"Unbalance" by Kreis Magic
Suggested Retail USD$17.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

"Unbalance", a new effect by Kreis Magic, is a superbly manufactured apparatus that is a treat to work with and, given a larger framing, can be an excellent piece of magic.

The effect of "Unbalance" is clear and visual. A toothpick is shown and can be examined if you want. Two decks of cards are placed on their sides and the toothpick laid across them. One of the decks is slowly removed and the toothpick remains impossibly suspended off of the single deck. The toothpick is touched and falls easily from the deck. Naturally, the spectator finds they can't balance it as magically as you did.

Okay, okay... so that reads more like a puzzle than a magic trick. In reality, if done exactly as the instructions say, it is more of a puzzle than a trick, a problem to be solved versus magic to astound, as it were. But with a little thought, a little framing, "Unbalance" becomes something else, a something else that will produces some great reactions from spectators.

Let's get to the details.

The main working of this is the toothpick which is gimmicked so beautifully, so perfectly, it's hard not to yell from the rooftops just how it's put together. The toothpick is designed to do the majority of the work yet stand up to close scrutiny. The design also allows you to do "Unbalance" with no set-up and no reset: carry the toothpick and the card boxes and you're ready to go.

And the card boxes aren't a strict requirement. True, "Unbalanced" was designed to work with them, but with a little thought you can also perform this with similar, smaller items (think matchboxes or the like). They are gimmicked -- a bit of do-it-yourself is required -- but the same gimmicking and principle can be applied to other things easily. Give it some thought and you won't have the burden of carrying a couple of decks around just to do this one.

You'll have another burden, too, and that's making this go from a puzzle to an effect. It's not that difficult at all: "Unbalance" works as a nice lead-in to many a pocket levitation or suspension effect. Chaining the effects together can really up the amperage of this one. Of course, a little bit of a modification to the single effect can raise the stakes a good deal, too: have the spectator begin the "balancing", blow it, and then step in and do it magically. A small alteration but one that can make a difference.

I have to be brutal on myself here and admit that I was bound and determined to make "Unbalance" work for me based strictly on the gimmick. I fell in love with it and, as the love-sick do, made every attempt to make this one worthy of my adoration. The big secret? It didn't require that much work and it's more than worthy of my attentions. And yours.

This is a sweet piece of work that spectators appreciate more than it seems. Build it up a bit and you've really got a very nice piece of magic that you'll more likely carry with you as you walk out the door.

"Unbalance" by Kreis Magic
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Practicality: 9
If you go by the instructions, you're giving up a lot of pocket space for this one: you'll be carrying two decks or, at the bare minimum, two card boxes in addition to the toothpick (which isn't worth mentioning). Other objects than card boxes can be used though, with a little thought. Otherwise, you're dealing with something with no set-up, no reset, and is examinable to a good degree.

Workmanship: 10
My hat's off to Kreis on this one: this is as well-made a piece of apparatus that I've seen in a long time. It's one of those things put together so well you'll be tempted to explain how it works to anyone that'll listen.

Documentation: 10
Kreis' documentation is very good, with a solid explanation and plenty of illustrations to go around. More than that, if you're the "learn by video" type, the Kreis website has a tutorial video for download.

Effect: 8
This one surprised me. Spectator's reactions are solid on this one. While not a jaw-dropping minor miracle, it plays very well.

Presentation: 5
The problem is that, without context, this is a quick little puzzle. Tie it into another similar effect or make more out of it that a demo, and you've got something really slick here.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.