Product description : Pen through bill is a very famous routine in magic, every magician saw this trick once in their life I think. However, the different versions out there are not all top quality, and sometimes use weird looking pen. Taiwan Ben has designed a Sharpie through bill gimmick which looks like a rela Sharpie and from which you can remove the cap easily. It’s not revolutionary in terms of routine but the tool is new and made out very well. But is worth the extra money asked ? Let’s find out.
Price and where to buy it : This is sold at $24.95 and you can find it in nearly every Murphy's magic partner !
What you get : The packaging is very good, it’s a squared cardboard box in which the gimmick fits. I quite like the artwork that have been done on the packaging, it’s a good one and not a crappy paper box which does not give credits to the actual prop. You’ll find a small paper inside the box with a link in order to watch the explanation video, it’s well made and teaches you what you need to know about the gimmick and how to use it, it’s simple and straight to the point. The actual gimmick is very well made and very strong, it looks and feels like a real Sharpie. Overall, it’s not that expensive for what it is and it’s really well made so if you’re into this kind of routine, this is a no brainer !
The pros and the cons : Here is the core of my review, let's begin with the cons, as I will usually be doing, I prefer to keep the good things for the end.
THE CONS :
Unlike other pen gimmick, you won’t be able to hand this one out for examination because of how it’s made. Not a big deal but it’s still interesting to have this feature.
The actual gimmick is very strong so you won’t be able to the usual moves you were used to with other gimmicks.
THE PROS :
It’s really well made as I said, it looks like a real Sharpie and feels like one, so you won’t have any problem switching it in and out for a real one. I advise you to do your regular routine which uses a normal Sharpie (signed card for example) and then switch it for Sharp Shot.
The way the gimmick is made will allow you to remove the cap very easily, which is a nice little convincer that the Sharpie is “normal”.
The fact that the gimmick is strong allows you to use other objects rather than a bill, you can use a glass for example but that’s not it, your imagination will do the job when it comes to find out objects you can use with it.
This is a modern addition to the pen through bill family.
Overall rating : This is a very good addition to the pen through bill family, it’s the first Sharpie through bill I’ve seen and it’s well made, if you like what you see on the trailer, you won’t be disappointed by Sharp Shot, 3/4 hearts.
As for the difficulty level, it’s very easy to use and you should get used to it quickly, 1/5 stars.
Similar products : I really like Ignition by Magicsmith which uses a key instead of a pen which makes the trick very organic in my opinion.