I'd like to buy or make an impression device, it needs to be really innocent, I'd ideally like something that I can hand to a spectator, have them write their thought on it, let them tear off the sheet and hand me the note book or whatever it may be (clipboard etc) back without any suspicion. I'd then like to be able to see the impression, if at all possible, without having to lift any other pages or do anything suspicious. The idea is to have several thoughts from several different spectators written on a page (the pad is just passed around) and the last person tears off the sheet and folds it up. I can then go into several different revalations each hopefully more dazzling than the last lol.

I just want to be direct and as innocent as possible. Is this possible and if so how?

JB Magic put out a great booktest call A Word in a Million that comes with my favorite Imp Pad. Hocus Pocus put out another one with the same type of gaff in a Steno Pad, but I can't remember the name of it right now. Those would be the two I'd suggest looking for.

A word in a million looks like a beautiful affct. I'm just wondering after I've bought the gimmik will I ever have to purchase it again short of me damaging it through carelessness or over use? I'm aware that some impression devices require reffills etc.

You could maybe make one out of one of those kid's writing boards that you can pick up at the dollar store or Kroger. I think this is it http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5791910/description.html. I hope that not exposure (I don't think it is).

I find book tests a little too complicated. Alvo said this on his blog which I agree with wholeheartedly:

"The truth is, I've never really liked "The Book Test" as traditionally done for a variety of reasons:

The mentalist usually provides the book.
Usually only 1 or 2 books are used.
Usually a book I've never heard of, or one that's 100 years old.
Sometimes the mentalist has to handle the book.
Finally, why are you using a book to simply "think of a word?" As my friend Luke Jermay likes to say, "I already know thousands of words." Why even use a book?"

Also, an I have an idea for an impression pad that doesn't require lifting that I'm still working on but if you guys want I would be happy to send the plans out for some critical review.

That's true, I prefer to do a book test as a memory affect, I either speed read or provide a book which I claim to have memorised. I then ask for a page, line and number of the word on the line. I'd rather not do it as a mind reading stunt, I'd simply prefer to let the spectator pull a word out of thin air. Anyway the book test is less important than the device which makes it possible, which is what I was inquiring about. If something is coming onto the market that's new and direct I'd love to hear about it. Just hold off on all the marketing spiel please. I hate hearing the words "revolutionary new technique/ gimmick" it always sets me against something.

Didn't Papercrane put out one called Universal Impression?
That one looked great and very innocent if I am not mistaken.

Hope this helps
-Chase

I've seen this yes. Does anyone here own one? I'd like an impartial review if at all possible. I was given technique for christmas and while it wasn't quite what I was hoping for it's still a beautifully direct number revalation, and the billet tear taught on there is going to completely replace the centre tear for me.

So yeah I like papercrane's products so far. I guess this might be worth a look. My only concern with it being a note pad is that it will eventually need replacing which mean forking out for another. I suppose I must suuffer for my craft lol.

Arkham I was looking for help in developing this new idea, not trying to sell it.

lol I don't have a problem with that, I was just rambling as often I do when I sit in front of a keyboard on a cold new years eve morning with the snow falling outside and the alarm from my girlfriends hair straighteners beeping to tell us that it's hot enough to use and there are no commas in the sentence and there are some spelling errors and mwah hah hah......

If you want help developing a product and your asking that's fine, but I don't really know much about impression devices so I might not be the best person to ask, unless you just want me to throw one together and go to town with and see how it handles.

Sorry I new you weren't trying to sell me anything I just here a lot of buzz words thrown around magic sites which always set me against a product and I guess some of that Bruce Banner style rage seeped out when it wasn't appropriate.

Hey its no problem don't worry about it. I'm not really familiar with impression pads myself I just like solving problems and finding new simpler solutions to things that aren't necessarily broken but can be better. If anyone is interested in helping me come up with one of these ideas I would be happy to build a partnership.

Well it's all a question of what you want to create. As mentalists our goal is to have a thought travel from one person's mind into another person's mind (usually our own). As this is not really possible we make a compromise, this often requires the writing down of the thought (this is visible compromise which we are tackling here.) So to make it as innocent as possible I suppose we should consider a lot of things...

Setting for one, if we're working close up a clip board may seem a bit suspicious compared to a note pad. Many people carry note pads for many reasons, they could be students or writers, a clip board seems a bit like a prop. However on stage there's no problem with such a thing, as props are part of stage magic.

Ideally we want to be as fair as possible, if want this to pass under test conditions (which we don't but lets pretend that we do) we would ideally want to hand the pad to the spec, have them write down their thought, tear off the sheet and see for themselves that there is nothing beneath. Possibly even keep the pad themselves allowing only for a moments glimpse at the impression.

In reality test conditions aren't part of magic (which is very useful) so we're ok taking the pad back and maybe even flicking through a page as long as we can justify our actions with patter we can basically get away with anything (and God knows we have mwah hah hah)

The problem is that everything we do in between the spectator thinking a thought and we as mind readers revealing it is a step away from our ultimate goal of being thought readers. as such a more direct method of observing an impression is desirable to a less direct one. I suppose the most important thing to consider is that whatever we have to do with this device can be justified as part of a trick (after all it's unlikely we'll use this one device as our sole method of acquiring hidden information)

So if we have to flip through ten pages to see our impression (which is very impractical) it's ok as long we have justification. I guess as long as you keep that in mind it's just a matter of trial and error, make something audience test it and see how it goes.

My favorite real time impression device is without a doubt the Tommy pad,
You can have the spectator write something down, tear the page, close the sketchpad.

And you can have the peek even with the sketchpad closed, it's sold as a E-book, it is quite easy to find the material to make it, and it is quite easy to make also...

I believe alakazam still carries it,
Hope this helps

Max.

this may be exactly what I'm looking for thanks.