Copy Link Dismiss Copy LinkHandcuff EscapesWhen vaudeville impresario Martin Beck 'discovered' a struggling Harry Houdini in 1899, it was Houdini's ability to escape from handcuffs which caught his attention. Although Houdini was hardly the first or only performer to do handcuff escapes, he would take the act to a new level over the next several years, and it was as the 'Handcuff King' that he gained his first measure of fame.There was no one 'secret' to Houdini's ability to escape from handcuffs, but a combination of technical knowledge, physical skill, and trickery. It all started with what one locksmith who knew him called his 'remarkable knowledge of locks and locking devices.' Houdini collected and studied locks all of his life and claimed that he had 'photographic eyes' that helped him remember how each type worked and could be opened.Most of the time Houdini used a key hidden in or smuggled into the cabinet or jail cell, either on his person or by an assistant. Depending on how he was bound, Houdini would manipulate the keys with his hands - sometimes using specially designed extension rods - or with his teeth. But he also knew tricks for opening many of the simpler types of cuff without keys.In 'Handcuff Secrets,' a book he published in 1910 to discourage the legion of imitators trying to ride his coattails, Houdini wrote that 'you can open the majority of the old-time cuffs with a shoestring. By simply making a loop in the string, you can lasso the end of the screw in the lock and yank the bolt back, and so open the cuff in as clean a manner as if opened with the original key.'
And as he demonstrated in his own defense during the slander trial in Germany in 1902, some cuffs could be opened simply by banging them against a hard surface, which might include a lead plate fastened at the knee under his trousers.Houdini also used tricks that didn't involve opening locks. If presented with a particularly difficult lock, he might insist it be placed higher on his forearm, then simply slip these cuffs over his wrists once the easier cuffs placed there had been removed. And he was not above using trick cuffs, designed to pass inspection but easily opened by means of a fake rivet.But as he reminded us in 'Handcuff Secrets,' the unique magic of his escape act lay in its presentation: 'You will notice that some of these tricks are very simple - but remember it is not the trick that is to be considered, but the style and manner in which it is presented.' Important NoticeI offer $100,000 to any human being living that can escape from all the cuffs I carry, and from which I release myself.I escape from the celebrated Bean Giant Cuff with them locked behind my back, a feat no one else has ever accomplished.
Nov 16, 2014 Harry Houdini in chains at the edge of a pier ready to dive in (Picture: Corbis) 1. Handcuffs: Harry Houdini could get out of any set of handcuffs.He often added a river or lake to the escape. Feb 09, 2009 There are loads of clips on U Tube for Gypsy rope mystery. How the hell does it work? Love to know.
My hands can be fastened back or front. It makes no difference how many pair of cuffs are locked on me (at the same time), and I will allow the keyholes to be stamped and sealed, and as I bring out all the cuffs interlocked, it proves conclusively that I do not slip my hands.I have escaped out of more handcuffs, manacles, and leg shackles than any other human being living.
As I carry a very rare, curious and costly collection of torture, antique and modern Handcuffs (of every style and make), I give a scientific and historic lecture on them; in fact, I have the only complete act of this description in existence.Harry HoudiniOf the team Harry and Bessie HoudiniThe Expert Handcuff Manipulator Taken from Ladies Home Journal, June 1918- Written by Harry Houdini Ropes EscapesHoudini, always the student, learned everything there was to know about ropes and various methods of tying them. But to a much greater degree than with handcuff escapes, he relied on brute physical strength and endurance to set himself apart from the average escape artist.In his 1921 book 'Magical Rope Ties and Escapes,' Houdini explained many of the strategies he used. The most important phase of the act was the actual tying up process. 'There are many types of rope ties,' Houdini wrote, 'and in all of them the secret of escape depends on the ability of the one being secured to gain the necessary slack for a starter.' Related Features.
ArticleTime and again, Houdini's escapes from seemingly impossible predicaments thrilled audiences, who found in him a metaphor for their own lives, an affirmation of the human capacity to overcome adversity. ArticleWith a heady assortment of entertainment choices at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, many probably missed nineteen-year-old Ehrich Weiss, a.k.a. Harry Houdini, who had just embarked on his quest for fame. ArticleThe name 'Harry Houdini' pays homage to Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, the French performer widely considered the father of modern magic. But Houdini’s relationship with his famous predecessor was not as simple as their shared name suggests.Footer Information and Navigation.
Introduction: Simple Rope Puzzle
This puzzle is similar to the other puzzles I posted here, here and here. The goal is to remove the rope/ball from the piece of wood. With very little parts, it was really easy to make - less than 15 minutes. Go to the video for the solution if you cannot mentally figure it out from the picture.
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Step 1: Tools/Materials
Tools:
- Saw
- Drill or Drill Press
- Drill Bits (1/4' and 3/8')
- Sander
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Lighter
Materials:
- Wood: 5' Long, 1' Wide, 1/8' to 3/4' Thick
- Rope: 1/8' Diameter x 26' Long
Step 2: Wood
I started with a 1/4' thick piece of scrap hardwood and cut it down to 5' long x 1' wide.
Step 3: Holes
Mark a center-line across the 1' dimension and then mark two locations 3/4' from the ends. Drill 3/8' diameter holes at these locations.
At this point, I cleaned up the holes and chamfered the sides with sandpaper.
Step 4: Ball
I used a 1' diameter wood ball. You can get these off Amazon, Ebay or a craft store. You will need enough space to feed two ropes through the hole. I started with a 1/4' diameter bit and then counterbored the other side with a 3/8' bit to capture the knot.
Step 5: Rope
Step 6: Rope/Ball
Tie the rope together at the ends using a Double Sheet Bend Knot (see step 3 of my Buttonhole Puzzle for more details). Trim with scissors and melt the ends with a lighter. Bend the rope in half and feed the two pieces through the 1/4' hole. Pull the rope so that the knot is recessed into the counterbore. Fill the hole with glue or press a dowel into the space to prevent the rope from exiting the ball.
Step 7: Setup - Step 1
Feed rope through one of the holes in the wood block.
Step 8: Setup - Step 2
Step 9: Setup - Step 3
Feed rope back through first hole and then around ball. Pull loop back through hole. The puzzle is now set. Reverse the process to solve. If it isn't clear, watch the video.
Step 10: Pictures
4 People Made This Project!
- funkysod made it!
- funkysod made it!
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