Michael Skinner – Ring on the Stick

Michael Skinner was one of the best all-around close-up magicians in the world and this was his favorite routine. He considered the “Ring On The Stick” one of his signature pieces and he used to perform it whenever he wanted to impress. At the end of the instructional video we included an interview segment where he recounts the time he performed it for Barbara Sinatra who was so impressed that she later sent her husband Frank Sinatra and her grandchildren to see Michael Skinner.

Ring on stick routines are used by many close-up magicians who perform in restaurants, parties and bars. On this video Michael Skinner teaches two of the routines he uses.

►Main routine: A borrowed finger ring is placed in your fist by a spectator. The spectator then wraps a silk handkerchief around your fist and places a rubberband around that. You hand the spectator a stick and have him hold on to both ends. In a slow and deliberate manner you bring the wrapped fist over the stick and miraculously the borrowed ring appears on the center of the stick! This routine always gets gasps.

►Barehanded routine: Without the aid of handkerchiefs or rubberbands you simply place the borrowed ring in your fist and hand the stick to the spectator. You then make the ring penetrate the center of the stick so the only way it can be removed is by letting go of the stick.

Very few routines carry the lasting impact of Michael Skinner’s Ring On The Stick. Although Michael always used a stick or a chopstick, others who perform ring on stick routines use other objects such as pens or magic wands.

“Boy, I wish I could do that… Just this one, just this one.” …Frank Sinatra

A Meir Yedid Magic Product. Produced by A-1 MagicalMedia. Original release date: 1998. Running time: Approximately 13 minutes.