# Crazy man's handcuffs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745 "2004-07-12T18:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/1 "2004-07-12T18:13:09Z")
There’s a magic trick i’ve seen that consists of a rubber band pulled between your thumb and index finger on each hand and linked. The magician rubs the bands together and they appear to seperate. Can anyone provide a good description of how this is done or a “free” link of how to do it? It looks like a fun bar trick but I don’t care to pay to learn it. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/2 "2004-07-12T20:00:02Z")
Whether you ‘care’ to pay to learn how to do it isn’t the point, any more than whether you ‘care’ to pay for music rather than download it illegally, or ‘care’ to pay for stuff in shops as opposed to stealing it. This magic trick was invented by someone, and some people have the right to sell the instructions (as an individual document or in a larger book devoted to close-up magic) for money. No-one else has the right to provide you with the instructions for nothing. I hope the Mods will respect that intellectual property is being discussed here, and forestall any attempts to circumvent the copyright laws. They are just as relevant here as they would be to a discussion of a particular music track or a movie. If you want to learn how to do the trick, but it from a magic store or get hold of Michael Ammar’s books on magic. As a more general point concerning asking how magic tricks are done, as I’ve often said before it’s rather pointless: those who know won’t tell, and those who tell are the ones who don’t really know. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/3 "2004-07-13T16:39:23Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > There’s a magic trick i’ve seen that consists of a rubber band pulled between your thumb and index finger on each hand and linked. The magician rubs the bands together and they appear to seperate. > Can anyone provide a good description of how this is done or a “free” link of how to do it? It looks like a fun bar trick but I don’t care to pay to learn it. “Crazy man’s handcuffs” is a trick published by Michael Ammar in his book _Magic of Michael Ammar_. Which you can purchase here: [Michael Ammar Magic](http://www.ammarmagic.com/ammarmagic/) While ideas in and of themselves are not copyrightable, directions to magic tricks usually are. My authority on the subject (Abb Dickson, past president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians) tells me that Houdini even put instructions about one of his illusions in play form for protection. It would not be illegal for us to tell you how the trick works, but it would be unethical. People make their living designing and selling illusions and have the right to be compensated for their work. We respect these rights and hope that you will do the same. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/4 "2004-07-15T18:39:21Z")
This thread was originally closed with the understanding that “Crazy Man’s Handcuffs” was a trick that was the exclusive property of Michael Ammar and as such could not be discussed here on the board. It appears I was in error and as such, I reopen this thread. I do ask that in all your postings on this board that you do consider what you say and do and how it affects others, most especially where subjects such as copyright are concerned. Your staffers spend a lot of their time dealing with other sites that have no problem with lifting Cecil’s works as well as wholesale sections of this board – mostly without attribution, let me add, which is insult to injury! – and so we take all of this seriously. We do want to be good Netizens and I know you want to as well. All that being said, carry on. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/5 "2004-07-15T19:51:22Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > There’s a magic trick i’ve seen that consists of a rubber band pulled between your thumb and index finger on each hand and linked. The magician rubs the bands together and they appear to seperate. > Can anyone provide a good description of how this is done \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*? It looks like a fun bar trick \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*. … ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-mans-handcuffs/254745/6 "2004-07-15T20:13:07Z")
It is discussed here: > **[Rubber Band Magic Trick (Redux)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266542)** > > \[very cautiously\] Does anyone know how the Crazy Man’s Handcuffs trick is done? I found this site that explains what to do, but it isn’t entirely clear. Specifically, after you’ve got the two bands set up one behind the other, it says “Stretch the...