"Super Slim Hip Pocket Mulllica" by Tim Trono
Suggested Retail USD$70.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Super Slim Hip Pocket Mullica", a new creation by Tim Trono, is a gorgeous wallet, a wonderful take on the classic, and with some crazy ideas from Paul Harris, an absolute must-have for the close-up worker in need of some good leather.

Okay, I've got to get my personal biases out of the way: I love my old, beat-up, well-traveled Mullica so yes, I'm going to love anything that works like the Mullica, which this does. I also love using magic creations for stuff other than what is usually intended. Give me a card-to-wallet and I'll show you were I carry my deck of cards. I'm weird that way.

So here comes "Super Slim Hip Pocket Mullica", which is exactly what the title says, with routines by Paul Harris that does not focus on getting a card to come out of the envelope, instead focusing on business cards, drivers licenses, and cue balls.

You think I'm not going to love this one?

Oh, now I'm not that much of a sucker. The wallet is going to have to to have a lot going for it still. It's going to have to be as much of a worker as I am and considerably tougher. It's also going to have to serve as my "everyday, non-magical, buy-a-Mountain-Dew-with-the-bills-in-this" wallet. It's got to be there when I want it to be, ready to go, and otherwise just hang out being nothing more than my wallet. It's got to be Superman when I call, and Clark Kent when I don't. It's got to be…

It's got to be "Super Slim Hip Pocket Mullica".

This wallet is smooth black leather and looks and feels great. It's loaded with credit card slots and a deep flap for bills. The small insert wallet has a clear window for ID and the "action" is smooth and well done. To quote the ad copy, they even but a gold zipper in a la Tommy Wonder. Honestly, I don't think they missed a single thing here. I've been giving mine a good work out and the more I use it, the more I love the thing.

It even feels good in my back pocket.

So here's to Tim Trono for making one excellently designed piece of craft and Alan Wong for manufacturing it perfectly.

And here's to Paul Harris for taking it over the top.

Joe Russell performs and teaches Harris' routines with the Mullica. And, as you can expect, the routines are not all that normal. Oh, sure, Russell shows us the typical handling for a no-palm signed-card-to-wallet, but come on! What performer wants to be typical? That's why Trono and Harris upped the ante with some stellar routines and handlings. Here are my two favorites:

"License to Astonish" is just what it sounds like. You borrow a spectator's license in an attempt to rapidly memorize all the data on the license, but the description of your spectator sounds remarkably like… you. They turn over the license and see they are now holding your license while theirs in in your wallet, stuck in the ID case inside a zippered compartment. This is priceless and doesn't require a deck, making this a great "anytime" routine.

"Whack Your Pack" is the same routine that can be found in "Art of Astonishment". Basically, the spectator looks at a card, remembers it, and the cards shuffled. One by one, the cards are turned over, showing the face, and the spectator told that, once they see their card, they are to slap their hand on top of it in a race to beat the performer. This of course happens, but then the strangeness kicks in: the card just seen is turned over to reveal another card entirely. The chosen card? It's found in the wallet. This is just plain different and just plain great.

There's also other things taught by the ever entertaining and always thorough Joe Russell, things like a business card routine with the card appearing folded in the wallet minus the you-know-what-fold and a slick handling for strange loads like a billiard ball (don't ask).

There's just one thing I ought to mention, and it's no big deal but since you're likely to handle the wallet first before you ever look at the DVD (where this is discussed in a bit more detail)…

The wallet handles like slabs of concrete when you first get it. It needs to be broken in. On the video, Russell talks about how he does it and it works pretty well, but you'll want to, at the bare minimum, stretch the leather a little (especially if you've got visions of eight balls in your head). I loaded mine down with all my usual wallet contents, which naturally bulged it a mite, then just used it for a few days. Voila! Instant "broken in" state.

And that's the only thing I could find wrong with this wallet. The "Super Slim Hip Pocket Mullica" is everything the ad says and worth more than every penny. This is an impressive piece of work.

Color this one "Highly Recommended".

"Super Slim Hip Pocket Mullica" by Tim Trono
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
Who are we kidding? This is a Mullica wallet with a handling based on Burger's. This is as practical as it gets.

Workmanship:10
The wallet, made in leather, is extremely well made. This one will last a good, long time.

Documentation: 10
Joe Russell, whose instruction I dearly love, does a priceless job here, covering all the handlings and routines and tips in wonderful detail.

Effect: 10
This is the classic card-to-wallet, so of course it's going to get good reactions. Now toss in some off-the-wall thinking in a few routines and you're talking strong, effective, magic.

Presentation: 10
Again, it's in what you do with it, but this wallet looks great, the handling is super clean (no palming), and with some of the strangeness now forever linked to card-in-wallets, this is just great stuff.

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.