"Chop" by Craig Petty
Suggested Retail USD$39.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Chop", a new effect by the prolific Craig Petty, is a delightfully sneaky, devilishly clever, and downright entertaining take on the classic -- with an old method dressed up in a new wrapper and looking all the world like an impromptu bit -- that ends up being a rock-solid, beautifully routined powerhouse many a performer will put to good use right away.

I have to admit a love for the Chop Cup; for some reason containers and things in them have always appealed to me, from the cups and balls to the Benson Bowl. So, yeah, I'll admit I'm biased when it comes to this kind of routine. I'll also admit I'm way pickier about such routines because I am so fond of them. Try to slide a stinker by me and I'm all over it, nice and loud.

Petty's "Chop" isn't a stinker, not by a long shot. It's one of the better routines I've had the pleasure of seeing, learning, and performing. It's clean, beautifully structured, looks entirely off-the-cuff (while being completely set-up) and entertains as well as it dazzles. This is simply great stuff here.

The routine itself is the popular combo routine, with a signed, borrowed bill filling in for the tiny crocheted ball and a Styrofoam cup replacing the fancier models. The bill does its thing, vanishing and reappearing as can be expecting, until the bill vanishes and a lemon appears under the cup. When the lemon is cut open, the signed bill is found inside.

I have never been impressed with this, to be quite honest. The whole bill-in-lemon thing is too problematic except in one-off performances, a situation in which I seldom find myself. Then there's the whole "wet and sticky borrowed bill" issue, which is just asking for trouble in one form or the other. While Petty addresses all of this on the video, it still isn't my preferred routine. I'll very likely keep going with my own climax, but the rest of my routine? It just might go bye-bye in favor of Petty's.

Petty's routine, you see, is a whopping seven phases but each phase in entirely modular, with each phase being entered and exited in such a way as to make it possible to shorten or lengthen the routine as desired. This is a clever work of routining and my hat's off to Petty for putting the entire thing together with that modularity in mind.

Okay, so the routine is great. What about the gaff, the working, the toy part of this?

It's damned clever to say the least. It's based on the usual working, of course, but it's wonderfully hidden, allowing you to show your hands empty easily and allowing everything -- cup, bill, you name it -- to be shown and handled cleanly and openly. There's nothing to ditch here, nothing to hide... Petty's idea here is, in a word, gorgeous. Between the idea itself and the workmanship of the thing, you're getting far more than your money's worth with this one.

Yeah, this is an excellent piece of work, this "Chop" effect, and one well worth owning.

Now, there are some things to be aware of.

First, unless you're thinking of carrying a few pounds of lemons around in your pockets as you go strolling or table-hopping, this is definitely one you want to save for formal gigs or one-off performances for those special audiences. If you leave off that climax -- a bit dangerous that, since it's a huge chunk of the entertainment value packed into "Chop" -- this is one of the more practical routines you'll find.

Second, while Styrofoam cups are used in the routine, other cups can be used, even some of the non-disposable variety. This makes it possible to do almost anywhere and still end up with the routine looking as impromptu as you'd want. Also, if you want to do this sans bill, you can; it works with any similiarly-sized piece of paper (I did it with a Post-It note once -- worked great that way, too).

Third, you're going to have to re-do the gaff at some point. Nothing is said about this, but you can either buy a new one or just fix it yourself; it's not all that hard (though it can be messy).

Fourth, while I recommend Petty's routine, you don't have to use it at all. What you're buying here is the gaff that makes some incredible handlings possible and can be adapted to match your own existing routine or improve upon it.

Okay, so since I said all of that, you can guess how I'm going to wrap this one up:

Craig Petty's "Chop" is very highly recommended and that's probably an understatement.

"Chop" by Craig Petty
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 5
This is one that works best in formal venues or, perhaps, as that one special routine for that one special audience (thanks to the bill-in-lemon climax). Minus that, this is much more practical for strolling/table-hopping venues. However, that clever climax is a big part of what makes this entertaining.

Workmanship: 10
The gaff is beautifully made and worth every penny.

Documentation: 10
Petty does a fantastic job of teaching his routine, even going into massive detail on his lead-in effect. He covers every nuance and subtlety very well, besides. Petty gets a huge thumbs up here.

Effect: 10
A chop-cut routine, done well, is a killer; "Chop" is done extremely well and really packs a punch. Spectator reactions are exactly what you'd expect, expletives and all.

Presentation: 10|
Two things hurt a routine like this: cleanliness and routining. Petty has made this extremely clean in appearance and has kept the routine lively, quick, and clear. Put all of that together and you've got an exceptional presentation for the classic.


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.