Volume I, # 4
October 1986
Stephen Burton’s Popular Top
When Stephen sent me this trick, I flipped out – or should I say popped my top? It’s so damn clever. Quick, go to your refrigerator and get out a few beer cans. No, I don’t want you to get drunk; I want you to try this routine with necessary objects in your hand. Stephen says the best pop tops to use are fast disappearing from the market in favor of the type of can which keeps the ring attached to it permanently. Still the effect could probably be worked out with just about any pop top rings available.
He suggests you use the type which have two small indentations on the ring; these serve to make it easier to pry the top up. This routine will attempt to create the cleanest possible link of these rings. At the end, you will be left absolutely clean even though you will have used a key ring!
To prepare the key ring, use a good quality wire cutter and sever one ring at the bottom of the indentation. After cutting it, you will discover that it can be bent back into position and will not appear to be gimmicked. The fact that you are cutting the ring in the indentation makes the cut harder to see. Get another pop top, and thread it onto your house or car key’s ring. Place your keys in your pocket and finger palm the key ring in your right hand.
Steve suggests that the best way to perform this trick is in the comfort of your own home when you offer a friend a beer. Come back from your refrigerator with a cold brew in each hand, and place them on the table. Open one can by using your right forefinger to pry the pop top up. As you hand the can of beer to your friend with your left hand, thumb palm this pop top and drop the gimmicked key ring onto the table.
Now as you go to open the other can for yourself, allow the thumb palmed ring to fall into finger palm. Pry the ring portion off the can, and leave the tab attached; the ring should be bent upwards towards the ceiling. Be careful not to let the specs see the finger palmed ring in your right hand.
Look at the top of the can and say, "This is a peculiar top. It doesn’t want to come off." With your left hand, pick up the key ring from the table and with your right hand steady the can (which will help hide the palmed ring). Now, in one motion, link the gimmicked ring onto the ring which is sticking up from the can. You may need to re-align the metal of the key ring, but this should be fairly easy to accomplish – the whole move should look like a standard "Crash Link" with linking rings. With the left hand still holding the key at the separation (at the cut part), release the can with the right hand AND LIFT THE CAN FROM THE TABLE! How’s that for a strong piece of visual magic?
If the metal of the key ring is properly aligned, you will not need to hold it at the break. You should be able to hold the "tongue" of the pop top without the break ever showing. When your friend sees the can hanging a foot above the table, there will be no mistaking the magic that has transpired.
Lower the can to the table, and bring the right hand up to where the pop tops are linked. Say, "Getting these apart may be a bit difficult." As you cup your hands around the can, unlink your key ring. Here comes the clean up: pull the pop top free of the can, and drop the key ring into the can. Finally, allow the finger palmed ring to come into view behind the can’s ring. No, your friend will never hear the key ring fall inside of the can because of the liquid inside. The dumping of the gimmick and the appearance of the regular ring must be executed in one smooth motion. Blow on the rings and slowly pull them apart in front of your friend’s eyes. Let him examine them to his heart’s content, and take a sip of the beer (optional).
After your friend has examined the rings, pick up one of them. Pretend to place the ring into your left hand, but secretly retain it in your right hand. Now place the right hand into your pant’s pocket and remove your house keys with the extra pop top on it, and leave behind the extra ring. Make sure this extra pop top does not show. Say, "Many people refer to these pop tops as keys. Personally, I do find that these things so have an affinity for keys. Like so!" Slam your left hand into the keys in your right hand and let them dangle. The can top has now apparently linked onto your key ring. Everything may be examined and you are once again left clean.
Steve suggests that this routine plays better when presented impromptu as opposed to using it as part of your close-up show. He also suggests that in addition to carrying the regular ring on your house keys that you carry the gimmick, too. In this way, you will always be ready to perform the effect. Personally, I believe that this is one of the strongest effects you could do in a bar. Steve adds that it is quite possible to make a gimmicked key ring on the spot by flexing the metal back and forth repeatedly until it breaks. Though I have not tried that yet, it sounds like it would work.
Would you like to read more magic effects like this one? Think about purchasing Volume I of Ruminations. Click here for more information.