The Card Servante In many tricks with cards it is necessary that a pack of cards, after having been examined and shuffled, is exchanged for a pack prearranged or otherwise prepared. To accomplish this neatly has so far been a rather difficult matter, but since the introduction of the Card Servante, Fig. 28, the task of exchanging packs has become a comparatively easy one. Fig 28 The apparatus is simplicity itself, consisting in the main of a metal rim A, to which is sewn a rather shallow bag of black cloth. To this rim is attached a flat strip of metal, to which is riveted a spring clip B. By means of a sharp point protruding from the rear of A the apparatus can be quickly attached to the back of a suitable chair by pressing the sharp point into the woodwork of the upper part of the frame. In clip B is inserted the pack of cards which the conjurer intends to substitute for the examined one in the course of the trick. To do so the conjurer proceeds in the following manner: Holding the pack with the right hand, the conjurer seizes with the same hand the upper part of the chair in such a way that the thumb alone is visible, the rest of the fingers being hidden by the back of the chair. The left hand at the same moment seizes the seat of the chair, which is set to one side as if it were in the conjurer's way. During this operation the pack of cards is dropped from the right hand into the bag of the Servante. The right hand at the same time removes the duplicate pack from the clip B; the change being unobserved and accomplished with ease. Some Card Servantes are made with two spring clips, one at each end of the frame A, so that a second change of packs can be made by the use of the same apparatus. In order to render these changes still more unnoticeable the Servante is attached to the back of a chair with a cane back, where it seems there is no chance of concealing anything. To accomplish this result the conjurer simply renders the caning opaque by tacking over a piece of black velvet, behind which the conjurer attaches the Servante in the usual manner. This very ingenious way of preparing the back of a chair can be used to great advantage in other conjuring tricks. It is impossible to detect the preparation at a slight distance, as a trial on the part of my reader will easily demonstrate. Home | Card Tricks | Card Trick Skills | The Pass | The Force | Changes False Shuffling | The Glimpse | Card Palm | Card Sleights Copyright © 2003-2006 HowToDoCardTricks.com. All rights reserved worldwide.   You can quickly get a copy of every trick on this web site in a downloadable PDF book. That's over 40 classic card tricks to amaze and astound your friends, all stored on your computer to refer to at any time! Just click the link below to get your own copy today for just $5.