The magician displays a small colorful handkerchief, even allowing it to be examined by a spectator, next the magician pokes the cloth into their closed fist and in a flash the silk has vanished. Just as mysteriously, the silk can reappear anywhere the magician so chooses.
This delightful bit of prestidigitation is accomplished with a small utility item known as a thumb tip. For those unfamiliar, the thumb tip is a thumb shaped capsule used to conceal small items, typically made of vinyl or plastic.
Props: thumb tip and small magic silk.
To display the silk, grip by one corner between the index finger and the thumb wearing the tip. This conceals the thumb tip from view and at the same time shows your hands free of any mischief.
The vanish:
Step 1. While tucking the corner of the silk into the closed fist, the tip is lowered in as well. Grip the tip and the silk in one motion so as not to reveal the hidden magical apparatus. The thumb tip is to remain in the closed fist.
Step 1.
Step 2. Begin tucking the silk into the closed hand, use more than one finger and your thumb to push the silk in. This helps show this hand to be free of any deception.
Step 3. You will steal the thumb tip away by shoving your thumb inside the tip and removing it casually from the closed fist. To take the heat off of the thumb tip, pretend to still poke the silk into your closed hand using your fingers.
Step 3.
Step 4. My preferred method is one devised by Slydini. This is where you tilt the thumb tip to the back of the hand simply by pressing down from the top with your finger. The tip can now be stolen way from the back more discreetly.
Step 4.
Step 4 steal.
With the Slydini move, you will still give one or two pokes with the finger simulating the silk being pushed further into the hand.
You now open your hand to reveal the silk has vanished!
Reproduction:
You can reproduce the silk from most any thing in which the tip can be momentarily concealed. We have given the steps to produce the silk from a borrowed dollar bill.
Step 1. Ask to borrow a bill from an audience member; retrieve it with the hand wearing the thumb tip. Make sure the mouth of the thumb tip is just below the edge of the bill.
Step 1.
Step 2. Roll the bill into a tube around your thumb tip, squeeze the bill tube slightly pulling the tube and tip from the hand.
Step 2.
In this photo we have shown the edge of the thumb tip for your reference. During performance the tip will be fully covered by the bill.
Step 3. Wave you hand over the bill tube, say a few magic words and begin pulling the silk from the tube.
Step 3.
Now stand back and wait for the applause.
The tip can be stolen away by simply placing the thumb back inside and sliding off the bill. Return the dollar to the spectator.