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The smallest size for standard routines you
should consider would be 6 inches, an excellent choice for small rooms
and close up. For platform or stage, 8, 10, or 12-inch ring is better.
While rings as large as 15 and 18
inches are available I do not recommend them.
What are
better, Solid or Hollow rings?
Both types have characteristics that are common and
unique to each style. Each style offers different quality and different
cost. Both can provide you a ring that will last a lifetime if cared for
properly.
The primary factor involved in this choice is cost.
A solid ring set is fairly economical, even when a 12-inch set is
purchased. The hollow rings are really expensive; professionals, serious
performing amateurs and collectors usually purchase them.
Many performers start out with a good set of solid
rings and eventually upgrade to hollow rings.
Don’t base your choice on cost alone. The old
adage “You get what you pay for” applies here. Rings can and do take
lot of abuse. Handing them to a spectator for examination is an
invitation to be dropped. It happens, believe me. This is why a sturdy
ring is important.
Sound is very important to the linking rings. The
tone a ring gives off after they have been struck together or spun will
convince a spectator that the rings are real.
Recently PROline has released a set of rings that
is very impressive. They are a “best of both Worlds” item. They are
a large solid set of rings, but are made from a highly polished
aluminum. They sound great, are rugged, and look solid, and very
substantial. The price is half of the hollow set I own.
Solid vs.
Hollow, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Solid rings are the most commonly
available. Solid ring material is usually steel wire bent into a
circle with the two ends welded together and finally chrome plated.
This type of ring offers a good look, sound and sturdiness at an
economical price.
The major drawback with solid rings is the weight.
They can get heavy as the size increases; a 12-inch set with a thick
ring is noticeably heavy. This is impressive to the spectators who
examines the ring but can really tire out your arms if you perform the
routine many times a day. Practice, practice and more practice, this
will get your arms use to the weight and avoid unnecessary drops.
Most magic dealers will carry solid rings. Brand
names include, Rings and Things, Bumper and Klamm. All of the rings form
these sources were equal in quality.
The new PROline has taken away the draw back of
solid rings at a very reasonable price.
Hollow rings are usually thought of as a
professional ring. They offer much lower weight compared to an
equivalent solid ring. Ring thickness is greater than with solid rings
and the tone is superior.
A drawback associated with hollow rings is dents. A
hollow ring can dent if struck too hard or if dropped. As with solid
rings, handing them to a spectator for inspection can invite disaster.
I have inspected a set of imported hollow rings
from
Italy
and found the quality to be inferior to the two brands listed above. The
rings were of such poor overall quality that a good solid ring set was a
better choice.
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For either solid or hollow rings, make sure all the
rings in set are the same diameter. Make sure the rings are perfect
circles even slight ovals are visible to the audience.
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