Saturday, July 18, 2009

Peter Loughran Week: Iron Garotte



From the website: "The performer introduces an execution device that apparently originated from Spain called a Garrote. The Garrote was intended to execute its victim by means of strangulation or decapitation." Well the garotte was never used to decapitate anyone, but that would be nit-picking.

What the effect is: "The performer passes the Iron Garrote amongst the audience, and they note that it is extremely solid chain! It is then wrapped and tied tightly around the performer's neck (with the help of volunteers if you like). Suddenly the performer pulls the Iron Garrote, ripping it right through his neck!"

What is really is: Just rope through neck, done with a chain of metal. The chain links offer offer the possibility to do this effect surrounded. But in order to get to that display you cannot use the standard looping around the head which is common with the classic presentation of rope through neck.

Basically the handling demands a pretty unconvincing wrapping around the neck spoiling the method to smart people. See:



Anyway, Peter claims that Criss Angel did Peter's Iron Garotte on his special. I looked at the video. It is a totally different chain. Leading me to believe that Peter adorns himself with borrowed plumes.

So it is 69.95 USD for a chain that you can buy in your local DIY market for a fraction of that price. Totally not worth the purchase.

Or, get two chains (still cheaper than the Iron Garotte) and get them around your neck in "Grandmothers Necklace" fashion, that is much better. It seems more dangerous (2 chains) and it eliminates the extra wrapping in front of your neck and it is still angle proof.

Tomorrow: Black Hole

3 comments:

Tapmagoo said...

Roland,

The Navy Seals used garots during the Viet Nam Conflict. They used piano wire. To make them super sharp, they tied them to two jeep bumpers, pulled them taut, and then used a file to make the wire trianle shaped instead of round. From what I'm told, it would easily lop off a head like a hot knife through butter.

Tapmagoo

Tapmagoo said...

That's triangle shaped...

Roland said...

Hm, what would be the point? Killing a person with out a mess, that is point of a Garotte. As soon as a person is decapitated things get messy. So if indeed the garrote was used to cut off ones head (a big ass knife does the same) then only for shock value.

The actual purpose of a Garotte was to be an assassin's weapon. Because you can kill someone silently.