Stage Magic -- Cut and Restored Rope (Mallusionist)

Cut and Restored Rope

Effect

A long piece of thin rope is shown to the audience. The magician bends the rope in half and uses a big pair of scissors to cut it into two pieces. The two pieces of rope are clearly shown, but when the magician holds their ends together and makes a magical gesture, they become a single piece of rope again.

Secret

Although the "rope" is indeed rope on the outside, on the inside it's a yard-long piece of licorice (the use of this gimmick is so old that the term "licorice rope" has even become part of American venacular).

This rope-covered licorice can be cut at any point with a sharp pair of scissors. To rejoin the halves, the magician simply squeezes the two bare ends together, causing the still-sticky freshly cut licorice ends to adhere to each other, creating the illusion of a restored rope.

After the performance, the magician may eat the prop's filling as a tasty snack.

If you would like to perform this effect yourself, you can find it at Hank Lee's Magic Factory

The information on this site is intended for use only by those with a sincere desire to learn nothing about magic and is for entertainment purposes only (in other words, don't try this stuff, particularly the dangerous parts). The Magicians Assistance Collective (MAC) frowns upon the use of magic in the formation of religions or to attract a cult following.

Magic is not real. Reality is not magic.

Stage Magic Explained

Cut and Restored Rope