I remember the first time someone put the pencil loop puzzle on my button hole! It is a real fooler to try to get it off. This famous puzzle was invented by the puzzle genius, Sam Loyd, back in the early part of the 20th century. He was contracted by the New York Life Insurance Company to give them a memorable advertising giveaway. After he attached the pencil and string to the CEO's buttonhole and the poor guy could not remove it, the company signed the contract for what would become an enduring classic.
Over the years, companies have imprinted their contact info on the pencil (just as NY Life did) and used it for advertising. Vintage examples of these pencil puzzles are quite collectible.
This is a fairly recent re-make of the puzzle, with no imprinted info. Just a pencil (real but unsharpened) with a metal ferrule at one end to hold the string loop. The instruction sheet has a vintage feel, but I am pretty sure these were made in the 2000's. So beware if someone else is selling them as "vintage" for a higher price. The vintage ones would have authentic vintage imprints on the pencil barrel.
If you don't know this one, you show the pencil with a loop of string permanently attached to one end. After a few quick and deft moves, you have attached the pencil to your victim's... (I mean, Spectator's) jacket button hole. They will find it impossible to remove without breaking the string. But before things go that far, you remove is with a few more deft moves.
I like to remove it openly, since it is still amazing to see that it can be done, and spectators will never remember exactly how anyway. More a puzzle than magic, but a really good puzzle!
Use it on someone who heckles you -- just put it on, and let them work on getting it off as you do some tricks for the politer members of the audience! Fun for friends and enemies alike!
You'll do this one a lot. Brand new and unused, with instructions. Color of pencil may be different than the picture.
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