How worthy is super sharpie?

[Karlabos]

So I was reading Corinda's book and I especially liked that first chapter because I realize I could do a lot of nice tricks if I had in hands one of those... Swamis
Then I did a quick research and it turns out people oscillate between three things: swami, boon or the super sharpie, which supposedly do the same effect. And it seems a lot of people say the latter is the best one...
I still don't get how a pen could do the effects on Corinda's chapter 1, so before spending money I wanted to ask:

How does exactly the effect work (if the answer is too spoiling would you be kind to pm me?)
How worthy is it?
How much skill does it require when comparison to the other types
and also:
Do you always need to carry that specific sharpie with you in order to perform the trick? Or can you like... Transfer the content to other pen somehow? (Notice I never had one so I have no idea whether this question even makes sense here)

so... To summarize... Should I buy a super sharpie?
Thanks

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

A Swami is more of a category than a specific gimmick these days. Chances are, you'll have to fiddle with a few different types to find the one you like. People like Super Sharpie because it looks like a prop many of us use regularly, and it writes as thick as a Sharpie, which makes it easy to see in a performance. Most Swamis use either pencil lead (in fact, one of the original ways was to jam a bit of pencil lead under your thumb nail), or some use ball point pen, or those grease pencils (around here they call them China markers for some reason).

Like with all products, how "worthy" it is depends on how much you are willing to make it work for you, and how well it suits your style and such. Personally I wouldn't use it, but that's because I don't do effects that require such a device. I've seen how a Super Sharpie works and it's pretty clever.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

@Karlabos: You may have already seen this, but if not, it may be quite helpful for you in deciding, since it contains reviews of the Super Sharpie by 85 different people, with a 4 out of 5 star average. http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/853

I do not personally own this product, but I am considering it, since I find myself gravitating more and more toward Mentalism. Although there are many presentations that this product could facilitate, IMO, it is very strong to be able to successfully "discern" the spectator's date of birth - more so than merely some random number that they think of - because there is that personal touch and emotional hook that packs a huge impact and it is likely to be quite memorable and a reputation-builder. Of course, regardless of the particular routine or method, the personality and presentation of the performer is always a huge factor in determining audience impact and reaction.

 

[TylerScottIllusionist]

If you are familiar with Double Cross, the gimmick for Super Sharpie is nearly identical to that gimmick (which makes sense since they both come from Magic Smith). I actually prefer Super Sharpie for a Swami since it makes the most sense visually in the writing. I have Everlast (the ring swami) and I don't like that the writing doesn't resemble any sort of normal writing like a pencil which I thought it would. Super Sharpie's swami looks just like real sharpie marker and is easy to get in out and out of.