"Flash" by Chad Long
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available direct from Chad Long
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Flash", an effect by Chad Long, is something so good, so welcome, it can and should be described with four little words: "trick of the year".

That's not hype, folks; that's the sheer truth of it. "Flash" is the best thing I've seen this year and I doubt anything will be better than this work of Long's.

Long's routine is quite simple to describe as well as perform. It begins with showing two flash drives, one black and one red. In Long's multi-phase routine, the two change places quite cleanly, then do some from the spectator's hand, and finally the routine culminates in one of the flash drives growing to about four times the length that it was.

Anyone who's familiar with a color-changing knife routine knows that this routine is also just as simple to perform. There are no difficult sleights, no gimmicks to fuss with, no lenghty set-ups or trying resets. Long has kept this routine short, punchy, and easy so that it's well within the grasp of anyone and it serves as a good place with which to start putting together more personalized routines or alter an existing routine to the props.

And, brother, when you start doing either of those two things, that's when you'll find the true worth of "Flash".

Don't get me wrong; Long's pre-packaged routine is great. But what Long has done here is more than a great routine; he's managed to move the venerable color-changing knives into this century. He's updated the props (no more silly "is this your knife?" crap) and made them effortless to handle. Since flash drives are more ubiquitous than pocket knives (how's that for stating the obvious?) they fit right into an "impormptu" performance without so much as a raised eyebrow. Being put together so well, and designed even better. pretty much any existing routine can be made to work with them. More, most of the moves associated with those routines are can be done with these.

(I'll have to admit to being a little preparatory there; I modified the de la Torre routine without a hitch but my knowledge of Ascanio's routines has become a bit shaky -- while I'm not sure of there being things there that can't be done with "Flash", I'm also not completely sure all the moves will work, so it's for the sake of you, Gentle Reader, I must hedge).

Long even did something that is most needed in many knife routines: he's added a logical climax. Anyone who has even bought a 16GB flash drive only to need a 64GB a month later (which will include just about all of the flash drive-buying public) can easily associate with the climax and get a grand ol' laugh out of it. Rather than producing odd-colored objects, or a handful of tiny objects, or just having the object vanish, Long came up with something that just makes sense (admittedly in a twisted way, but still...).

There's nothing I could find wrong with "Flash", and I tried. Even after taking it out with me and performing it for a few weeks, I was at a loss to find anything that was a failure here. Oh, there are things I'd like to have seen done to the props (like a keychain loop which almost all flash drives have nowadays, and a slight change in the coloring to make them a bit more "realistic") but not once did any spectator mention either of those things: they were having too good a time getting their brain frozen between chuckles. So as far as they're concerned, you can scratch those "wish list" items; they just aren't needed except when one thinks like a magician.

For everything "Flash" is, it gets my vote as trick of the year. Roughly translated, that means that if you do close-up at all you should have "Flash" in your pocket.

It don't get better than this.

"Flash" by Chad Long
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
The practical aspects here are identical with all color-changing knife routines: packs small, no set-up or reset, great angles... "Flash" has it all here.

Workmanship: 10
Long has done a fantastic job here, making the drives work beautifully with the usual handlings. The most necessary of the moves is easily executed and has a great feel to it.

Documentation: 10
Long does a great job here, with an easy routine explained thoroughly. As a real bonus, Long has video explanations on his site which goes even further than the basic instructions. You'll have no problem learning this one at all,

Effect: 10
A good color-changing knife routine can be a reputation-maker; "Flash" is a great routine and will make a mark with spectators than could just last a good, long time.

Presentation: 10
Long has done the old classic two favors here: first he's added a logical climax to the standard routine; second, he's brought the venerable props into the 21st century. Put these two things together with a great, tight routine and the presentation couldn't be better.

Shane