Tenyo Magic Forum

Name: Ultra Tube

T-Number: T-86

Inventor: Shigeru Sugawara

Year: 1977


T-86 Ultra Tube on PLANET TENYO

Great videos! And the self made Ultra Tube by AZ72 looks perfect!

Ultra Tube is another one of my favourites!
I really can't say a lot about this one, unless I just love it and once again (this is getting tiresome ) it is a trick I saw performed by Roberto that got me started collecting Tenyo seriously. Absolutely no idea how it worked before I got it in my hands, but I have to admit I didn't have a lot of magic tricks back then so I didn't know a lot of methods.

If anyone ever tries to make a new, improved version I would suggest the following to make 'The 'perfect' Ultra Tube':
-wood or plastic, wood would (hah, funny) be very difficult because the tolerance/specs of the gimmick are tight/small and wood has a tendancy to shrink and expand with weather conditions (hot, cold, humid, dry, ...). It is absolutely required to make the tube as small as possible, just like the original one. A wide tube will look gimmicked. The gimmick needs to have a tight fit so there is no noise when handling the tube;
-a litle piece of black lining/velvet at the bottom of the tube and if possible on the outside bottom of the gimmick: both would help to conceal noise when you shake/move the tube to show it empty if the die is out;
-inside of tube: black;
-some kind locking mechanism for gimmick: this is something that won't be easy either and perhaps not necessary, but it would be great if you could casually hand out the tube or if you would be able to at least show the tube in different positions which now is impossible unless you hold the gimmick in place.

OK that's a clear story David!
I have a beautiful tube in mind now, I call it the Velvet Tube... Totally noiseless! Should be possible but it remains a painful precise job...

velvet tube

David DeTenyo wrote:some kind locking mechanism for gimmick

I rated this 9 not 10 because of the lack of a locking mechanism.

The was made in the infancy (1977) of the golden era of Tenyo that we all love. Later on Tenyo started adding the very clever locking mechanisms to their tricks. Before that there were some clever locks (Cubio, Glass Board) but nothing like Mystery China Box or Mystery Triangle.

Here is a link to Ultra Tube auction prices from the Tenyo Pricing section in the Members Only section of this Forum.
http://funstuffonly.com/tenyoforum/view ... ?f=15&t=19

Check out John's new routine using Crash Dice with Ultra Tube!

I just added this picture to the Planet Tenyo section of the website. I like what Tenyo Elite has done and I am happy with my purchase.

For those that are considering to get one from the next batch, I would say the following.

If you do not have the classic version:
In my opinion, you are better off putting the money toward the purchase of a classic version. It will perform better and has a better chance of increasing in value.

If you do have the classic version:
I would say that it is similar to buying a Magic Wagon item. The item is very nice and made of wood but you will probably not use it much. Most will think that $285 for something that you will not use much is a lot, but then again there are plenty of Magic Wagon collectors that spend just about as much every month for nice wooden items that many admit they do not perform much at all.

In my preliminary use of the two items side by side I would say that the classic version works much better. With the classic version, the plastic helps the die slide easier and when the spectator looks into the tube you can see the die inside better in the plastic version than the wooden version because the plastic is reflective which adds a little more light. The tolerance is better in the plastic version so the hidden die does not rattle as much. With the wooden version, you have to use the supplied dice with the rounded corners and according to what Peter Loughran said on the Magic Cafe "I do not recommend using any other dice because if the size is off even just a bit and also do not have rounded corners they could get jammed inside which would void the warranty" you better stick with the supplied dice. Also the instructions are different in the handling and there is more concern with the angle and method of tipping the tube to avoid the die binding. No new information or presentations are including in the instructions.

In review, I like what Tenyo Elite has done and I am happy with my purchase.

Ultra Tube on Planet Tenyo.

Thanks for this review and comparison between the two John. If I'm able to buy one from the second run (which I'll most likely do), as you said I will probably not perform it that much. It is a nice collectors item to have however and that's the main reason for me to buy it (if possible).

Check this fantastic performance by Tenyo Theatre......be sure to look the final part at 1:07....fantastic!!:

The visible change inside the tube is in the original instructions.

Roberto B. wrote:Check this fantastic performance by Tenyo Theatre......be sure to look the final part at 1:07....fantastic!!:

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Thank you for posting this video. The handling is very well done.

Very well done indeed, I completely forgot about the visible change inside the tube.

How happy can a collector be when a wish becomes reality?