Puzzle & Impossible Knot

68 entries in Rope / Knot Effects / Real / Puzzle & Impossible Knot
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Der Knoten im Taschentuch No. 6, putting a knot in a handkerchief without letting go of the ends (knotting the arms first)
 		1900
Der Amateurzauberer
159
To Take Two Corners of a Handkerchief, one in each Hand, and Tie a Know in it Without Removing either Hand
1902
The Modern Conjurer
292
Joe Berg Knot From Nowhere without letting go of each end in both hands
Variations 1937
Here's New Magic
12
G. W. Hunter G. W. Hunter's Puzzle Knot making a knot without letting go of ends, with ring on rope as addition
Related to 1941 ca.
Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks
17
The Knot of Enchantment rope tied on wrists of performer, knot is made on middle of rope
 		1941 ca.
Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks
21
Adolph Ferber Adolph Ferber's Spectre Tie knot appears on tube on rope, under handkerchief
 		1941 ca.
Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks
25
G. W. Hunter Puzzle Knot knot without letting go of the ends
 		1943
Tarbell Course in Magic — Volume 3
101
Laurie Ireland Tying and Untying Knots in a Cord without Letting Go of the Ends one and two knots
 		1947
Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1947)
3
Milbourne Christopher Spectacles to Monocle action with rope which spectator cannot imitate, two loops to one loop
 		Apr. 1948
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 5 No. 11)
409
Milbourne Christopher Nautical Puzzle rope knotted to circle, puzzle spectator cannot imitate
 		Apr. 1948
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 5 No. 11)
410
Francis J. Rigney Five Knots - One Impossible!
Variations July 1948
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 6 No. 2)
441
Martin Gardner The Magic Knot knot tied in rope, ends held by spectator, scissors threaded
 		Dec. 1948
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 6 No. 7)
495
Tom Monroe "Impossible" Knot impromptu
Inspired by Jan. 1949
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 6 No. 8)
503
Tony Slydini Knots impossible knot, ends of rope tied together
Also published here Jan. 1950
The Phoenix (Issue 195)
778
Ein alter Trick u. seine Fortsetzung knot is made over ring, ends held by spectator
Related to 1952
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 13 No. 5)
50
Dr. William Weyeneth Der Wunderknoten im Seil! knot is made over ring, ends held by spectator, different method
Related to 1954
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 15 No. 1)
168
Tony Slydini Knots impossible knot
Also published here 1956
The Best in Magic
81
Martin Gardner Knotty Problems
  • The Impossible Knot
  • Knot Box
 		Apr. 1962
The New Phoenix (Issue 368)
299
Bert Allerton Variation on the Hunter Knot variation on G. W. Hunter's Puzzle Knot, described by Martin Gardner
Related to 1968
Give a Magician Enough Rope... and he'll do a trick!
68
Martin Gardner Martin Gardner's Magic Knot scissors on rope, ends held by spectators and performer is able to make a knot around scissors under handkerchief
Also published here
  • in "Hugard's Magic Monthly*
 1968
Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks — Volume II
34
Martin Gardner Martin Gardner's Impossible Knot rope pulled through hole of newspaper, knot appears
 		1968
Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks — Volume II
36
Arthur Setterington Chinese Rope Routine story routine about Confucius and a magician
  • appearance of a knot
  • one handed knot
  • dissolving and appearing knots
  • to "dissolve" a knot
  • to make two knots appear
  • the appearance of two knots
  • to tie a knot in a rope without letting go of the ends of the rope
  • to cause a number of knots to appear
 		1972
Straight Line Mysteries
31
Robert E. Neale New Hunter Knot never-letting-go-knot, string
Also published here Feb. 1973
The Pallbearers Review (Vol. 8 No. 4)
597
Horace E. Bennett Ghost Knot knot while the spectator holds both ends, in the end the rope is linked to performer's buttonhole
Inspired byAlso published here May 1973
The Pallbearers Review (Vol. 8 No. 7)
619
Karl Fulves Knot Possible knot tied in loop of rope, in the end the knot drops off as ring, three phases
Inspired by
  • Milbourne Christophe Routine in The Sphinx
 June 1974
The Pallbearers Review (Vol. 9 No. 8)
746
Tony Slydini On The Gambler's Knot performer demonstrates knot in slow-motion, spectator cannot duplicate it
Related toAlso published here Mar. 1975
The Pallbearers Review (Vol. 10 No. 5)
867
Philip Reed Willmarth The Impossible Knot and Ring without letting go of ends
 		1975
The Ring & Rope Book — Volume One
38
The Impossible Appearing Knot without letting go of the ends
 		1976
The Big Book of Magic
138
G. W. Hunter Hunter's Impossible Knot without letting go of the ends
 		1977
The Magic Book
50
Karl Fulves, Milbourne Christopher Knot Possible three phases (first phase by Milbourne Christopher, other two by Fulves), knot routine with loop of ring, ring appears without letting go of the sides of the loop, knot comes off at the end
 		1977
The Magic Book
114
Tony Slydini The Gambler's Knot performer demonstrates knot in slow-motion, spectator cannot duplicate it
Also published here 1977
The Magic Book
117
Tan Hock Chuan A Very Tight Knot How to untie a knot in a human hair, bar bet
 		1977
The Magic of Tan Hock Chuan
18
Tony Slydini Slydini und der Spielerknoten performer demonstrates knot in slow-motion, spectator cannot duplicate it
Also published here Jan. 1984
Intermagic (Vol. 10 No. 3 & 4)
128
Robert E. Neale Der neue "Hunter-Knoten" never-letting-go-knot, string
Also published here Jan. 1984
Intermagic (Vol. 10 No. 3 & 4)
131
Ray Hyman The Zoellner Phenomenon knot appears in cord while ends are held together
 		1985
The New York Magic Symposium — Collection 4
92
Danny Korem Figure-Eight for Connoisseurs flourish knot without letting go of the ends
 		1985
Korem without Limits
107
Knot Conversion "to change a reef or square knot into two overhand knots, and to change these back again"
Also published here
  • The Ashley Book of Knots
 1986
Contemporary Rope Magic — Part II
35
Desintegration knot pulled off rope, spectator cannot duplicate it
 		May 1986
Intermagic (Vol. 12 No. 2)
89
Al Forsythe The Scissor Knot knot puzzle
 		1990
The Trapdoor — Volume Two (Issue 33)
593
Betcha Knot No. 3, spectator cannot tie a knot the same way the magician can
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
6
Half a Square No. 18, knot appears in rope under impossible conditions with the ends tied
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
38
G. W. Hunter A Possible Impossibility No. 47, knot without letting go of the ends
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
99
Fooling the Expert No. 48, giving the ends to spectator in the middle of Hunter knot
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
101
Robert E. Neale Neale's Knot No. 49, Hunter knot variation
Also published here 1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
102
Double Cross No. 50, Hunter knot variation in which ends are secretly switched
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
103
Hunter Killer No. 51, knot without letting go of ends, preparation
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
105
Robert E. Neale The Hanging No. 57, one spectator is murderer, chosen with cards, noose tied from rope, it tightens only at guilty spectator
 		1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
120
Fourth-Dimension Knot No. 63, rope tied between both wrists of performer, he makes a knot when out of sight
Related to 1990
Self-Working Rope Magic
132
Joe Berg, Martin Gardner Knot from Nowhere & Variations thing where you don't let go of ends and still make knots
 		1995
Arcane (Issue 14)
191
Mitsunobu Matsuyama The Knot Scam puzzle
 		1995
Arcane (Issue 14)
194
Rajneesh Madhok Bachelor's Thread Threading the Needle with appearing ring climax
 		June 1996
The Minotaur (Vol. 8 No. 2)
10
Karl Fulves Knot There "Unsolved Mysteries"
Hunter knot mentioned (without letting go), knot is in tie instead, posed as a problem
 		1997
The Fine Print (Issue 6)
146
Bill Spooner Snapknot performer holds rope on both ends, it is flicked and knot appears, credit information
 		Nov. 2000
Magic (Vol. 10 No. 3)
82
Francis Tabary Appearance and Vanish of a Knot knot made in rope with ends in pocket
 		2004
The Award-Winning Rope Magic of Francis Tabary
68
Barrie Richardson The Impossible Knot Routine routine and presentation knot sequence
  • G. W. Hunter's Puzzle Knot
  • The Slow-motion Knot
  • The Bradbury Knot (reel)
Also published here
  • Concepts & Deceptions Lecture Notes, 1999
 2005
Act Two
179
Karl Fulves Knotornot not letting go
Inspired by
  • "To Tie a Knot on the Left Wrist Without Letting the Right Hand Approach it" (The Magician's Own Book, 1857)
 2006
Prolix (Issue 2)
84
Arthur Trace Circular routine with extra piece and solid ring
  • Part I: Knot in Loop (Tabary)
  • Part II: The Knot Vanishes
  • Part III: Loop to Ring
 		Apr. 2006
Genii (Vol. 69 No. 4)
62
The Knot of Enchantment Each end of a rope tied to each wrist, magician manages to tie a knot in the rope
Also published here
  • "The Knot of Enchantment" (Boy's World, 1915-16)
 2007
The Essential Stewart James
3
Martin Gardner, Joseph K. Schmidt Riddle Rope knot appears or not
  • The Chefalo Phase
  • Schmidt's Fake Chefalo
Related to 2008
Prolix (Issue 4)
265
Juan Tamariz How to Win Impossible Bets several bar bets
  • The "I"
  • Smoking without Consuming a Cigarette
    • Making a knot into a cigarette
  • Tying a Knot in a Rope without Releasing the Ends
  • Eating without Touching the Hat
  • Tearing a Deck of Cards
  • The Flat Match
  • Steel Bridges
  • To Catch a Thief
  • The Multiplication of Bread
  • Flying Food
  • Trip to the Moon
 		2008
Verbal Magic
107
Martin Gardner Berg-Hunter Knot not letting go of the ends
Variations 2009
Prolix (Issue 6)
396
Karl Fulves Sting Theory not letting go of the ends
Inspired by 2009
Prolix (Issue 6)
398
J. W. Sarles Knot To Be Found not letting go of the ends
Inspired by 2009
Prolix (Issue 6)
400
Robert E. Neale The Pitter Patter Trick Hunter Knot routine
 		2009
Magic and Meaning [Expanded]
197
Joseph K. Schmidt Sliding Hunter Knot without letting go of ends
 		2010
Prolix (Issue 7)
450
Jim Steinmeyer The Anomaly ends of a rope are tied to performer's wrist, yet he forms a knot in the rope under cover
Inspired by 2015
Nothing But Mystery
14
Knot in Rope Bar Stunt
2016
Hidden Agenda (Issue May 29)
153
Technique Wherein A Rope Is Passed Through The Sleeves, The Ends Held By A Spectator, and The Rope Knots Itself in a Square Knot
  • Dan Sherer (additional comments)
Also published here
  • Hōkasen, 1764
 May 2016
Genii (Vol. 79 No. 5)
83