Unleaded

THE BLURB:
A new modern way to do visible spirit-writing without any
chemicals. Magician shows a pad of paper and talks briefly
about spirit writing in the past and how mediums used slates
and chalks. They also turned out the lights. You will try
some modern day spirit-writing by trying to channel a
spirit, using nothing but a sheet of paper and a toothpick,
in full light and view.

A sheet of paper is torn from a pad, and you give the paper
and along with a toothpick to a participant. You ask him to
try to write his initials with the toothpick. Nothing shows
up because there is no lead in toothpicks. You tell him you
want him to mark the paper so it can't be switched. You hand
him a REAL pencil and he writes his initials on a corner.
This lets him see what real pencil writing looks like on the
paper and also lets him see its just a normal piece of
paper. A card is secretly selected and left face down on the
table. NO FORCE. Nobody looks at it yet.

You ask the person to remove any toothpick from a box of
toothpicks and to make sure there is no secret writing
device concealed in it (such as lead). You claim you will
channel a spirit who will cause the toothpick to act as a
real pencil and write the name of the unknown card.

Performer closes his eyes and holds the toothpick against
the paper. As he moves it, REAL PENCIL writing (automatic
spirit-writing)appears on the paper. Remember the person's
initials are right above the writing that appears. Finally
the complete name of the card is written, say 5 Hearts. The
face down card is turned over and seen to be the same. The
Spirit has apparently channeled the name of the card and
caused it to appear in penciled spirit-writing.

Remember there is nothing concealed in your hands and the
spectators see the toothpick causing pencil writing to
appear. There are no secret writers, chemicals of any kind,
carbonless paper, carbon paper, nail writers, double
writing, etc used. NO GIMMICKS of any kind!!! Your hands can
be shown freely at anytime, and no amount of hand-burning
will reveal the secret to an astute spectator.

Complete with toothpicks, pad of paper and complete
directions giving several variations. Comes with a hilarious
comedy routine in which you channel the spirit of ELVIS that
will have them rolling in the aisle with laughter!

BONUS: With UNLEADED you can do most any effect involving a
nail-write WITHOUT using a nail-writer. All you need is a
sheet of paper and an empty hand (really.) Yet anything can
be predicted and shown to have been previously written on
the paper.

Again NO GIMMICKS of any kind to do this.

MY COMMENTS:
Once again, Devin has released something to make mentalists
think. I don't doubt that experienced mentalists know
exactly what this is. It's certainly not a new idea, and
Devin clearly states that right up front in the
documentation, but the question is what has been added to
make this new and worthy to have been brought out.

One of the answers to that question is that the special pad
(2.5" x 4", 50 sheets per pad)looks much more normal.
Usually, the paper involved is very thin, very glossy, and
perhaps suspicious-looking. Though the paper still retains
these qualities, the weight and production of the paper does
not make this very obvious unless you look very closely.
Another answer is the construction of the pad itself. I
can't reveal the simple, seemingly obvious, and ingenious
subtlety here, but it will allow you to hand the pad out
freely and anyone, including magicians, who think they know
how it's done will more than likely not figure out how to
duplicate it.

Txima and Devin have improved a very old concept in
mentalism and created a solid utility product for the
working mentalist. It's main consideration is obvious: the
special pads are consumable. Each pad contains fifty
sheets, though you'll probably want to stop using the pad
when it gets down to the last ten or so, depending on your
routine. And these pads may not be around forever, though I
hope by the time the initial supply runs out, alternative
sources are found.

Also, the pencil markings are light pencil and not as dark
as pencil writing is with a #2 pencil. It's more like the
writing from a #3 or #4 pencil and Devin notes that you
should use those kinds of pencils when it's necessary to
write and match the writing on the pads.

The 9-pages of instructions (8.5" x 11", double-sided,
stapled) cover the basic handling of the gimmick and
includes Txema Gico's "Number 2thpick," "Color My World,"
and "Unwritten Impressions," as well as Devin Knight's "Lead
by the Spirit." There's also a section with follow-up
effects using ESP symbols and alphabet letters, and using
this pad as a nail-writer substitute (which not everyone may
be able to do). The package, which comes polybagged,
includes 1 pad and some toothpicks. Each refill package
contain 2 pads.

I've made it no secret that I'll always recommend a
well-made utility gimmick. Add in that it's reasonably
priced and I think you know very well that I recommend
getting this (even if it's to sit in your drawer until that
killer application comes to mind -- and it will). Oh, one
final note: Devin will be at Mindvention 2009 and he's told
me that at his lecture he'll be sharing some killer ideas
he's developed.