a stage for an audience of hundreds.
There are hundreds of tricks you can perform with a piece of
rope. The most famous of these is the Cut &Restored Rope trick,
where a piece of rope is cut into two or more pieces, and magically
restored.
But there are many others, where knots magically appear or
vanish from a length of rope, rings or handkerchiefs penetrate
through a length of rope, or a rope penetrates through your knee or
neck. There are two Encyclopedias of Rope tricks for Magicians
published by Abotts, with 100s of Rope tricks of all varieties.
Dover publications has an excellent book of Self Working Rope
Tricks by Karl Fulves. You will also find t"any Rope tricks in any
book of Conjuri"] tricks, like the Tarbell Course, or Mark Wilson
Course in MagiL.
The purpose of this compilation is to give you many tricks of on
assorted variety with ropes, enough to get you started on one of
the easiest, most effective, and most economical types of magic
you can perform. A piece of rope costs less than a good deck of
cards, and a good rope trick can make a much bigger impact on a
much larger audience.
.
The best rope for magic tricks is a soft cotton rope about a
quarter inch in diameter. It is easy to handle, knots well, and is
easy to cut when an effect requires this. It is also very visible to a
large audience. at a considerable distance. Many of the tricks
(execpt the C&Rrope ones) can be easily adapted to a borrowed
necktie, or a muffler or even a piece of cord or string, making
them impromptu innature ..
The dimensions for the ropes given in the tricks are as a rough
indication. You can adapt them as you think fit, - a length of rope
held at shoulder height and hanging just below your knee (about
40" for most adults) is good for most rope effects. Sometimes you
need a longer or shorter piece, as indicated.
Learn the tricks that catch your fancy, and with a piece of
rope in your pocket, you are ready to entertain and mystify any
size of audience, any time, any place, and under any performing
. conditions.

Page- 5

Rope Flourishes, Appearing and

Dissolving Knots
Rope flourishes, appearing and disappearing knots are
not "magic", but entertaining things to do with a pieceof
rope, (and sometimes a borrowed necktie or "muffler")
for a spot of impromptu entertainment. They makea good
prelude to more elaborate rope tricks, or you can use
them "off-the-cuff"
to reinforce your reputation as an
entertainer at a party.

Vanishing Bow Tie Knots

A bow tie is tied in a length of rope
and the ends are pulled through the loops
a few times making multiple knots. The
rope ends are pulled and the knots
magically disappear leaving a length of
plain rope.
Drape the middle of a three foot
.
length of rope over the hands, as shownIn
Fig.!. Note one end is in front of the
hand, and the other at the bock. Extend
the first two fingers of both hands facing
each other,
Now bring the hands together,as t~e,
right fingers clip the left part marked X
and the right fingers clip the part marked
'Y' as in Fig. 2.
~
~

Pull 'X' and 'Y' through the loopformed

and a bow knot wiII be formed. Pullthe
knot reasonably tight being careful not to
tWist the loops. Figure 3 shows the knot.

of t~Oi bring each end away from you and around the bottom part
aroun~
and through the loops. Repeat this; twisting the ends
as you wish br~spectlve loops. You may continue this as manytimes
times. _ Fi 4u you must tWist both ends the same number of
it forms mg'It"' ~kw pull the ends making the center knot tight and
disappear u ip e nots. If you continue pulling the ends, the knots
. one a t a time.

~h~~~

Page - 6

Tricky '8' Knot

A knot (that loaks like the
number eight) is formed
without bringing you hands
together, or crossing them.
A length of rope about
three feet long is draped over
the right hand passing over
the three fingers as shown in
Fig.5. One end, 'B' of the rope
drapes over the back af the
hand.
End 'B' is now pulled down
with the free hand until end
'A'. almost reaches the top. It
is important that end 'B'
crosses in front of end 'A' Fig.5.
The right palm is turned downand the end 'A' is
clipped with first and second fingers as shown in
7 Fig.b. The picture in the inset (Fig.6) shows this
clearly omitting the hands.
The ends are pulled, as the fingers extract end 'A'
from the loop, and the result is a figure '8' knot as shown in Fig.?

Knot so Easy I
A single genuine knot is formed in
the center of a rope without bringing
yours hands together, or crossing
them. This works better with a stiff
rope, is a little difficult to master,
and hard for a spectator to duplicate.
A length of rope about three feet
long is used. One end of the rope is
gripped between left second and
third fingers as shown in Fig.8. The
first finger is extended back aut of
the way.
The rape is flipped up, so that the
points 'A' and 'B' touch to form a loop
as in Fig.9. The loop is allowed to
drop aver the three extended fingers

Page - 7

of the left hand. The loop will twist on its own while dropping as
shown in Fig.lO.
.
The end 'C' is gripped between the thumb and first finger, and
pulled through the loop. The loop is allowed to slip off the three
fingers and pulled. Immediately a knot appears as shown In Fig. 11.
The moves should be performed quickly. You can repeat to
form more than one knot.

Instantaneous One Handed Knot

A length of rope about three feet long is given a quick shake
and instantly a knat appears in the center of the rope.
The rope is draped
over the right hand. An
end is clipped between
the 3rd and 4th fingers
where as the other end
passes over the hand as
shown in Fig.12.

'1

''''

The hand is turned

palm down and the end
'B' is clipped between
A
A
the 1st and 2nd fingers
as shown in Fig.13. It is
A
better to keep the end
'B' shorter so that it can be clipped easi Iy. Without any pause the
loop over the back of the hand is shaken off with a flip of the
wrist. A knot appears on the middle of the rope. Fig. 14.
It looks really magical if all the moves blend in a quick,
continuous motion. With a little practice the 'Instantaneous Knot'
can be done with either, or both hands.

The Appearing Knot

A length of rope held at one end is whipped, and a knot
magically appears on it.
A rope about two feet long, with a knot tied at one end is
r~U1red. The rope iSJicked up with the end that has the knot tied
an It. The hand is hel cupped around the rope just abave the knot,
which IS grasped by the first two fingers and hidden in the hand as
In the Fig.l5.
The other end is brought up with the free hand and placed
beside the knotted end. (Fig.16) The rope is snapped, releasing the
plain end.

Page- 8

t\
'i

This is repeated a
few times, then finally
the grip is switched
and when snapped, the
knotted end is allowed
to drop down. The
movement of snapping
conceals the switch
and seemingly the knot
appears by itself. (Fig.
17.)

Knots to Order
A length of rope about five feet long is shown, and someone is
asked to callout any number between one and seven. Suppose
'Three' is called out.
The length of rope is coiled andJlaced on the table. A little
magic gesture, and the rope is Iifte up by one end, and three
knots have appeared on the rope. The rope can be given to some
one to untie the genuine knots.
Any number of knots, depending on the length of the rope, can
be tied in the act of coiling it.
Once the number is called, one end
of the rape is taken and held in the left
hand. Now the other end of the rope is
picked up and placed in coils over the
left hand, as shown in Fig.1B.
To form the knots. the coils are
turned over so that the ropes cross,
and the knots form. If the coils are not
turned and just ploced over the left
hand, the knot does not form.

\8

t
~,

Practice is essential so that turning

the coil as needed could be done
without making it obvious. If three coils
have to be made, five coils could be
made, but crossed on every alternate
coil. The result would be three knots.
When the coils are placed over the table, they are
taken off the left hand, and placed down, keeping the
starting end of the rope in the left hand extending through

20

Page- 9

the coils as shown in Fig. 19.

Finally, this original end is lifted, gently shaking it as you pick
up the rope and the desired number of knots appear on the rope
(Fig.20).

Easy Slip Knot

The slipknot is a knot that looks like a genuine knot but unties
with a little tug. Slipknots are required in many tricks and here is
an easy way to tie the knot

2t

A length of rope is held in the

right hand with a strond between the
thumb and first finger and the other
strand between the second and third
fingers. The center of the rope is
pulled out about three inches from
the fingers as in Fig.21.
Now with the left hand palm
down the left first and second finger
are inserted into the loop as shown in
Fig. 21

./

The left hand is turned palm up

and the left first and second fingers
are inserted through the loopas
shown in Fig.22. The fingers clip the
strand at 'X' - below the right thumb
and first finger as in Fig.23.
The clipped strand is pulled back
to left and at the same time the loop
around the left first ond second

finger is ,allowed to slide

off the fingers - see Fig.24.
A push with the left thumb
helps.
Bypulling both the ends
the loop is made smaller and
a knot is formed as in
Fig.25. A little tug as if to
make the knot tighter makes
the knot disappear.

Page-IO

The "Right" Knot I

A series of knots are tied in a length of rope. A spectator
selects any knot, and holds it . When the ends of the rope are
pulled 011 the knots but the one held by the spectotor dissolve into
nothing!
A length of rope about seven feet long is used and an overhand
knot is tied as shown in Figure 26. Then the end marked 'X' is
.brought up as in Fig.27
x
The shaded portion 'A' is pulled down
as indicated by the arrow in Fig.27. The
A
rope appears as in the Figure 28.
17

Next the shaded portion is brought

down as indicated by the arrow in figure
28 and the rope appears as in Figure 29.
The shaded portion is brought down as
indicated by the arrow as in Fig.30.
This should be continued unti I the
bottom of the rope is reached. This
preparation can be done beforehand, or
in front of the spectators The prepared
rope is placed over the table.

In performance, the prepared rope is

held with the ends in either hand. You
state there are several slipknots on the
rope but one knot is
genuine. Someone is
allowed to choose any
loop by grasping it
between the thumb and
forefinger as in the
Figure 30. Both the ends
=:::::::~ . ::::=== are now pulled in opposite directions
31
and the chain dissolves into nothing
leaving a genuine knot in the rope at the
point desired by the spectator as in Fig. 31.

Triple Appearing and Vanishing Knots

A rope held between the hands is given a twist and three knots
mysteriously appear on the rope. Blowing over a knot makes the .
first knot disappear, the second knot IS untied and the thir-d one IS
slid off the rope.
A length of rope about four feet long and a short piece of rope

Page-i l l

(about 3") are needed. About 6" from one end of the long rope a
knot is snugly tied with the
A
B short piece of rope. The ends
sew
3~ FAKE.
of the knot are trimmed to give
KNO'"
KNOT
it a neat look. Now a 'slip knot'
(see Easy Slip Knot on page 10)
Bis tied about 6 inches from the
:"\
other end. Figure 32 shows the rope
"
with a slipknot at end 'A' and the fake
knot at end 'B'.
33
In performance the rope is held
concealing the knots with thumb and
fingers of both hand with backs-of the
hands facing the spectators as shown
in Fig, 33.

===lSJ~======::::==::""~~::>'

The end 'B' is now placed in the

left hand under the end 'A' as in Fig.34
(Figure 35 is an exposed view.)

,)

Holding the hanging center of the rope '

bYfalm up right hand, it is brought up to the
Ie t hand as in Fig. 36, and placed over the:
end 'A' However, in doing so the right
hand is turned palm down as in Fig.37.
Grasping the-end 'A' with the right
hand (fig. 38), the hands
are separated making a
slight tossing motion as if to
toss the center of the rope
in the air. The result is
shown in the Figure 39.

To vanish the knot the

hands are on either side of
the 'slipknot'. Now hands
are pulled apart while
blowing on the slipknot and
the knot vanishes. Next the
A genuine knot is untied.

~::::xz
~ ~

=::::s;===~

..

@i

?>9

Page-I2

Finally faked knot is

slipped off the rope. The
rope can then be used for
other rope tricks.

Multiple Vanishing Knots

The ends of a piece of rope are tied with several genuine
knots. The performer covers the knots with a handkerchief for an
instant, and all the knots have vanished.
c

'\0

~
A

'\1

Use a piece of rope about two feet

long. The secret lies in the fact that a
reef knot can be easily upset by pulling
one side of the rope. The rope should
have smooth ends,and not toss led or
lashed ends.

Tie a reef knot as illustrated in Fig. 40 . Have a spectator

check this. Now tie another knot, making sure the second and third
knot make another reef knot as in Fig. 41. Youcan tie yet another
knot, but again the third and fourth knot should make a reef knot.
(Easy to remember, if you tie the knots left over right, right over
left, left over right, right over left ...)
Cover the knotted ends of the rope with a handkerchief for a
moment. Pull straight one side of the rope. If you tied an odd
number of knots (say three as in Fig 41) you pull one end of the
rope loop (A), and the opposite rope end (B). If you tied on even
number of knots, (say four), you pull the rope end on the same side
as the loop (A and B in Fig. 40). Now you can easily slide the other
knotted end off the rope.
The same effect can be performed with a large handkerchief{
twisting it like a rope, and using the diagonally opposite corners tb
tie the knots. Cover the knots with the middle of the handkerchief,
and place it on a spectator's hands. Blowon the handkerchief, and
ask the spectator to open it, and the knots have vanished.

Undaunted Knot
A knot is tied in a rope and tightened. Although attempts
made to untie the knot, the knot remains undisturbed.

are

A 'One Hand Knot' (see page 8) is tied in the rope (Fig.42) and
the top strand is grasped between the left first finger and the
thumb. It is tugged upward (Fig.43) feigning the moves of untying a
knot by loosening it.
This is repeated a few times more, feigning a bit of difficulty
at the start in untying the knot, pulling a few inches of rope until
end 'B' is completely out of the right hand. If the movements are
correct, the audiences wiIIbe convinced that the knot has been
untied. It is better to really untie a knot and follow the natural
moves to fake the untying.

Page -13

t
A

44
4~

46

B
A

Once the untying is complete, declare that there is another way

of tying a one-hand knot. Hold the rope in the right hand WIththe
fi"9ers closed, and back of the hand towards the audience. (FIg.
44.) One strand of the rope passes through the crotch of the thumb
and hangs down over the back. To all appearances this looks like
the starting position of the one-hand knot.
The hand should be turned palm towards the audiences. Since
the audience have seen you untying the knot, they presume the rope
free of the knot.
"'s Shown in Fig.45 the end 'B' is pulled down pretending to
adjUst the rope ends. In reality the end 'B' is pulled down ta enable
the knot to slip between the thumb and forefinger and the knot at
thiS moment should be over the back of the right hand.
The palm is opened casually and everything Seems fair. With
the right forefinger and second finger the end ....' is clipped as
shown '" Flg.46. The rope Is snapped downwards and ImmedIately a
knot appears In the center of the rope.
Po e - f.I

The Chefalo Knot

Three knots are tied an a piece of rope. When the knots
are tightened, they dissolve leaving a length of rope.
For smooth working, ensure that no kinks or twists when
moking the knots. First tie a normal knot as shown in Fig.4B, leaving
a large loop about
5" in diameter.

..,.9

51

Tie 0 second
knot as shown in the
Fig.49, but do not
tighten it. If you
tighten the knot you
wi II make a reef
knot. Now insert one
end of the rope
through the lower
loop as in Fig.50.
Note the rope goes
in on the side
opposite to the one
used to make the
first knot. Finally
thread it through
the upper loop as
shown in the Fig.51.

Now pull each end of the rope and as the knots tighten, blow
on the knots. Keep pulling the ends, and the knots dissolve into
nothing, leaving a plain length of rope in your hands.

Dissolving Knots

Several knots tied on a length of rope dissolve into nothing,

leaving a simple, straight length of rope.
This is in fact a combination of the Bow Tie Knot and the
Chefalo knot, both explained earlier.
Just make the knots one over the other. We have detailed the
working below.
Using a length of rope four feet long, make a bow tie knot
as explained earlier (see page 6). Do not perform the dissolving
part. Just make the bow tie knot, pull ittight and pass the ends of
the rope through the loops.
Now over this Bow Knot, tie a Chefalo Knot as explained
above. Figures 52 and 53 illustrate the final stages.

Page -/5

Pullthe
ends and the knots
comeclose together
and tangle up in the
middle of the rope.
Havesomeone blow
over it as you give
the ends a sudden
fast pull.and the
knots to dissolve into
nothing!

Dissolvo
A tangled knot is formed in a length of rope. The ends are
pulled and the knot gets tighter and smaller till it finally vanishes.
A rope about three feet long folded in half is held in the left
hand by both ends, and the right hand enters into the loopcit the
center of the rope as shown in Fig.54. The right thumb and the
first finger grasp both the strands as in Fig.55.
The right hand points downward and the loop on the right wrist
slides off the

",'"",,,,.

~
)

,>Po.

shake of the
wrist helps the
loopto slip off.
The left hand
maintains the
grip on the rope
ends.
The right
fingers follows
the direction
51
shown by the
arrow in Fig.56
and both ends are clipped with the right
first and second fingers as in the Fig.57.

The double strand over the right

first finger shown by the arrow in Fig.57
is allowed to slide: off the right fingers
but the grip on the rope ends is retained
as shown in Fig.58.
The knot is pushed downward a little
with the left hand. Then the ends of the

Page -/6

rope are taken in each hand and slowly pulled apart. The tangled
knot first tightens and then suddenly dissolves.

Twin Appearing Knot

Two knots simultaneously appear on a rope with a simple flip
of the rope.
A length of rope about 36 inches long is displayed as in Fig.59.
The loose ends should hang straight and clear over the back of
hand. Insert the right hand through the loopand pull both ends out
and up through the loop with first and second fingers.
Clip the free end
at the right between
first and second
fingers of the left
hand where as right
fingers keep their
hold on the other
end (Fig. 60,)

61

Now do two
things quickly and
together. Retaining
your grip on both
ends move the hands
apart and throw the
loops out with a

quick flip.
Two knots appear instantly on the rope stretched
hands (Fig.61).

Knot that

between the

is NOT

A knot is formed in a length of rope several times to let all see

how it is made. Next a second knot is also made. When the rope is
shaken both the knots disappears into nothing.
The rope used is about four feet long. The ends are crossed
one over the other and held in the left hand as in Fig. 62.
The hanging center of the rope is brought up by the right first
finger (Fig. 63) and placed over and between the crossed ends so
the end 'B' passes through as shown in Fig. 64.
Taking the ends 'A' and 'B' in the left and right hands, the
hands are separated and a knot is formed in the center of the rope.
The knot is untied and tied again.
Now start again and when the position in Fig. 64 is reached the

Page- 17

rope is transferred to the

right hand - Fig. 65.

6:2.

The leftmost loop is now

lifted up by the left first
finger and put over
the end 'A'. Thus
63
the second knot is
formed.
Taking the end
'A' in the left hand,
and end 'B' in the
right hand, the
hands are drawn
apart. Both the
knots magically
disappear.

Pull and
Vanish
A knot tied in a
rope disappears
when it is tightened.
A length of rope three feet
.
long is draped over the left
hand with the palm facing the spectators as shown in the Fig.66.
The ends are pulled out as in the Fig.67 and then placed
between the left first and second fingers - Fig.68.
Retaining the grip over
the clipped ends the loof
is allowed to slip of
the left hand,
ond a knot is
formed, which
looks genuine.
(Fig. 69.)
Now holding
the ends in both hands
slowly draw the hands
apart. First the knot will
tighten and then dissolve
Qway.

Page-I8

The Stretching

Rope

Two pieces of ropes of equal length are shown and their ends
knotted together. The knot is slid down to the bottom then untied.
One rope is now seen four times longer than the other.
Two pieces of ropes one 36 inches long and the other 8 inches
longare needed. The small piece is looped around the center of the
longer one as shown in Fig. 70.
In performance the rope is held in left hand as in Fig. 71
concealing the joints by the thumb and fingers. It seems two pieces
of ropes of equal
length are held in
the hand.

==QJ'~70=

71

73

Pretending to
tie the ends of the
two ropes. the smaII
piece of rope is
tied around the
longer one (Fig.n.)
Holding the
rope in left hand by
one end (Fig. 73)
the right hand
slides down the
knot a little at a
time up to a point
four inches from
the opposite end as
in Fig. 73.
The long rope is
then turned end for
end and the left
hand holds the knotted
portion.

The right hand unties

the knot and one end is
'c1ippedbetween the left
second and third fingers as
shown in Fig.74 (exposed view). In
actual performance the hand is held
closed around the rope. Holding the end of the smaller piece in
right hand the hands are separated and one rope is seen more than
4 times longer than the other is. (Fig. 75)
.

75

Page-19

"Doas I do" Not I

A

The performer ties a

knot ina length of rope
without letting go of the
ends from the hands. When
the spectators try, they fail
to duplicate it.
This makes an excellent
Party stunt of the "1>0-0$I-Do" variety, and can be
performed with neckties,
besides rope.
Showthem how easy it
is to tie a knot without
leaving the ends, then
watch their futile attempts
to duplicate this!
The rope should be
about three feet long.The
ends are held between
thumbs and first finger of
both hands as seen in
Fig.7b.
To form the knot, the
right hand is brought over
the left hand as in Fig.77.
The right hand further
moves downand back to

77

\::dQ~~;:~
-,
78
A

right as in Fig.78.

'\

Then the right

hand enters into the
left loop and comes -:::::~~~:::::::~
out of the right one
following the arrow
in Fig. 78. The final position is
shown in Fig. 79.

==::::::::=::::==_::

I/; /

90

Now to tie the knot on the rope it is necessary

t 0 grasp point 'X' with right thumb and first fihger
l
eovlng
hold on 'B'.
Page-20

This has to be done secretly, as you pretend to throw the long

loopover the wrists. The hands are turned over, to throw off the
loopcircling them. Under cover of this movement the right fingers
release their grip on end 'B' and grasp the rope at 'X' as the long
loopover the wrists is slipped off the wrists (Fig. BO). Slide your
grip to the end, so that to all appearances you are holding the same
end 'B' of the rope, and not a part several inches below this.
A knot is formed in the rope as shown in Fig. BI.
When a spectator tries, and slips the loop off the wrists,
unaware of the secret move, the knot willnot appear.

Presentation Points
Some of the several flourishes given in this chapter blend
naturally to form an effective rope routine. On the other hand
following up the same effect (like producing or vanishing a knot)
by several different methods, in the same performance could be
monotonous.
A good routine for example would involve having a single knot
magically appear on a length of rope, then several knots magically
appearing.
Follow this with a dissolving knot or vanishing knot (or knots),
and you have an interesting routine with some variety.
Then follow this with some strong rope magic, as described
the following chapters.

in

Page - 21

Cut & Restored Rope effects

Cut & Restored Rope Tricks are strong magic - the poor
man's version of "Sawing a lady in two". There are some
ingenious mechanical methods for performing this, using
special tricked ropes, but the trick can be equally
effective with a piece of ordinary rope, and one of the
methods that follow.
Traditionally a pair of Scissors are used to cut
the rope. You may find a 1" wide "snap
off" blade Craft knife, with a
push-out
blade (Fig. 82)
easier to carry around in your
pocket, and use with one hand
to cut a thick cotton rope.

Easiest Cut & Restored rope

This is the easiest
method of cutting a
rope and restoring it.
I

.' 83

85
Page-22

Use a piece about

6 feet long. With one
end, tie a reef knot on
the rope about 2 feet
from the end. as in
figure 83. Do the same
with the other end of
the rope, so you have a
length of rope with
loops at either end.
Now, you cut the
rope in three parts. Cut
the rope on the same
side as the ends of
the rope about 2"
away from the knot, as
in figure 83. You have
a perfect illusion of 3
pieces of 0 rope, tied
together. (Fig 84.)

Trim away the ends of the knot, so that they are less than an
inch long. Now ask someone to blow on the knot, as you tug the
rope on both sides of the knot. The knots fly off, (Fig. 85) and
you have a fulllehgth of rope.
.

If you cut the rope at the wrong end of the knot, your rope wiII
be really cut in three!
.

Classic Cut and Restored Rope

A length of rope is cut right through the middle. The cut ends
ore tied together. The rope is coiled over the hand, and when
uncoiled the knot has vanished, leaVing a single piece of rope.
A length of rope
about 40" long is held in
A
A B
S
'the left hand with one
end 'A' between the
thumb and first finger
and the other end 'B'
between the tips of the
first finger and second
finger cs shown in Fig.
86
87 86. The back of the
hand should face the
audience.

89

The right palm is

placed under the
hanging center of the
rope and brought up as
in Fig. 87. When the
right palm is near the
left hand the rope is
grasped by the right
second and third
fingers about seven
inches below the end 'A'
as shown in the Fig. 88.

8B

Grasping the rope

firmly it is pulled
through the loop in the
right palm and up to
meet the left hand. A loop is formed in the right hand, about the
srze of the end of the rope end held in the left hand. The left
thumb and first fingers hold it beside the end 'A' Fig. 89.
With the right hand, the loop is cut through as shown in Fig.

Page- 23

90.

The end 'B' is allowed

to drop down and the
audience see two separate
pieces of ropes in the left
hand. Fig. 91. is an exposed
performer's view.

___
/

91
B

NOelthe top ends of

the two ropes (?) are tied
with a doub Ie knot. The
two ropes are shown
knotted together atthe
ends. Hold this by one end.

The rope is now wound around the left hand and in the process
the rope slides through the right hand, which retains the knot and
finally slips it off the rope.
The right hand with the knot concealed nowgoes to the pocket,
apparently to pick a pinch of "magic salt" or "woofIe dust" leaving
the knot behind, and sprinkles the invisible powder on the coded
rope. The rope is then unwound from the left hand to show a single
completely restored piece, which can be thrown to the audience
for examination.,

Comedy Cut &

Restored Rope Trick

92

93

\.\ _ ~ hi

A pair of scissors
threaded onto a piece of
rope is covered with a
handkerchief while two
spectators hold the ends of
the rope. The magician
removes the scissors after
apparently cutting the rope
under the handkerchief. The
two cut pieces are tied into
a single piece, to restore ,t.

~9C"

Not convinced, the

audience jeers the the
.
performer. The knot is then
slid off the rope, magically restoring it.
:>

A piece of rope about four feet long, along

with a pair scissors are needed for this amusing
Page - 24

trick. One end ofthe rope is threaded through the left handle of
the scissors.,then around the blades and bock thraugh the same
handle as shown in Fig.92.
Next the some end goes through the right handle, around the
blades and back through the right handle as shown in Fig. 93. The
ends of the rope are given to two spectators to hold - Fig. 94.
Whi Ie bringing out the handkerchief from the pocket, a small
3inch piece of rope is olso secretly removed. The scissars are
removed under cover of the handkerchief from the rope, and this
short piece af rope is tied around center of the rope.
The scissors are removed as follows:
There are two loops around the blades of the scissors. First
one loop is drawn downwards as shown in the Fig. 95 until it is off
the blades. Next the other. loop is drawn down off the blades. The
scissors should nowbe free from the rope. Hanging the scissors by
the left little finger the short piece of rope is tied around the
center of the rope.
. The scissors are now shown free off the rope, and then the
handkerchief is removed. Seeing the knot on the rope, the audience
believes that the rope has been cut to remove the scissors and then
re-tied.
Holding one end, the rope is wound around the left hand and in
the process the knot is slid off and hidden in the right hand and
the rope is given to the spectators ...the rope has been restored by
magic.

Double Rope Restoration

Two examined lengths of rope are held and a spectator cuts
through the center of both at a time. The cut pieces are held wide
apart and then both are restored.
Two pieces of ropes about four feet
long are needed, along with a ring of the
same rope about 2" in diameter. To make
this ring or circle a length of rope about
4" is taken and the ends are diagonally
cut. A coat of clear rubber cement is
spread over the ends and
C_
A,' B
one end is put over the
~
other and rolled between
96 ~~
the fingers.
" 97
D In performance, the
ring is kept concealed

Page - 25

between the right first and second fingers. After the ropes are
examined, and taken back in the left hand both ends are grasped
near the top-and placed in the right hand. In doingso, the ends are
secretly pushed through the ring and when they emerge are held
by the right first finger and thumb. Both the ends are grasped
again with the left hand and pulled up so that the ring comes to the
center.
Taking both strands of each rope in separate hands the ring is
stretched between as shown in Fig. 97. The thumbs and fingers
cover the joint at 'A' and 'B' . The spectator is allowed to cut the
ring on the dotted line shown in Fig.97. He cuts the ropes under the
impression that this is the middle of the pair of ropes.
Both hands are held wide apart and it seems to be two halves
of the two ropes in each hand. Both pieces are then held in the left
hand and under cover of suitable patter the ends 'C' and 'D' are
switched over. Now as the spectator takes both ends and draws the
ropes for examination, the two short pieces are kept hidden in the
hand.
.

Easy Restoration
A long rope is coiled and the center loop is cut dividing the
rope into two halves. Then the rope is magically restored.
A rope about seven feet long is used. The coils are made in the
following way:
First three or four coi Is
are
made around the left
A
hand
until about half of the
~
rope is consumed. After a
pause another loop is
farmed; as the right hand
cames over, the loop 'A' is
grasped as in Fig. 98 (that is
the first loopthat was
formed) and pulled through
the other loops as shown in
Fig. 99. One more loop is made So that all see
the actual center of the rope.and it is placed
with the loop 'A'.
While reaching for the scissors from your
pocket, or a nearby table, this last loop is
allowed to drop. Now the loop 'A' is openly
cut.
In fact only a small piece has been cut off from the end of the

Page : 26

rope. Thct piece, about 8-inch long runs through the first three/
four loops formed. Holding the ends of the short rope, allow the
loopsto drop. The short rope is looped through the middle of the
longone. The ropes appear as in Fig. 100, apparently cut in two.
Allfour ends are brought together in the left hand. The right
hand grips together one end of the short rope, and one end of the
longrope between the right thumb and the forefinger.
Let the other ends drop and the rope willappear restored.

Hindu Rope Mystery

A long piece of rope is held by two spectators stretched out to
its full length. The rope is cut into two equal pieces and then
Immediatelyrestored by magic.

\, y____
7
O
1

The rope used inthis effect is about 10 feet long or more.

Twospectators partkipate and they hold the rope by the ends
stretched to its full length. The performer stands between the two
and holds the rope in the
middle with his left palmFlg.101.
I
101
He takes the end 'B'
from the spectator to his
A

6
right. The end 'B' IS held
in the left hand with the
::::::==::;:;
'-r-- - center of the rope to mark
~
102
that place while the right
hand holds the strand to
form a loop as in Fig 102.

~--

The Fig .102 is an

exposed view. In actual
performance the hand is
held in a loosely closed
fist.

103

104

Momentari Iy the loop

is transferred
to left
hand (Fi.g.103.) It is important to hide the next move under cover
of showing the scissors with the right hand.
Replacing the scissors, re-grip the loopjust below the left hand
as shown in Fig. 104. The rope is brought up to the right to form
the loop again. To the spectators this appears to be the same as in
fig. 102 but in reality the true position is shown in Fig.l05. The
center of the rope has been switched for the end.
!he spectator at the right is asked to cut the rope at the point

Page -27

sho~n in the Fig. 106. To

all appearances the center
of the rope is cut, where
as in reality a point near
the end 'B' is cut.
12.-'--

Once the rope is cut,

the right hand's grip is
released and the rope falls
to the position shown in
Figure 107.

The new end 'D' is

given to the spectator and
he is asked to step back So
that the rope is taut again.
The left hand maintains its
A
grip on the rope. The ends
D
'B' and 'C is are tied
D
,
together and the hand is
<'
A
108
removed to show a knot on
the rope as in Fig.lOB.
Holding the knat with left
hand and taking the scissors in the right the knot is trimmed off
the rope, and it is now totally restored.

'Multi' Cut and Restored Trick

A rope is cut into many small pieces, tied in a chain. The rope
is then completely restored.
A length of rope about 13 to 15 feet long is placed around the
neck as in Fig. 109. The rope is crossed in front of the body by
placing the right strand over the left as in Fig. 110.
A single knot is tied about a foot below the neck as in Fig. 111.
The left strand is now placed over the right and a second knot is
tied and drawn over the first one as shown in Fig.112. This process
converts the first simple knot into a square or reef knot.
Now several more links about 5 to 6 inches are made in the
same fashion by first crossing the right strand over the left,
followed by left over the right. Figure 113 shows how the rope
looks after making several links over the total length of the rope.
Now starting from the first link on top the links are cut one
after the other, down to the last one on the bottom _Fig. 114.
Next
in Fig.
115.the cut ends are trimmed, beginning from the one shown

Page-28

Finally, the link around

the neck is cut - Fig. 116.
Now hold the rope by
the two ends and display
the knotted pieces. (Fig.

"0

f.3i~~bt=1

117)
Finally, the ends are
pulled making the knots fly
off the rope and the rope
is visibly restored.
Notes: I. While tying
the knots remember to tie
the knots 'Right over left Left over right',
2. While
cutting the links, cut them
on the right side, and you
will not go wrong.

Q
116

Rope Penetrations and

Other Rope Tricks
Besides the famous Cut & Restored ropetrick, there are
many other tricks with ropes, which penetrate through
silks, metal rings, (you can use a heavy metal bangle as
the "ring" for any of the Rope and Ringeffects), or even
the magician's neck. This section has an assortment of
other such rope magic.

Handkerchief through Rope

A length of rope
is held taut with one
end under the foot
. and the other end
between the teeth. A
silk handkerchief is
tied around the rope,
but when pulled the
hanky comes off,
penetrating the rope,
with the knot sti II on
the hanky..
A five foot length
of rope is used. It is
held vertically with
one end under one
foot, and the other
end between the teeth
(Fig.118).

121
&

123

Page-30

A large si Ik is
held by the diagonally
122 opposite corners
. behind the rope. (Fig..
119)

Corner 'A' is held between the

first !wo fingers of the left hand, with
the third and fourth fingers are curled
~round the silk. Corner'S' is held by
fIrst two fingers of right hand. The
palms of botl1 hands face upwards.

The right hand carries carner 'B' in frant of the

ropeand places in between the thumb and base of
the first finger of the left hand as in Fig. 120. The
thumband first finger of the right hand
reach through the loopfrom above and
hold.it (Fig. 121).
.
As end 'A' is pulledthrough the
loop,the left hand is turned so the
fingertips point downwards. The left
second finger forms a smaller loop in
the Silk.Spectators do not see this finger
that unsettles the knot. The knot is pulled
reasonably tightly around the rope as the
second finger secretly slips out of the Silk.
Nowcorner 'B' is held in the left hand and
comer 'A' in the right. Although it eppears
'24
that the silk is securely tied to the rope, in
reality it is a slipknot around the rope.
Corner 'A' is carried in front and above the
corner 'B', totally around the rope in a counter
c1oc~wisefashion as shown in Fig. 122. Both the
corners are tied together in front of the rope. (Fig. 123.)
Now holding the upper end of the rope near the mouth in one
hand, the ather hand grasps the tied corners of the silk and pulls it
free from the rape. The handkerchief has penetrated the rope,
leavingthe corners tied together (Fig. 124).

Knotted Ring
A length of rope
about four feet long
and a ring about 4'
in diameter are
required.
The rope, with
the ring on it is held
by the ends in each
hand as in Fig. 125.
Then the ring is
tied in a knot on the
rope, apparent.ly
without releaSing
either end of the
rope.
Page - 31

To do this, take
the rope in your
right hand over the
left wrist, and
behind the rope in
left hand. (Fig. 126.)
Then the right hand
enters the loopas
shown by the arrow
130
in Fig. 126, passes
A
behind the rope
hanging from left
wrist, (Fig. 127), and out of the loop. (Fig.128 is audience view)
Now if the hands are brought together, turned and the loops
are dropped off the wrists you would be back to the starting
position (Fig.125).
However to tie the ring on the rope you make a secret move that
is not obvious. When the hands come close together to drop off the
loops, the right hand leaves the rope at end 'A' and grabs it at the
position 'x' as it
passes through the
loop 'C'. Figures 129
and 130 show this.
/.-::gt.lJJ"~ The result is the ring
~-::c-- 131
knotted on the rope,
as in Fig.l31.
Note: This is the same as the Impossible Knotdescribed
earlier, with the ring added in for a different effect. If you have
learnt the moves for that, you will find this very easy to do.

Ring in the Knot

A knot is tied on a length of rope, and a ring thrown towards
the knot. It appears tied in the knot. A very visual effect!
At the start the ring is held over the right forearm and a knot is
tied on a length of rope as Shown in Fig. 132.
Make the knot so that the end that is held in right hand (with
the ring resting on the forearm) comes out of the knot towards you.
If the knot is made the other way around the trick will not work.
Ho!dlng the left side of the loop with the left fingers the ring is
dropped from the right forearm and the right fingers catch the
same as shown in Fig. 133.
During this simple move, the ring is secretly passed over the
end held by right fingers.
Page-32

The left fingers release its

hold over the loop but keep a firm
hold on the end of the rope. Both
the hands sway forward a little,
and at the Same time th~ ring is
thrown sharply towards the loop.
The ring appears tied on the knot
at the bottom of the loop, by it's
momentum. (Fig. 134)

1~,:::::::::(l.Z;~W=:::

::z

1~2.

Simultaneously, both the hands

are spread apart tightening the
knot and trapping the ring within.

Ring Off

Rope

A ring threaded on a rope

folded in half comes free.
The rope is threaded through
the ring and the ends are held in
one hand as shown in Fig. 135.
, It .s importantthat both the
ends of the rope are held about
half-an-inch apart and do not
overlap or touch each other.
With the free hand the ring is
picked up and placed over the
wrist of the hand holding the rope.
The hanging loop is stretched
with
the finger, as in
Flg.136
.
The hand is
tipped forward, as
the ring drops into
the cupped fingers,
It ISdeliberately
caught between the
slight gap in the rope
ends, as shown in
Fig.137
(Fig 137 is an
exposed view for
clarity. The hand is
shown open to show

Page - 33

_..--.~-

'~1'
138

the position of ring

and rope. In fact,
the ring and the rope
are held in a loosely
closed fist.)
The free hand
now holds the ring
as shown in Fig.138.
The ends of the rope
are held in a firm
grip above the ring,
and the ring is held
loosely in the cupped
fingers.

Both the hands

are separated with a jerk, with the ring in one hand, and the rope
in the other. The ring apparently comes right off the rope.

Ring on Rope
A piece of rope is draped over the fingers and the center of
the rope is struck with a ring a couple of times. Suddenly the ring
penetrates on to the rope.
A length of rope about 5 feet long is draped over the right
hand and the ring is brought over the center between the thumb
and fingers as shown in Fig.139 (This is an exposed side view. In
performance the
fingers face the
audience, thumb
behind).

140
1~9

The ring is
pushed downwards,
pushing the rope
down with it. The
ends of the rope are
gripped as they slide
up to the hand, and
the ring is shown off
the rope as in
Fig.140.
This action is
repeated and the
moves are exact Iy
the same from the

Page- 34

1"1 ,

142

\43

spectators' view,In reality, as soon as the ring

goes down, the thumb moves out from under the rope as shown in
Flg.l41. (This figure and the two following ones are performer's
views of the action, On the side away from audience, the fingers
provide perfect cover for the movement of the thumb.)
. Once the ring is past the thumb, the thumb is reinserted under
tne rope, as in Fig. 142. The move of pushing the ring downwards is
continued exactly os before and the ends of the rope are gripped
os they slide up in the hand. However, the ring is now found to
hovepenetrated on the loop as in Fig.l43.

Another Ring on Rope

Two persons are invited on stage and given a ring and a length
of rope for examination. They are then requested to hold either
end of the rope. The center of the rope is covered with a hanky
(which could be borrowed from one of the spectators) and the
performer puts the ring under the handkerchief.
After a few moments the handkerchief is removed and the ring
is seen securely double knotted to the rope with both ends still
held by the spectators. The performer claims the Ring is not only
knotted but also threaded on the rope.
A spectator is requested to untie the knot while the other still
holds one end. On opening the knot the ring is found actually
threaded on the rope, having apparently penetrated It.
. A length of rope about 6 feet long and a rin~ approx. 4" in
dlometer are required for this effect. The rope ISstretched and
held by the ends by the two spectators.
The knots are formed by the performer under the hanky, as
shown in the following figures.
.

Page- 35

145

In Fig.144, 'x' denotes the

center of the rope, which is pulled
t.hrough the ring in a loop.
'B' is the performer's right
while 'A' is his left side. The loop
'x' is now overlapped on 'B' as in
Fig. 145. Finally, the strand 'B' is
pulled through 'x' and a new loop is
farmed that is slipped over the ring
from beneath as indicated by the
arrow in the Fig.146. The rope is
now pulled tight on top of the ring
to give the appearance of a double
knot.

After removing-the
handkerchief and displaying the
knotted ring on the rope the
performer asks the spectator on
his left to untie only the first knot.
As he does this the other spectator
on the right is asked not to release his end of the rope.
As the first knot is untied, a genuine knot willautomatically
form around the ring, due to the way the loops were formed. The
ring then appears threaded and knotted on the rope.

RingOn or Ring Offl

A ring is threaded on the middle of a length of rope and both
ends are held with one hand.
When the ring is pulled, it is either knotted on the rope, or
completely free of the rope, just as the rerformer wishes. The ring
is entirely under the performer's contra.
A length of rope about 5 feet long and a ring about 4 inches in
diameter are needed.
.
The ring is threaded

on the rope and held cs shown in Fig.147.

The right end of the rope is crossed over the left end and held
in the right hand as in the Fig.148 - 149. The left hand grasps the
ring at the bottom as in Fig. 149 which is an audience view.
Now depending on whether the ring is to be trapped on or free
of the rope it is lifted up as shown in Fig. 150 or 151.
Although the audience does not notice any difference in the
moves, there is a significant difference.
Page - 36

In one
case, the ring
is lifted up in
front of the
rope, as
shown in
Fig.l50.

Altem:rtclt,
148

150

151

149 the ring goes

behind the
rope, as
shown in
Fig.l51.
The
pictures have
been
exaggerated
for the sake
of clarity.
You do nat
152. obviously lift
the ring in
front, or
behind the
rope. The
up, with the ring in front or

hand with the ring is lifted straight

behind.
The ring is nowplaced between the ends of the rope, as in Fig.
152. Both the ends are caught over the ring, and the ring is pulled
down. .
.
The ring willbe either trapped o~ the rope, or come free off
the rope depending on the 'lift up move' used (Figure 150 or 151.)
The result willbe reversed, if the rope ends are crossed the
opposite way in Fig. 148.
.

Double Rings on Rope

. Two borrowed finger rings threaded on a rope are given a .
quick jerk and immediately each ring is found tied to the rope with
a separate knot.
The rope used in this effect should be a thin one, about 40
inches long.
Let us first See how the knots are tied in the rope.
Page - 37

Both ends of the rope are held in the left hand. The hanging
center is spread with the right thumb and the first finger as shown
inthe Fig.153. The right hand goes up to almost center of the two
strands. The strands are grasped as indicated inFig. 154.
The right hand is turned, and the grip changed so that the right
finger comes in
A
front of the
A B
strands as in Fig.
155.

15~

The right thumb

and first finger
nowgrip the end 'B'
by movingupwards
as shown in Fig.
156.

15<1

The ends 'A'

and 'B' are held
with left and right
handand the hands
separated. As a
result two knots
appear in the rope
as seen in Fig. 157-

155

~
157

158

After you get

the kriockof =k;"
the double knot
without fumblrng,
proceed with the
rings.
Start with the
rings (preferably
borrowed rings)
threaded on the
rope.

The ends are

grasped as earlier with the left hand and the right thumb and
forefinger spreads the center of the loop as in Fig.158.
The rings stay on the twoseparate strands as inFig. 158.
Followthe handling explained earlier. When the ends are
separated, the rings are securely tied with knots as in Fig. 159.
Page-38

Rope Through Neck

A piece of rope is wrapped around your neck. Yau hold the
ropeat the twa ends, and pull it right through the neck.
Use a length of soft cotton rope about 48 inches in length.
Place the rope over your neck as shown in the Fig. 160.
Note that the end onyour left is longer than the end on your right.
Holddownthe shorter end with your left hand. The right hand gets
holdon the longer strand, as in Fig. 161.
Bringthis longstrand
behindthe neck as in Fig.
162.
Now also
bringthe shorter
strand behind the
neckas if wrapping
Itaround the neck.
The audience
see you wrapping
the rope around
yourneck.
Figures 163 and
164show what
reallyhappens. A
loopis made with the
longend of the rope
behindthe neck
whilethe other end of
the rope goes over thiS
loop.
This loop keeps the
rope In position and
from the front you have
a perfect illusion of a
rope coiled around the
neck, as in Fig. 165,
Now pull the free
ends of the rope with
a quickmovement
andthe rope see";s to
penetrate right
through your neck!

160

1&'

165
Page- 39

Rope through Magic Wand

A rope is wrapped around a wand and a knife is inserted about
the middle of the wand. The rope is looped around the knife,
wrapped a few more times around the wand and the ends are tied.
The performer grasps the knot, and when the spectator
removes the knife the rope comes free apparently penetrating
wand.

the

Have a spectator hold the wand. Hold the ends of the rope in
each hand, with the center over the top of the wand as in Fig.166.
Now the rope is wrapped around the wand in a specific manner.
Both the strands are placed under the wand transferring them to
opposite hands.
Strand 'A' should
always be directly
over the wand and
strand 'B' should
always cross over on
A
8
top of it.
.
The strands are
brought to the top
166
167 of the wand. Again
'A' should be kept
next to the wand
with 'B' crossing
A
over. Wrap the rope
over the wand several times in this manner.

lJn

~====

A knife is now pushed at point 'C' on the wand. The rope

strands are again crossed over in the same manner several times
over the wand and knife, and finally the ends are tied. (Fig. 167.)
The rope can be wrapped (crossed back and forth above and
below the wand) as many times as you wish, but it must cross an
equal number of times before and after the knife is inserted.
Finally, as soon as the knife is removed the rope comes free
off the wand.

Three Ropes to One

A bunch of three ropes, knotted together at both ends are
shown. The knot at one end is untied, and two of the rope ends are
tied together again. The same process ;s repeated at the knot at the
other end.
The three

Page-40

ropes, now tied in a long chain are wrapped around

the hand and when unwrapped the knots have disappeared

you with a single long rope.

leaving

A length af rope about 4 feet long and two short pieces 4 to 5

inches long are needed. The long rope is laid over the table folded
in three and each short piece is looped in the folds as shown in
Fig.168.
The two ends of the short rape and one end of the long rope
are now tied with a single knot (Fig. 169). It appears like the ends
of three separate ropes as in Fig.170.
The other three ends
are also tied in the same
manner.

1M

171

169

\72

You now apparently

have a
bunch of
three
ropes tied
together at
both ends
~in~.
17l.
To perform.
the bunch of
ropes is shown.
You untie the knot
at one end
making sure that
the short piece
of rope is not
exposed.
After untying
the knot the
rope is
17'3 displayed as
In Fig.172..
holding the
rope in the left
hand with the
thumb and fingers
concealing the joints
of the short rope with
the long one. The right
hand pu lis away and

Page - 41

drops the end of

the long rope (Fig.
173).
Then the ends
of the short rope
are tied with a
single knot around
the long rope.

, 76
175

178
177

The other end

of the bunched
ropes is now untied
and the ends of
short rope retied
after dropping the
end of the long rope
exactly as before.
You have a perfect
illusion of three
ropes tied together.
os in Fig. 174,

Holding one end

of the rope in the
left hand the rope
is wound around it with the right hand -Fig. 175. As the rope passes
through the right hand, the knots are pulled along, and slipped off
the rope - Figs. 176 and 177.
After the coiling is completed, the right hand goes to the
pocket for a pen, or magic wand, keeping the knots hidden in it,
and leaving them in the pocket as you bring out the pen or wand.
The coiled rope is touched with the pen or wand and the coi l is
unwound from the hand showing the knots hove fused, leaving you
with a long length of rope (Fig. 178) which may be given for
examination.

Two to One Rope

Two ropes are tied together. The ends of the ropes are pulled
and the knot flies off the rope, leaving you with a single long
length of rope.
Two pieces of rope, one about 30 inches longand another
about 6 inches long are needed. Both are folded in half, and.
placed one over the other, with their centers overlapping as in
Fig.l79.
To perform,

Page-42

the ropes are held in left hand, concealing the

overlapas shown in Fig.l80 and appear as two lengths of ropes

hangingin the hand.

c
c

180

lil
A B

C~::::::D

182.

==

\'r

Gripping
the small piece
with thumb
against the
longer one,
end 'D' is
gripped
between the
right thumb
and first
finger.
The center
of the long
rope is pushed
by the right
first finger
over the small
rope to form a
loop as in
Fig.181. A knot

isnowtied with the small rope around the loop.

The rope is displayed as in Fig. 182 and appears as two pieces
of rope tied together.
When the ends of the rope are pulled the knot pops off the
rope magically welding the two pieces of rope into one.

Rings Release
Several rings are threaded and knotted on a rope with both
ends held by two spectators. The rings are magically removed
leaVingthe knots behind on the rope.
. A thin rope about 30 inches long and several borrowed
rings are needed for this trick.

finger

The rope is folded and the center of the rope is threaded

through one of the rings as shown in Fig.183. Both the ends of the
rope are then passed through the loop as shown in Fig.184.
Then the two ends of the rope are tied together in a knot
almost upto the ring, but is stopped short, an inch from the ring.
Then the remaining rings are threaded on the folded rope and fhz
ends are given to two spectators to hold.
All of a sudden, the rings mysteriously drop free from the

Page - 43

rope.

e- X

\8~

184

185

Actually
covered by
the hand, the
loop marked
'x' in Fig.185
is slipped
over and off
the ring and
that enables
the rings to
fall free
from the
rope.

Several knots could be tied with the ends of the rope after the
first ring is threaded. After the removal of the rings the knots stay
on the rope.

Threading the Loop

A piece of rope is wrapped around the left thumb and a loop is
farmed on top between the fingers. Taking the lower end of the
rope with right fingers it is threaded through the loopwithout
releasing it.
A length of rope about 18 inches long is woundaround the left
thumb and a small loop is formed with the upper end and held with
the left thumb and first finger as shown in the Fig.186.
Taking the lower end of the rope between the right thumb and
forefinger claim that the end will be threaded through the loop
without letting the end go of the right fingers. This is impossible.
But after a couple of failures the rope is threaded through the
loop- Fig.187.
Youpretend to
thread the end
through the loop
but in reality it is
simplyslipped up
between the left
thumb and first
finger into the
loop.With the rope
187
in hand and little
practice the moves
willbe apparent. It is recommended to make the loopsmaller. As
Page - 44

the smaller the loopis the greater the impact willbe.

Rope through the Thumb

Alength of ropeis securely looped over the performer's thumb.
Aspectator grasps the thumb. When pulled the rope comes free,
apparently passing right through the thumb.
Arope about two feet in length is needed, The center of the
folded rope is put over the left thumb down into the fork.
Both ends of the rope is grasped with the right hand, separated
by the first finger as shown in Fig.lBB The rope is jerked a few
times to show howfirmly it holds.
Declaring to form another loop over the thumb to make the rope
double secure the right hand is raised a little and a second loop is
passed over the left thumb. However, under cover of movements of
~h,eright hand, the left first fingertip hooks on the Rope at pomt
X Infigure 188.
Simultaneously the
right hand ISturned over
~n~ard~')laking two loops
Band C as shown In
Fig189. The loop 'C' goes
overthe left thumb and the
rape is pulled tight, Thus
twoloops are formed, one
overthe other with a bight
at the back of the thumb.
The loops stay in position
against a steady pullon the
rape.

11
~
J~
188

... - -- .. ,

,,

,,

~~c~

189

Now a spectator is invited to hold the thumb tip and is asked to

count 'One', ..'Two'.., and 'Three'. At the count of 'three' the right
hand is moved slightly towards the left, then jerked back ,.. a little
relaxation frees the rope from the thumb.

Professor's Nightmare
(Unequal Equal Ropes)
This is possibly the best rope tricks ever created.
EFFECT: Performer shows three separate pieces of rope each
of a different size. There is a very short piece, a medium size
piece, and a long piece.The performer folds the three pieces and
when the ropes are opened out again a!1three pieces are seen to be
of the same size. Aperfect illusion.
Page - 45

If required the ropes can again be restored to their original

different sizes and tossed out for excminction.
Yourequire three ropes of the correct different sizes for this
effect. The middle size piece should be half the size of the short,
ond longpiece together. A recommended size for the three ropes IS
8",24" and 40
PERFORMANCE:(1) Hold the three ropes inyour left hand as
illustrated
inFigUre
190. The
shortest
"~
rope is to
'nTr,",,-' the left
190
19\ towards the
joint of the
thumb then

then-edium
size rope
arid finally
fl'le l'ong
rope. You
may show
all the ropes
separate if
you w'ish,
but finally
19';
the ropes
must be
placed in'
this
position.
(2) Now
grip the hanging end 'ofthe shortest rope, withyour right hand,
from behind the other two ropes and bring it to the top plaCingIt
to the extreme left of the three ends besides the originalshort end
as in Figure 191.
(3) Take the hangingend of the middle sited rape and place it
to the right of the four ends inyour hand. Finallytake the hanging
end of the longest rope ond place it to the extreme right. The
position at this stage isos in Figure 192. Yourextended t'ingers
cover the fold of the shortest rope (rom the audience view.
(4) Now separate the three ends to your right, and pull out the
ropes. Let them hang down,and all the three ropes willappear to
Page - i(fi

beof the same size. In fact the position is as illustrated in Figure

193.But you can showyour hand freely on both sides, displaying
three equal sized ropes, as your thumb covers the joint of the
smallestand longestropes.
(5) If you wishto count the three ropes separately, you maydo
so by a false count as follows. First take away the single rope with
yourother hand countingone. Now bring your hands together
apparently taking a secand rope, but in fact you replace the 1st
rope Inyour hand and take away the joint pair, counting two.
Finally,you take awaythe third single rope, counting three .
. You may then ballup the ropes and restore them to their
originalSize, and toss them out for examination.

Page - 47