My Three Shell Game

The shell game, also known as "Thimblerig" or "Three shells and a pea" or "the old army game" is portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is almost always a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud. In confidence trick slang, this swindle is referred to as a short-con because it is quick and easy to pull off.

And I absolutely love it.

For me it portrays imagery of the out most ingenuity in entrepreneurial intentions of loose moral and ethical standing.  I can see why this swindle would take hold of popular imagination soon after the great depression of the 1930s, and thus become part of the American cultural lexicon.

A few years back I had the opportunity to acquire the remnants of John Rivera's estate, and with in the lot lay a disheveled  and rusted plastic injection machine along with a set of very old molds to make one of a kind glorious magic apparatus.

Amongst the molds there happen to be one in particular which caught my attention above the rest... it was a mold for a walnut shell.

Could it be that Rivera had a mold for making the three shell game?

Could it be that this very old mold would still work after 40 years of being made?

And most importantly would the machine even be salvageable and maybe just maybe be made to work once more...?

I had never dealt with very old plastic injection single mold process before, and certainly not having any experience in the restoration of a very old and very heavy plastic injection machine I knew that a true challenge was present and somewhat overwhelming stood over me.

After a very long and exhausting process of rehabilitating the 500 Lbs. plastic injection machine I was able to breathe life back into its metal parts, I was able to make electricity run through its veins again.
Then the next question remained, would the mold still be viable...? Would it work?

After 800 attempts and a very steep learning curve, my process began to yield uniformity and palpable results. And then there it was. I had awaken a concrete recognizable shape form the insides of the old mold.

Before my eyes lay there a semi translucent and not fully hardened steaming shell of Rivera's original design.


The possibilities were now wide open to a serial run of these magnificent shells.

I thought to my self how can I make these all ready wonderful shells absolutely glorious, and so it came to me a refined process of finishing the shell body by hand and then exquisitely hand painting each shell.

I will be offering the following:

Antique Natural Finish Shells

The RM's Antique Natural Finish Shell Game Set captures the beauty and tradition of turn of the century American grifters.

These exceptional shells will elevate the quality of the game with beautiful accent and detail. A fantastic set of shells that Soapy Smith would have been proud to use.

Antique Cooper Finish Shells

Reminiscent Victorian period style and design these shells will be hand finished and painted to perfection. The unpretentious shabby charm gives palatial elegance in handling. A must for your collection.

Antique Silver Finish Shells

Refined beauty and sophistication will be captured in these hand finished and painted set of shells. Bring a sense of savor faire to your favorite swindle with these fine set of shells.

Antique Gold Finish Shells

Elegant, and opulent, there shells are will be absolute delicacy.  These hand finished and painted sets will be rich with insinuation of the most accomplished, and well to do operator.

These shell sets will be made exclusively available through this blog and through direct notification of production and availability from my mailing list.

So... CLICK HERE to get on my mailing list.

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Most of the magic apparatus that I manufacture consists of custom designed gaffs and gimmicks all of which usually encompass exclusive commissioned work by professional magicians. Many of the professional magicians who order my custom items do not want them pictured - in order to keep exclusivity.
However I do make several rather popular and less expensive items on a regular basis for purchase for the general public. My goal is to produce exclusive high quality magic apparatus. Since this my blog is open to anyone who wishes to visit, all of the content I publish is refrained from explanation on method and handling on how many of the items I make are used.            - True magicians will know.

“A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare to the jeweled vision of a life started anew.”  ― Aberjhani

About the Maker

There are magicians that solely perform, there are magicians who perform and teach, there are magicians who perform, teach, and write.

And then there are the very, very few that are makers. I happen to be one of the few with a particularly rare fixation on numismatic endeavors .

My background consists of a keen and unusual skill base set which encompass the following:

Numismatic Forgery, Precision Machining, Bench jeweler, Brassfounder, Coinsmithing, Coppersmithing (brownsmithing), pewtersmithing, silversmithing, or brightsmithing, Delft Clay Casting, Mold Making, Plastic injection, 3 dimensional Visualization, flocking, and wood working.

Some of the of the many gimmicks, gaffs, and apparatus which I manufacture are but not limited to:

Wands 

Solid state and or composite wands made from such materials as: Aluminum, brass, wood, Stainless Steel, Fine woods, silver, copper, Poly Delrin.

Custom wand orders begin at around $200.00 to $500.00 + per wand depending upon the complexity of the project and the materials to be used in the wand itself. The price is inclusive of unlimited consultations for the commission of the wand itself.

I do make several rather popular and less expensive wands such as busker's wands, and fine close up wands on a regular basis for purchase by the general public. 

Its customary that I will make a batch of 10 to 12 wands of any particular type ranging in price anywhere from  $45.00 to $120.00+ per wand, and are made exclusively available through direct notification of production and availability from my mailing list.

So... get on my mailing list.

Coin Gaffs/Gimmicks

Custom coin gaff orders begin at around $100.00 to $2500.00 + per work commissioned depending upon the complexity of the project and especially the coin stock to be used in the gaff making itself. The price is inclusive of unlimited consultations for the commission of the work.

(Note: There are certain restrictions on the types off coin gaffs I can manufacture depending on the currency/coin desired for the gaff. I do not gaff certain currencies due to Lèse majesté laws, as well as international counterfeit and forgery laws.)

I do make several rather popular and less expensive coin gaffs and gimmicks such as Folding Coins,Coin Bite or bIte Out Coins, Coin Shells, Magnetic/Shimmed Coin shells, Expanded Coin Shells, Flipper Coins (Gravity/ non gravity), Scotch and Soda sets, Copper Silver Brass sets, Coper Silver Sets, Coins of Ishtar Sets, Slippery Sam Gimmicks, Two Sided Coins, Hook Coins, Coin Stacks Rigid, Coin Stacks Non Rigid, Clip Pull Coins, Hopping Half/ Half Sun Half Moon, and Magnetic coins. I manufacture these coin gaffs/gimmicks regular basis for purchase by the general public. 

I generally will make a batches of 6 to 12 coin gaffs/gimmicks of any particular type, ranging in price anywhere from  $15.00 to $5000.00+ per gaff or set of gaffs, and are made exclusively available through direct notification of production and availability from my mailing list.

So... CLICK HERE to get on my mailing list.

Miscellaneous Gimmicks and gaffs:

I do manufacture other types of gimmicks, gaffs, and magic apparatus outside of coins and wands. Some of the miscellaneous gimmicks, gaffs, and magic apparatus that I make on a semi frequent basis constitute such as Magnetic Nail Writers, Haunted Decks Traditional, Svengali Decks, Stripper Decks, Panchos, custom made "Wonder Mouse", custom made "Wiggly Worm", as well as some busking equipment and gear such as tables, pouches, two color steel core monkey's fists.

I usually will make a batches of 6 to 12 gaffs/gimmicks of any particular type, ranging in price anywhere from  $25.00 to $150.00+ per gaff or set of gaffs, and are made exclusively available through direct notification of production and availability from my mailing list.

So... CLICK HERE to get on my mailing list.

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Most of the magic apparatus that I manufacture consists of custom designed gaffs and gimmicks all of which usually encompass exclusive commissioned work by professional magicians. Many of the professional magicians who order my custom items do not want them pictured - in order to keep exclusivity.
However I do make several rather popular and less expensive items on a regular basis for purchase for the general public. My goal is to produce exclusive high quality magic apparatus. Since this my blog is open to anyone who wishes to visit, all of the content I publish is refrained from explanation on method and handling on how many of the items I make are used.            - True magicians will know.

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will” – George Bernard Shaw

Why This Blog Exists

Welcome to Rolando Medina's Blog "The Unusual Artisan".  Most of the magic apparatus that I manufacture consists of custom designed gaffs and gimmicks all of which usually encompass exclusive commissioned work by professional magicians. Many of the professional magicians who order my custom items do not want them pictured - in order to keep exclusivity. However I do make several rather popular and less expensive items on a regular basis for purchase for the general public. My goal is to produce exclusive high quality magic apparatus. Since this my blog is open to anyone who wishes to visit, all of the content I publish is refrained from explanation on method and handling on how many of the items I make are used.

- True magicians will know.

“If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.” 

 - Khalil Gibran