When I received this, I smiled and got right to practice. It is the strongest piece of coin magic I
perform now. Not for the beginner. This is a intermediate to professional effect requiring practice
to present smoothly. The Morgan Silver Dollars are of the highest quality that come with this. You
even get a real Morgan silver dollar, nice coin purse and a money clip. Expensive?- Yes, but you are
getting a precision constructed gimmick that will last forever with care and battle tested routines.
It took me roughly 4 hours of practice to get this performance worthy in front of people. It crushes
laymen. You literally make coins appear from nowhere and disappear systematically leaving people
questioning reality and the time-space continuum. If you are a serious performer, this a commercial
piece for strolling and parlor acts.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
I have recently stepped back into Magic after being away from it for about 20 years. Needless to say
in 20 years I’ve lost some abilities. But when I picked up this coin it made me both feel and look
like I still have all my skills and more. The coins slide beautifully and silently together. They
also position themselves back together perfectly. All I have to do is stand there and smile. Great
product by Gregory Wilson.
3 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
Have you noticed Greg Wilson's speed of patter? I hadn't fully considered this before purchasing it
for myself.
Watching the trailer, you should note how quickly Mr. Wilson says "look here,
not there, there’s no coin here, oops, now there is, it's over here, but not really, this is
nothing, now it's something, or is it..." He jumps through his routine so very fast, and he doesn't
give his audience a chance to catch up with him. (His misdirection is practiced… and perfect!) He
has a very dynamic and lively approach that fits in so well with his character. And his approach,
breezy and nonchalant, lends itself to humor.
I myself use humor all the time, but I try to
effect a more steady pacing in my performances, so that each moment of astonishment has a chance to
register before I move on to the next phase. If you are considering buying this, ask if the style of
performance suits you, or if you can adapt it to suit yourself. Important to note: I don't think
these effects REQUIRE Mr. Wilson’s breakneck speed. But it’s worth considering if you think his
delivery matches your own, or if you feel you can adapt it to your character.
(To belabor
the point: Mr. Wilson’s teaching never considers whether we might want to have a more
slow-and-steady approach. I’m certain I can adapt this for myself, but I hadn’t at all considered
this before purchasing.)
Furthermore, this speedy delivery matches Mr. Wilson’s teaching
style. The teaching is always excellent, nothing is left out, but he teaches his own speedy approach
to the routines. At times you might think you wish he'd spend just a little more time covering a
certain sleight or two. The needed sleights are the most basic, elementary essentials of coin magic.
(No knuckle busters are taught or required.) Intermediates and up will be fine here. Even advanced
beginners will be okay. But if you are a rank beginner, you might wish for more hand-holding in the
teaching.
At this point I should add there are a few effects, such as with the coffee lid
(the “bet your bottom dollar” routine) where speed isn't important at all. To my eye, it’s one of
the best effects in the whole project, so you can certainly find something to work with here.
All that aside, I love this purchase. The coins are very well made. They have just the right
weight in my hands. The way the coins “cooperate” with each other feels ideal, and I love practicing
with them. So I do highly recommend this. But it’s worth reviewing the trailer to see if this seems
like something that you can fit to yourself. (Full disclosure: I haven't performed it in public yet,
given the pandemic. But I just can’t wait to get out there with Split Focus.)
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
The coin is really nice. Just like a real one with a little patina. Smooth and quiet. The
instructions were very good. No problems at all. The overall quality of the package was excellent. I
am glad I made the purchase.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
Greg Wilson is one of the most polished and professional performers you will have the pleasure of
watching and learning from. I haven't purchased a single dud from him in my 20 years buying his
magic effects. Split Focus is easily one of his best.
First, the gimmick. This is my first
gaff of this type, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it is extremely well designed and
engineered. I chose the morgan version because it's my preferred dollar-size coin. Thankfully, these
coins look like the real deal, no cheap knock-offs here. After using it regularly for the last 2
months, I can tell you with full confidence that if you use this properly, no one will ever suspect
it's a gaff. The pieces all nest together beautifully, it handles very easily and quietly, something
I didn't realize how much I would appreciate until I experienced it. It also comes fully equipped
with some high-quality leather companion accessories that quickly became part of my EDC. The coin
purse is especially noteworthy.
The video teaching is Greg at his best, he's in high def
and includes every angle and detail you need with multiple breakdowns. This is some of his most
polished work to date. I love the main effect and there are a few other standouts, but I can't say
I'll perform every effect he teaches with the gaff, though there are some terrific ideas.
The cons: I must warn you that the gaff does have a fragile vital component that you will want
to check upon receiving to make certain it is intact. Handle it like an heirloom and practice over
carpeted floors. There is also an adhesive non-vital component, so if you live somewhere humid,
don't carry this in your pocket all day, carry it when you intend to use it.
The videos are
only accessible on Greg's secure site and it appears they cannot be downloaded, which admittedly I
don't like. It feels like they will never be a part of my library and could someday no longer be
accessible. That's more of a personal issue though and doesn't really reflect on the quality of the
videos. I understand the reason for it and I respect Greg as a creator, so I accept it as the cost
of doing business in modern magic.
Even with those cons, this effect is still a 10/10 for
me. Performing it after years of coin magic almost feels like using a cheat code. It quickly becomes
effortless, like second nature, to use. If you know Greg, you know it's good, if you can afford it,
it's definitely well worth the money. Totally satisfied with this purchase, can't recommend it
enough!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
The best teaching videos that I have ever seen!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
This set of coins is great and the routines provided are very detailed;powerful stuff!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
This is what keeps people believing in Magic! Very well made props with complete instructions to
help you get started right away but the possibilities are endless. This is priced right but could
have been priced even higher and still be a bargain. I own and use some very expensive custom made
coins and these are right in there with them. These are not for the beginner but in the hands of
someone who knows their way around can be used to amaze anyone. Thank you Greg for providing such
well made tools for us to work with!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.