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Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:16 am
by Pete1805
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A wooden frame is shown with a finger sized hole through the centre. Out of this frame slides a solid wooden plate with a hole through its centre too. The plate is reinserted in the frame and raised. A spectator inserts their finger into the frame and the plate miraculously passes through the finger. At this point the frame can be cleanly pulled apart and the spectator can remove their finger complete with the solid wooden plate still, somehow, completely wrapped around it. Very different in presentation and effect to most other finger choppers and guillotines on the market.
http://vimeo.com/85274184

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:28 am
by SimonC
Just watched the video for this, very cool :)

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:42 am
by Pete1805
Quite a novel way this is done, think it would be better with a carrot or a cigaror even a silk ,a rolled up playing card :D

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:57 am
by PeterW
This is a great twist on the finger chopper effect. The spectator is usual quite confused at how there finger ended up in the middle of the blade. I was lucky enough to purchase one of the original copies on EBay. They were made by Charles Miller and copy righted back in 1985. My copy is signed by him and carries the model number W-1800. A great little effect!
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Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:01 am
by Pete1805
That looks very nice Peter with the contrasting colors and the fineal on top :D

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:09 am
by PeterW
He made it from Walnut wood. I bet it would be pretty easy to make a base for your version and I wonder if a small drawer pull could substitute for the fineal. In a perfect world it would be cool if both our copies had a metal blade versus the wooden blades, but that is most likely difficult to for a manufacturer to make. ;)

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 12:10 pm
by Rob Rand
Really an impossible looking effect! Luckily the female assistant smiled during the chopping of her finger, so no harm was done!

I only have the finger chopper of which I made a video.

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 12:12 pm
by Rob Rand
I mean Knife through finger:

http://youtu.be/p3BhH9pb6Vk

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 7:00 pm
by PeterW
Hey Rob, that's cool, I've never seen that effect before and I like the idea behind what is going on. Thanks for posting the video link!

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 7:57 pm
by Rob Rand
Thanks Peter! Recently I bought a creepy magic set, and to my surprise this effect was enclosed too!

It is very deceptive and a very clever principle!

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:33 am
by David DeTenyo
A wonderfull trick indeed, one of the few tricks that is always ready to go! I actually forgot all about it untill Pete brought it to my attention - it is now in my 'go to box' :)
I bought mine at Goochelstudio Kali in Dordrecht - Netherlands. The shop owner ('Kali') had closed his shop (retirement) but I asked him if I could look through his old stuff on a sunday afternoon and he was willing to do that. I drove to Dordrecht and bought some old Tenyo and asked if he had some other interesting stuff. He opened an old cabinet and took a box with a VIKING label on it, took this chopper and performed it on my finger. I was like WHAT THE ...?!
Your version looks beautifull Peter!

Re: Finger Chopper

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:36 am
by Steve S.
Does anyone own a copy of the Clarence Miller finger chopper? I was told that the cheaper copies do not work properly.

I would love to own one of those numbered walnut originals! The Viking one not so much.

I would aporeciate any info you could provide me concerning the one or two copies floating around.