In early December of last year, I was deemed the winner of a trivia contest over at www.mrescape.com . The web master there sent me a confirmation e-mail and Steve Baker also sent me an e-mail confirming my status as that week's winner. The prize was a FREE copy of Steve's book call "The Biz" valued at $35.00 plus shipping (marked down from $50.00 the previous month). However, I have never received my prize and after a great many attempts to contact Steve (to no avail), I have no choice but to assume that I never will.

I just did not want to see any one here get suckered by another one of Steve Baker's bogus contests. I think that it is the little things like this that show a man's true character. He told me that I won and confirmed that my prize was being sent out the following Monday......he didn't do what he said, now what does that make him??? Hmmmmm, you tell me. Someone who does not tell the truth is a.......4 letter word......starts with "L".........rhymes with "wire".....come on.........did you get it???? Good. It is also funny how all of a sudden he will not return my e-mails....Hmmmmmm. Okay, here is another one.......7 letter word.......rhymes with "bass-pole"............

Steve also sells a lot of over-priced escape items on his web site......personally, I wouldn't trust him with my money after this trivia contest incident, would you??? So, for the record, I am not telling anyone here to NOT buy from him.....I am just passing on my personal strory. Besides, I don't think that anyone here would pay $400.00 plus for a weight-lifter's belt with a couple of wrist straps or a pair of $22.00 handcuffs on it! Or a very short, "performance ONLY", DVD of him doing some lame escapes back before most of you were ever a gleem in you Daddy's eye, for $95.00 plus shipping!!! You guys have more sense in your heads than that! Well, most of you do, which reminds me......hey "band geek", how does your new weight lifting belt fit?!!! Don't drop it on you $95.00 DVD!!!! LOL!!!

Cheers, Mike

For those of you who are following this tragic story, I still have not received my prize as of 02-12-06. However, I have found a great picture of Steve Baker that I wanted to share with all of you. (censored) In this photo, Steve is being put to the test as he tries to escape from "maximum security" oval link magician's shackles with "SEALED" padlocks!!! What a feat!!!! Can he do it?!!!

To be continued..........

Thats pretty funny, but its pretty warpped too! Remind me never to piss you off! lol

i dont know if he can, those look pretty secure. by the way, those are shanghai shakles, not oval handcuffs. geez am I the only one that knows anything around here?

I know my name... does that count?

Shanghi Shackles??? You have been watching too many Dixie Dooley DVDs! LOL!!! He is the only one who calls them that. This device has been around since biblical times and has been known by all sorts of names, the most common being, "The Oval Link Cuffs" or "Oval Link Shackles". I am fond of the name "Mr. Escape Specials".

Cheers, Mike

www.thedarkmaster.com http://people.tribe.net/de531ab3-23bd-4 ... 07edc7200e

Hi Mike,

Sad to hear you were taken.

I have no doubt that he never intened to send you your winning in the first place.

The ego of this "man" is far more spectacular than his morals are.

Regarding his "shackles", yes, it was always a favortie principal of his to use chains and long shackle padlocks he could move to one side thereby making the loops larger so he could slip his hands out.

In his time this guy did some cool stuff and I really have no idea why he goes out of his way to besmirch the names and work of others he feels threatened by.

One would think that any mature adult of his age would just be happy with what they once did and let thier work stand on it's own without having to remind all of the young ones just how great they still are.

Insecurity at it's most blatant.

I sincerely hope most young escapists are at least smart enough to keep a good distance from this person.

Steve Santini www.thedarkmaster.com

Santini, well said. I agree that Baker did some cool stuff back before I was born and for a few years after, but I believe that he has let his ego get out of control. Proof of that was his comment to me that he was/is greater than Houdini......and he truly believes that!!! I fear this guy's psychiarty bill!!! I think that he is suffering from a bad memory and a vivid imagination.

Cheers, Mike

www.thedarkmaster.com

Hi Mike,

You know, this "ego out of control" thing seems to be a sad part of this biz that afflicts many in escapes.

At last count there were a handful of "World's Greatest Escape Artists" around.

"Wow".

And, does anyone even bother to think "Joe Public" really believes or buys any of this hype?

Heck no!

edited, all the public wants is to be entertained; end of story.

Personally, I have a PILE of devices here in my collection and in my stock of restraint inventions that would put a quick stop to ANY escape artist living but do you think any of them would have the guts to try any of them on?

Another heck no!

The saddest part of all this are the young up and comers who are new to escapes that get impressed by these blowhards because they do not yet know any better and then they get rooked into buying a ton of highly expensive props and gear that in no way helps them get any actual work.

A good imagination and repeated trips to any hardware store are all any young person really needs to get off to a good start.

That, common sense, and hooking up with actual experienced people who are working at this craft in this day and age and have a finger on the pulse of modern audiences are the real ways to go.

Face it folks. Houdini is dead. So is the way he did stuff.

If ANYONE here or anywhere in escapes thinks any audience is going to give a rat's behind that they can get out of a straitjacket you have a rude awakening in store.

People have seen it all and demand something more these days.

That is why so very few are actually working doing nothing but escapes.

The same routines with the same gear bought from the same suppliers has created an army of clones who all are all mirrors of each other.

No new images, concepts, or character development killed escapes in Houdini's day and will do so again if people into it do not start to get inventive all on thier own.

And, leave the "World's Greatest's" behind.

They do no good and offer very little except for endless stories of how great they were, are, or old 'war stories" that stroke thier own egos.

Go out, try stuff on your own, and strive to be original and creative.

This is the only way to really get noticed.

Steve Santini www.thedarkmaster.com

Santini, I agree with you on most of that excpet for one thing. Most people have not seen a SJ escape before and therefore are impressed with it. My friend is still convinced that its really hard if not bordering impossible to escape from a SJ. ive tried to convince him many times that with the proper method its quite easy, but he doesnt believe me. This is another reason why i think its still impressive.

Hi,

That is what makes the world so wonderful!

Namely, we are all entitled to our own opinions.

I did not mean that people do not percieve the escape as being easy because it is not usually that way.

What I did mean is that the straitjacket as a tool for escapists has been in service for so very many years and so many people have done it that the audiences are by and large less impressed with it than they used to be.

Sure, the jacket escape still has it's place.

I would tend to think that the jacket used as a restraint in conjunction with a different restraint or some sort of "death trap"could be used to better effect.

For instance, say in some sort of escape where you visibly had to get your hands free to be able to use them to shut something off, i.e. a switch for a device that could harm you.

NOW you have something even more impressive.

A jacket could fill this function where handcuffs could not because you can not use your hands or fingers in a jacket.

The jacket has been done by so very many people and has even been turning into a comedy routine by MANY stand up comedians so it is paramount that you strive to present it in a new way that makes the restraint of the jacket only one part of a larger and more impressive puzzle.

There.

Now I have proposed some inventive new usues for a very old escape prop.

Hope everyone here can put them to use.

Steve Santini

thats why when i wear a stright jacket, i am also wearing chains and or rope. and shackels. and other restraints.

Interesting thread. I respect both of them. Santini and Steve both have done some well, whether it was the 70's or today.

In my case, that goes for "still doing" since the 70's.

Steve Santini

True, but a minor age difference is there too.