Overcome my dry hands to perform better card magic?

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Dec 13, 2008
41
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39
Morris, IL
I have dry hands. That's just the way it is. It can be spring, summer, fall or winter. This being said it is always a challenge for me when trying to learn or perform sleight of hand magic with playing cards. To overcome this I always have to lick my fingers before doing the secret move. I don't like doing this. Not just because of the germ factor but because I just think its not natural for me to keep doing this every time i need to do "the move." So I'm curious if any of you guys have this same problem? Is the solution really just using hand lotion? Or is there something better? Sometimes I wish I had Andrei Jikh's sweaty hands. That would be the best grip ever. Cant wait to hear what you guys have to suggest. Thanks.
 
Dec 10, 2008
28
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I have the same issue i used to have to lick my hands when i performed but if you buy sortkwik it'll help you out so much thats what i use before all my gigs it gives you the right grip for card magic.
 
Apr 25, 2008
8
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Golden touch lotion works very well for me and lasts a few hours. Keep some in a small hand sanitizer bottle.
 
Oct 12, 2009
286
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Navarre, Florida
Why would dry hands be a factor exactly? I think whatever issue you're having is more likely due to something else like if you are using old or worn out cards, how you are holding the cards, if you are holding them too tightly with a hand, exerting too much pressure somewhere, not enough pressure somewhere, etc. I just have a hard time seeing dry skin as the actual problem.

Now I mean if you consider having dry hands a problem in general then yes, hand lotion is the solution. I don't anticipate it making sleight of hand all that much easier though. For what it's worth, I use neutrogena intensive moisture wrap lotion, a moisturizing body wash as well as make a point to drink tons of water throughout the day and my skin is pretty awesome.

I think the bigger question is "What is it that the cards are doing exactly that you want to change?". I think if we start from that point we can find a resolution to your problem much faster.
 
Jul 13, 2009
424
0
Edmonton, Canada
I actually don't use anything on my dry hands ... i live in Canada and when it's ****ing cold outside and you have to walk to school :(, your hands get pretty dry. The reason i don't use anything is because i found out that after touching the deck with my moisturized hand, the deck feels less smooth. I just wash my hands before performing, or also secretly lick the tip of my fingers if special moves are needed.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Mary Kay has a line of men's moisturizers, though you'll have to be willing to pay a little extra. The advantage is that they absorb into the skin faster and don't leave your hands all greasy like most brands too. If you have really bad dry skin, they have a type that you apply before going to bed every couple of days and it lasts quite a while. I've been using the stuff for about 2 years. Worth the cost. When I first bought it, my hands actually got so dry that the skin on my knuckles would actually split and bleed.
 
Dec 13, 2008
41
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39
Morris, IL
Hey guys. Thanks for for tips and products for me to look into. I will check this sortkwik stuff out and also look into a lotion as well. Wasn't sure if there was something better than lotion out there or not. I was kinda thinking what Slicke had mentioned. When I would try lotion on my hands and then handle a deck of cards, the cards would get that greasy texture all over them. I will just experiment around I guess.
Haunter - Its definitely a dry hand issue. I just cant seem to have the grip with my fingers that I want. For example, the ego change. I can sit there and try over and over to perform that move with my dry hands. Wont happen. I lick my fingers. BAM!! Ego change executed perfectly. It just annoys me that I have to lick my fingers every time to do it. Anywho, I appreciate guys. I will check these products out!
 
Dec 26, 2009
242
0
If you want something a little more natural than getting lotion all over your cards then before you start a trick where you need a good grip run your hand through your hair. If you don't have any kind of hair product in your hair then it will just be the oil from your hair getting on your hand.

Dry hands, btw, is a huge problem. If my hands are dry and I try to do a one hand top palm I have massive problems but if I run my hand through my hair before hand I can do it perfectly.

May or may not help just thought I would chime in.
 
Oct 12, 2009
286
0
Navarre, Florida
If a sleight isn't going the way you want it to then you need to work on it as opposed to blaming it on outside circumstances. It sounds like you guys are saying "No, no, my technique is perfect. It's just my hands are so dry.". If your technique was on point it would work. I may be way off base here and I'm not trying to come down on you guys I'm just saying take responsibility for your actions if you aren't already doing so.

As far as the getting lotion all over your cards thing-The idea is that you apply lotion to your hands daily like in the morning or at night and it improves the quality of your skin over time NOT that you simply apply some to your hands before working with cards. If you were to apply lotion before working with cards you'd want to make a point to be sure it's completely absorbed which may take some time depending on the lotion. Hope that helps.
 
Feb 7, 2011
362
1
@Haunter

No really man, dry hands affects card work. Thats not up for questioning here, i mean it was even mentioned in the expert at the card table. No need to get high and mighty. He said he can do the sleights when he wets his finger tips a little bit, so since we haven't seen him perform thats all we have to go on here, in which case the dry hands would seem to be whats holding him back. I dont know how to help his problem because i dont have it, but it's not helpful to post a reply saying 'you dont have a problem, you just dont practice enough'. You dont even know the guy.
 
I always get dry hands in the winter time and I know it is a pain :p. I've had more than one time when my hands have not been in the right condition to do pretty much any thing magical. I've found by washing your hands before you perform (or really just wetting them in the water) helps so much and saying "I'll be right back" to go wash your hands is much better than explaining that you can't do your magic for some unknown reason.
 
Oct 12, 2009
286
0
Navarre, Florida
@Haunter

No really man, dry hands affects card work. Thats not up for questioning here, i mean it was even mentioned in the expert at the card table. No need to get high and mighty. He said he can do the sleights when he wets his finger tips a little bit, so since we haven't seen him perform thats all we have to go on here, in which case the dry hands would seem to be whats holding him back. I dont know how to help his problem because i dont have it, but it's not helpful to post a reply saying 'you dont have a problem, you just dont practice enough'. You dont even know the guy.

Who is getting high and mighty? I'm saying if you want to solve a problem you need to first establish what the cause of the problem is. Letting your ego get in the way and allowing yourself to make excuses may make you feel better about your problem but it won't get you any closer to finding an actual solution. For example he wets his fingers to get more grip, you know what else gives you more grip? Applying the proper amount of pressure, contacting the card with more surface area of your fingers, aka utilizing proper technique. I never said he didn't have a problem, only that he may have misdiagnosed the cause of his problem. I even told him exactly what products I use to keep my hands all awesome in the event that he doesn't want to re-examine how he handles cards for whatever reason.

I make a point to try to establish what the actual problem is and offer solutions to the possible outcomes. What's not helpful about that? Did you actually read all my posts in this thread? You're perceiving personal attacks where there are none.
 
Haunter,

I can execute a double lift 98% of the time perfectly... unless my hands are really dry. It doesn't matter if I play with the amount of pressure I'm placing where. It matters that since my hands are dry, there will be less moisture. Less moisture means less stickiness on the cards. Try puting a piece of cardboard on your hand and do an Erdnase classic color change. It won't matter if your technique is flawless, you'll have zero grip.

When everyone's saying the same thing, just listen.

Mehar
 
Oct 12, 2009
286
0
Navarre, Florida
Haunter,

I can execute a double lift 98% of the time perfectly... unless my hands are really dry. It doesn't matter if I play with the amount of pressure I'm placing where. It matters that since my hands are dry, there will be less moisture. Less moisture means less stickiness on the cards.

Mehar

Whatever makes you feel better about your inconsistencies I guess. Me personally, I suck it up and practice. You're probably right though I'm sure you guys are all Marlo reincarnated and you just get nipped by that dry hand goblin every now and then.

I also love this "When everyone's saying the same thing, just listen.". I'm sure that line of thinking has never backfired *throws a big blanket over nazi germany, slavery, the spanish inquisition, segregation and Justin Bieber*. Do you always let majority rule determine your beliefs? How can you have any thoughts of your own then? Why should I give your words any weight when you've made it apparent you're only miming what the majority is saying?

I mean really guys perish the thought a guy complains about his inability to perform a sleight and someone says "Well, maybe you should practice it then.". Not only that, but I actually may have given the most in depth solution to the dry hands "problem"! Jeez crucify a guy why don't you? Come to think of it, that was the popular decision at one point wasn't it? Hmm...
 
Whatever makes you feel better about your inconsistencies I guess. Me personally, I suck it up and practice. You're probably right though I'm sure you guys are all Marlo reincarnated and you just get nipped by that dry hand goblin every now and then.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, inconsistencies. That 98% of the time I execute my DL perfectly 'somehow' changes into 20%? I'm highly doubting it. Also, I've never actually read any Ed Marlo, I'm sadly only a DVD learner. The only time I read a book was when i was 11 years old, and it wasn't written by any big name.


I also love this "When everyone's saying the same thing, just listen.". I'm sure that line of thinking has never backfired *throws a big blanket over nazi germany, slavery, the spanish inquisition, segregation and Justin Bieber*. Do you always let majority rule determine your beliefs? How can you have any thoughts of your own then? Why should I give your words any weight when you've made it apparent you're only miming what the majority is saying?

No, I don't let majority rule how I think. Nazi germany, slavery, and everything else. None of them had very much evidence or a good reason of why their belief was correct, true?


I mean really guys perish the thought a guy complains about his inability to perform a sleight and someone says "Well, maybe you should practice it then.". Not only that, but I actually may have given the most in depth solution to the dry hands "problem"! Jeez crucify a guy why don't you? Come to think of it, that was the popular decision at one point wasn't it? Hmm...

Yup crucifying was a popular decision at one point. Again, not very much evidence of how it helped, right?



My evidence, our evidence, is that almost nobody is able to perform sleights correctly without moisture. It has solid proof. Go ahead, make your hands extremely dry, and then try and do a sleight.

I have to run now, got a math exam tomorrow.

Just try it though, get your hands very dry, and try and do a move perfectly.

Tell me how it goes!

Mehar
 
Apr 16, 2014
1
0
@hunter

your hands/fingers need moisture to grip as it causes more friction between the groves of your skin and the contact surface of the object, yet haven't you seen people with dry hands trying to hold a box from its sides and just see it slip through un-controllably?

If you want to test the theory of what people are experiencing, then apply talcum powder to your hands for the adverse affect and go a head perform some slights to see how much harder it will be and tell us how you got on.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Your point is completely valid, but do note that this thread is from 2011 and I don't think Haunter is around any more.
 
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