This can be called one of the truly few tricks explainable almost in entirety by illustration. As we go on with words, however, please glance, from time to time, at the sketches.
The magician may talk about Houdini’s needles, should he wish, and then say that a modern mysticist, always beleaguered by advertising of the present day and age, must resort to the use of such articles if his performance is not to become dated. Therefore, he shows a package of double edged razor blades and drops them from the broken package onto a tin (anything that makes resounding noise) plate. A spool of white “button thread” is shown, and from it about three feet are unreeled, broken off, and the length is hung around the neck.
The blades are picked up from the plate, by the performer, (the plate is being held by a volunteer) placed on his tongue, and apparently swallowed. Then, as an after thought, he removes one blade from his mouth and, in a manner restrained, vocally speaking, says, “Sharp, sharp.” Picking up a folded newspaper at hand, he lets it unfold to its size, and proceeds to cut it into several strips with the blade. Then the paper is crumpled and tossed aside — the blade is tossed carelessly (?) into the air to fall where it may. If a spotlight is on you, this detail is pretty. The shimmering blade is very effective, especially after the cutting.
Next, the thread is taken from around the neck. Its center is hung on the tongue, and, by looping the thread, and chewing with all of the showmanship deemed necessary, the three foot length is apparently taken into the same system which absorbed the steel. A glass of water is downed with much gusto. And, after more showmanship has had its day, a spectator holds the end of thread protruding from the sorceror’s mouth. He backs away to produce, one by one, the razor blades securely strung upon the thread.
There is very little to prepare in getting this effect ready for presentation. Its most valuable feature is that one doesn’t have to carry threaded razor blades around in the mouth during a performance until that time when the trick is done. Neither is there any worry about the putting of a bunch of blades into the mouth for a few minutes, for, unlike needles, blades are too large in size to be lost down the gullet. This whole effect is based on a subterfuge.
The newspaper has, behind it, a pasted on carrier and servante. The servante is pictured on this page quite well. The carrier is made simply of adhesive tape strips, the surface of which that contacts the blade packet being covered with paper to counteract stickiness. The illustrations make clear the threading of a duplicate set of blades via a small block of wood and three nails which have been driven through from the other side. This insures regularity. Sketch II shows the final length of thread in place under the top blade to insure against its coming loose before wanted.
In action, the performer does all that is expected of him until the time when he picks up the paper with his left hand, lets it unfold, and with the right hand takes a blade back from the mouth. The paper is held directly before the face, and, with great aplomb, the cutting of the strips takes place. However, the performer’s “expectoration” of the blades (which hold in a mass as soon as wetted) is another matter, only unto himself. On the last cut the blade is transferred to between the first and second fingers, the paper is lowered (the magus has proven his point) and the thumb and forefinger of right hand grab the bunch of threaded blades as the paper is crumpled and tossed aside.
The loose blade becomes the bottom one of the threaded bunch, and APPARENTLY THE LOOSE BLADE, PREVIOUSLY TAKEN FROM THE MOUTH, IS PUT BACK. IT HAS SERVED ITS PURPOSE. EVERYTHING IS LOGICAL.
After due (and often undue. Ed.) thyroid gymnastics applicable to magic, the end of the thread is pulled out by the performer and then held by the spectator nearest. The performer backs away and lets the loose blade fall out, for his own safe being, at the earliest moment. He may mouth the words, “I’m sorry. I missed that one.“
Other than that there is little I can tell you. Just be blasé and be convinced that all is right.
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