The Magic Classic – Chinese Linking Rings

What magician doesn’t have a set of linking rings in his or her arsenal of tricks. They come in all sizes, all price ranges, all qualities. The standard set consists of 8 rings that link and unlink. It can be performed silently, to music or talking. It can be serious or funny. No matter how many times you’ve seen it, if done properly, even if you know how its done, its amazing.  Properly is the operative word here.

I know I’ve told this story before and I’m going to tell it again, just to prove my point. Many years ago Jeff McBride was booked at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal for 6 months. Of course all the Montreal magicians went to see his show, which was great, by the way. Then they’d come to the shop and want to buy a set of rings like Jeff McBride had. So we pointed to the set on the wall, and they would say, “No, no. Not those. He had special ones.” And I’d say. “Yes, yes, those are the ones.”, and they’d say, “No, it’s impossible to do the things he did with those ordinary linking rings.”

Then one Saturday morning (we were opened Saturdays all day back then and all the magicians would hang out at the shop) who walked in? Jeff McBride. There was a whole lot of excitement. I took down the rings and handed them to Jeff and asked if he would be so kind as to perform what he does in the show for the magicians. He took the rings and performed his ring act, as the magicians watched with dropped jaws!

There are all kinds of rings and performers. One that made my jaw drop when I saw it was Shoot Ogawa. In this routine he uses 4 small rings and performed closed up. All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE! I don’t use the term lightly. When they first came out they sold for $45.75 Canadian and they went like hotcakes. Now Shin Lim is all the rage, then it was Shoot Ogawa, and for good reason. It just so happens the Shoot Ogawa Rings are on our “Specials” so if you don’t have them, it’s a great buy! If you do have them, dust them off and use them. Practice first!