"Card Catcher" by Steve Shufton
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Card Catcher", a new utility device by Steve Shufton, is a great and versatile tool with some killer routines, though you'll have to solve a problem before you're ready for prime time with it.

Basically, "Card Catcher" is a gimmicked window envelope that allows for vanishes, appearances, and transpositions, all done quite visually and strikingly. It's hard to describe this one any more than that because it's all-too-easy to give everything away. Let's just say it's a utility that gets the job done and done quite well; "Card Catcher" allows for some of the neatest visuals around.

Shufton makes no bones about his intentions: this is a utility waiting for your own individual creativity and the construction of "Card Catcher" allows for a ton of flexibility. It will work with pretty much any thin object that will fit inside the envelope: playing cards (of course), but also credit cards, business cards, and slips of paper are all fair game for this handy device.

And if you need a jump-start to your thinking, Shufton includes eight routines to get the creative juices flowing and covers some of the basic effects possible with the envelope. Let's hit the highlights, just to get an idea of what can be done.

"Card Catcher", the device's namesake routine, has a card chosen, signed, and returned to the deck. The envelope is shown, touched to the deck, and a card suddenly appears in the envelope. Removing it shows it to be the signed card. This is probably the most effective routine of the bunch just because of the visuals.

"Signed Transposition" is what the name implies, but it's a neat one. A random card is put into the envelope where it is in view through the windows. A spectator selects a card, signs it, and puts it back into the deck. The envelope is opened and the card removed. Naturally, it's their signed card.

"Card to Wallet" -- well, I'll use Shufton's own words here -- "turns any wallet into a Mullica Wallet". It's a no-palm, signed-card version of the plot where the envelope does most of the work. Preparedness is easy: put the envelope in your wallet and you're ready to perform. Shufton also recommends doing this as a "mailed prediction", mailing the "Card Catcher" to someone as a prediction and then revealing it to be their signed card. While I don't like the idea of sending a gimmick to a spectator-in-waiting, I do like the idea of using this for a "card to wallet" routine; it's a slick way of pulling off the classic.

The other routines -- a torn-and-restored piece, a business card transposition, and some prediction effects -- are nice pieces as well, but the real meat of the routines is in those three: it's "Card Catcher" doing what it does best, making visual, clean magic happen.

Now let's get to the details.

First, there are sleights involved. "Card Catcher" does most of the work for you, but you'll need to put in some finger-flinging as well. The supplied routines cover the sleights you're most likely to use with this and they are all quite simple and minor. Self-working, "Card Catcher" ain't, but it's close.

Second, the gimmick is wonderfully made to stand up to wear and tear well and be as practical as possible. As is typical with utility devices, a lot depends on what you do with it. However, in most cases, you'll find yourself merely setting up the "Card Catcher" for a routine, putting it in your pocket or wallet, and from that point on you're ready to go with no concerns about reseting or repeatability. That's a tremendous plus.

Third, there is that problem I mentioned at the beginning and, unfortunately, it's a big one. It all rests in that strange black envelope. Being so unusual (I would almost say "Tenyo-esque") and also being the focal point of the routines, playing a prominent role throughout, the envelope might as well have a neon sign on it that flashes "Gimmick" in Day-Glo orange. While some audiences and spectators will give you a pass on it, most will not. They're going to want to see that envelope but quick. Luckily, Shufton supplies another, ungimmicked envelope so that a switch is possible and you can shake the heat. But you'll have to use the proverbial "your favorite method" for that switch; Shufton leaves that part of this all up to you. It's possible, though, and with a little bit of thought and routining you can end as clean as you could want. You'll have to do it though, or depend on the good nature of your audience and your audience management skills.

Personally, I would have preferred to see this done with a more familiar envelope (a la David Regal's "Special Delivery"), but you can't have everything.

In "Card Catcher", though, you can have the means to pull off some great effects, with a simple handling and enough possibilities to easily make it worth your while. And that's not too shabby at all.

"Card Catcher" by Steve Shufton
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
This is very much a utility device, so things like set-ups and resets are going to depend on what you do with it. The supplied routines, though, are all imminently practical: set things up once, put the envelope in your pocket, and you're ready to go. Other considerations -- angles, repeatability, and the like -- are all minor considerations.

Workmanship: 10
Shufton has always done a fantastic job with putting his creations together; this is no exception. It's expertly crafted and will last a long time with proper use and care. Shufton gets a big thumbs-up for including an identical, ungimmicked envelope.

Documentation: 10
Shufton's documentation is thorough and put together beautifully. You'll have no problem learning the necessary moves and the accompanying routines.

Effect: 7
Again, it's all in what you do with it, but the supplied routines are all very effective. The problem -- and it's a major one -- is the strange appearance of the envelope and it's obvious role as a focal point of the action screams out for examination, dampening the effect. Work around this and you've got jaw-dropping stuff here.

Presentation: 10
Shufton's handlings are clean, the visuals striking, and the routines well-structured. Throw in some nice verbiage and you've got a complete presentational winner.


Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.