Cups and Balls

Cups and Balls Magic Reviews

 

 

Product: Chechen Chopped Goblet

Maker: Eric Hansen

Price:    $75 (Delivered World Wide)

Overview: 10 / 10

At a Glance

Review

Price:

$75 is a seriously good price including airmail for a cup of this quality.  Quite honestly, this is at least a $200 cup in my opinion.  I have spoken to Eric about this on occasions and I get the impresion that he does it for the love of magic.

This makes anyone who owns one of his pieces very lucky indeed!

What's Included?:

The cup and the bag.  I am not sure if Eric always includes bags or has them in stock, however for a few dollars you can pick up some very nice bags from Donnie at RNT2 (even beautifully monogrammed ones for an extra $5.)

Delivery Time / Packaging:

8 Days from Canada, that's really fast!  The cup itself was in its bag and  wrapped in bubble wrap.  The bubble wrapped package was also wrapped in sponge and packaged in a sturdy box.

Needless to say it was in perfect condition when opened.

Construction / Durability:

The workmanship of this goblet is stunning.  Eric has a knack for sourcing beautiful wood with highly decorative grain and bringing it out in his turnings and this cup looks wonderful.

The construction is excellent too, there is no visible clue as to how the gaff was introduced, no plugs or joins and the grain runs perfectly from top to bottom.

Aside fom being a beautiful object in and of itself this up looks perfectly natural, as if it is simply one solid piece of wood.

Suitability:

At 3.5" tall and having a 1 3/4" opening at the mouth this cup is perfect for close up / walk around and table hopping.

It's made from a reasonably heavy wood (Chechen) yet it feels quite substantial to hold without weighing down your pockets too much.

The action worked perfectly right off the bat with a set of balls I already have which I use with another of Eric's cups, however RNT2's adjustable balls are of course a wonderful option for those who need a set of balls that can be adjusted in seconds to any cup for the perfect strength.

Deceptively, this cup takes a golf ball sized final load, although I plan on using a large Don Alan type crocheted ball to match the working balls I am going to use.

Overall:

Honetly?  I wouldn't waste my time reading this review...  I'd just go and buy one!  I love everything about this little goblet, the way it feels, handles, functions and its soul.

Wooden cups always appeal to me because they are made from organic, living material.  No 2 pieces are ever the same and the atisan must see the cup inside the block of wood and bring it to life by taking way what isn't needed rather than simply moulding it from a faceless material.

I also believe that wood (as a medium for a chop cup) has a built in, inherant misdirection that leads people a step further away from the gaff and this can only be a good thing.

So... in summing up, this is a killer buy.  Not only because of the bargain price but because of its beauty, functionality and handling.  It's a cup you'll use and enjoy using.  Because of this I have no option but to give it 10 out of 10 across the board.

Available from: Eric Hansen

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