INTRODUCTION
This is my first review so please let me know if it was helpful. I would first like to say that after spending a few thousand dollars on tricks and gimmicks, I started thinking perhaps I should start buying something that is practical. When I say practical, what practical means for me at least, is something I can use when I am hired as a professional. I started realizing that what looks cool in front of a camera, does not always translate into a workable effect in the real world. If I am hired to entertain at a party, dinner, or event, I can't spend half the time fiddling around with preparing my gimmick when I'm supposed to be out and about entertaining guests. For example, Thread is not a real world effect because if you do it more than twice in the same night, you are going to have a painful eyeball for the next couple of days or so, and reset can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 minutes; I say that because I have had one of those nights where many things fell apart. However, it is great for stage, but I find that I don't like using it that much because I haven't figured out patter that I like and it doesn't really fit my performing personality anyway. If you have worked professionally, you know as do I that an effect needs to be hard hitting, simple for you to implement, and it has to reset quickly because you need to do it again and again and again. AND it needs to look like a normal item not a gimmick. This brings you to my review of:
RING FLIGHT REVOLUTION
First of all, I would like you all to know that David Bonsall, the creator of this very magical item, is a gentleman. I have sent him many emails to the point where I probably seem like a pest to him and he has always been very gracious and understanding, so I really feel compelled to write a review of his excellent gimmick so that more magicians can learn about it and purchase a copy of their own.
INCLUDES
-RFR gimmick
-DVD
-Extra clips and wire
The RFR gimmick itself looks 100% natural because it basically is...well perhaps 99% natural. David takes real keys and turns them into the RFR. He does this with a variety of types one being the flip out key which is the one I use. He can even convert your own keys into an RFR if you send him a pair! I think that's quite awesome and it has got me thinking about how I could turn every day items I have into gimmicks that I may not have previously considered. The RFR is very very clever. You could hand it out to a spectator and they would not detect anything unless they examined it for a few minutes and fiddled around for a bit. All the inner workings are safe from view and it is actually hard to crack it open so no one will ever think there is something inside unless something in your patter guided them to that conclusion. Also, when the reel retracts it locks in place, so the spectator can take off their own ring without you worrying about it stretching out. The keys that the RFR comes with look a bit odd because they are keys from England, but I believe you could change them for more American looking keys if you wanted to. This resets as soon as you take off the ring and put the RFR back in your pocket. Before you approach your next table, just simply pull the wire out and clip it on your belt and you're ready to go. You will want to use this with your shirt tucked in. When I practiced it on a few friends, it snagged on my shirt and just dangled there before it retracted. The RFR is made very well and works flawlessly, so far that is. It's very easy to execute and no one is burning your dirty hand as long as you have a strong routine and can execute your sleights smoothly; and you're only dirty for around 3 seconds anyway.
DVD CONTENT
The RFR comes with a DVD which has a lot of useful information. The production quality is nothing like a Dan and Dave DVD; in fact it's very simple and plain, but what it lacks in the production value, it compensates in content. It includes the following sections:
Introduction
David briefly goes over what it is and how it operates. He also goes over what it comes with and what each piece is for.
How to use it
David goes over how to prepare the RFR before you use it and various ways to have it set up ready for use. He goes through the entire process from approaching a table, the patter he uses and the actions he takes.
Performance problems, tips and pointers
David goes over many common problems that may arise and how to overcome them.
Maintenance and repair
This section is great and is the section on the DVD with the most detail. He goes over how to fix the RFR it it does break and how to fix it. It's not hard and he is very clear in his explanations.
Live performance
This is the lame part of the DVD. He has one short performance at one table. I would like to see him approaching multiple tables to see how he handles different types of people. Actually, he has a much longer performance video on his website. However, his performance and routine is very good.
IN CONCLUSION
Quality 10/10
Teaching 10/10
Practicality 10/10
Reset 9/10
Customer service 10/10
David has a one month guarantee where if you are not completely satisfied, you can return the undamaged RFR for a complete refund. To top that off, he also will repair it for you for up to one year if anything goes wrong for FREE, and will charge a small fee after one year. I lost my DVD and extra wire and clips; when I asked how much to send some more, he sent them FREE OF CHARGE and paid for the postage! Now that's customer service!
All in all, this is a well made ring flight and I have personally had no issues while performing with it. It is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and then some. I am very happy with my purchase and I know you will be too if you purchase one.
This is my first review so please let me know if it was helpful. I would first like to say that after spending a few thousand dollars on tricks and gimmicks, I started thinking perhaps I should start buying something that is practical. When I say practical, what practical means for me at least, is something I can use when I am hired as a professional. I started realizing that what looks cool in front of a camera, does not always translate into a workable effect in the real world. If I am hired to entertain at a party, dinner, or event, I can't spend half the time fiddling around with preparing my gimmick when I'm supposed to be out and about entertaining guests. For example, Thread is not a real world effect because if you do it more than twice in the same night, you are going to have a painful eyeball for the next couple of days or so, and reset can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 minutes; I say that because I have had one of those nights where many things fell apart. However, it is great for stage, but I find that I don't like using it that much because I haven't figured out patter that I like and it doesn't really fit my performing personality anyway. If you have worked professionally, you know as do I that an effect needs to be hard hitting, simple for you to implement, and it has to reset quickly because you need to do it again and again and again. AND it needs to look like a normal item not a gimmick. This brings you to my review of:
RING FLIGHT REVOLUTION
First of all, I would like you all to know that David Bonsall, the creator of this very magical item, is a gentleman. I have sent him many emails to the point where I probably seem like a pest to him and he has always been very gracious and understanding, so I really feel compelled to write a review of his excellent gimmick so that more magicians can learn about it and purchase a copy of their own.
INCLUDES
-RFR gimmick
-DVD
-Extra clips and wire
The RFR gimmick itself looks 100% natural because it basically is...well perhaps 99% natural. David takes real keys and turns them into the RFR. He does this with a variety of types one being the flip out key which is the one I use. He can even convert your own keys into an RFR if you send him a pair! I think that's quite awesome and it has got me thinking about how I could turn every day items I have into gimmicks that I may not have previously considered. The RFR is very very clever. You could hand it out to a spectator and they would not detect anything unless they examined it for a few minutes and fiddled around for a bit. All the inner workings are safe from view and it is actually hard to crack it open so no one will ever think there is something inside unless something in your patter guided them to that conclusion. Also, when the reel retracts it locks in place, so the spectator can take off their own ring without you worrying about it stretching out. The keys that the RFR comes with look a bit odd because they are keys from England, but I believe you could change them for more American looking keys if you wanted to. This resets as soon as you take off the ring and put the RFR back in your pocket. Before you approach your next table, just simply pull the wire out and clip it on your belt and you're ready to go. You will want to use this with your shirt tucked in. When I practiced it on a few friends, it snagged on my shirt and just dangled there before it retracted. The RFR is made very well and works flawlessly, so far that is. It's very easy to execute and no one is burning your dirty hand as long as you have a strong routine and can execute your sleights smoothly; and you're only dirty for around 3 seconds anyway.
DVD CONTENT
The RFR comes with a DVD which has a lot of useful information. The production quality is nothing like a Dan and Dave DVD; in fact it's very simple and plain, but what it lacks in the production value, it compensates in content. It includes the following sections:
Introduction
David briefly goes over what it is and how it operates. He also goes over what it comes with and what each piece is for.
How to use it
David goes over how to prepare the RFR before you use it and various ways to have it set up ready for use. He goes through the entire process from approaching a table, the patter he uses and the actions he takes.
Performance problems, tips and pointers
David goes over many common problems that may arise and how to overcome them.
Maintenance and repair
This section is great and is the section on the DVD with the most detail. He goes over how to fix the RFR it it does break and how to fix it. It's not hard and he is very clear in his explanations.
Live performance
This is the lame part of the DVD. He has one short performance at one table. I would like to see him approaching multiple tables to see how he handles different types of people. Actually, he has a much longer performance video on his website. However, his performance and routine is very good.
IN CONCLUSION
Quality 10/10
Teaching 10/10
Practicality 10/10
Reset 9/10
Customer service 10/10
David has a one month guarantee where if you are not completely satisfied, you can return the undamaged RFR for a complete refund. To top that off, he also will repair it for you for up to one year if anything goes wrong for FREE, and will charge a small fee after one year. I lost my DVD and extra wire and clips; when I asked how much to send some more, he sent them FREE OF CHARGE and paid for the postage! Now that's customer service!
All in all, this is a well made ring flight and I have personally had no issues while performing with it. It is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and then some. I am very happy with my purchase and I know you will be too if you purchase one.
