Needle amd Thread

[jacjac]

Hello, I was wondering if anybody knows where I could find the best needle and thread trick, where the magician swallows several needles followed by a spool of thread and then magically they are tied together.
I am looking for an effect in the form of a download/DVD/book or really anything that can thoroughly teach how to do this just as David Blaine performed the trick on the late late show with Jim Gorden.
(And if possible) a version with up to one hundred large needles like the photo taken of Houdini. I also want to mention that I'm not looking for an effect like single needle by Wayne Houchin, I'm looking for something huge and stage performance level for this.
I do understand how dangerous some of these tricks can be but I would like to inform everyone that I have been doing magic for most of my life and am very determined to learn a full blown, as powerful as possible, needle and thread trick.
So far the closest thing I've been able to find was Confessions of a Needle Swallower by Steve Spill.
Please let me know if you have any more recomendations, or questions.
Thank you for reading.
-Jack

(Excluding the glass eating and sharp needle part)

Confessions Of A Needle Swallower by Steve Spill - DVD

For over 25 years Steve Spill has been amazing audiences worldwide with his fantastic version of the classic Needle Swallowing act. The act is without question the definitive routine for the discerning performer. It's got it

www.penguinmagic.com

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I didn't watch the whole video (because quite honestly I find Blaine's style to be extremely boring) but I skimmed through and I saw three things.

First was a human pincushion bit - the needle through the cheek. There's no trick there, the needle is going through his cheek. This is a centuries old pain resistance stunt that probably started in the Middle East (I think India, but I'm not sure) on a smaller scale. Sideshow folks usually use BBQ skewers these days. You'll also see people put the needle/skewer up from the below the jaw into the mouth, and through parts of their arms. One guy, Zamora the Torture King, is probably most well known for this and he also puts a sword through his abdomen I believe. This is something I would only learn from an experienced performer and even then, I'd be very wary. A lot of the people who do these kinds of stunts aren't super concerned with health and hygeine, unsurprisingly. I do a small scale version called Through and Through by Dan Haus which is putting an acupuncture needle through your hand.

Then the needle swallowing bit. That's a classic trick, been done for centuries as well. Confessions of a Needle Swallower will teach you all you need to know. There's also a section or two on that (as well as several other things Blaine has performed) in The Geek Magician's Cookbook by Mathew Parrot. That covers several sideshow stunts like these, including the next bit -

Glass Eating. That's not a trick either. He just uses a thinner glass to be able to break it with his mouth, chews it a certain way, and swallows it. I believe Bryan Brushwood also covered glass eating in his Scam School series but I couldn't tell you which episode.

If Blaine did more than those three things give me a time signature and I can probably ID it for you, there's only so many stunts out there.

But one thing to consider - You specifically mentioned "I'm looking for something huge and stage performance level" -

Needle Swallowing is never going to be "huge". The biggest needles you could possibly find for this stunt will be no more than little glints of reflected light from any more than about 10/15 feet away from you. The only way an audience of even like 100 people are going to see it is if you have a camera and projector/big screen. The items you are using are just too small. Razors are a significantly larger option for this routine. Bizarro's Helter Skelter DVD will teach you everything you need know for that routine.

Though be aware that even razors are going to be difficult to see from more than maybe 20-30 feet away. The success of these routines will largely rely upon your ability to use body language and blocking to best effect.

And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that anything with needles, razors, broken glass, etc. is dangerous and you will be cut/poked/etc on more than one occasion if you choose to perform these stunts regularly.