I have been making shell set molds for over 40 years of different sizes, shapes, and styles.
The question that comes up very often, is what shell set do I recommend for the beginner to start with learning to do the shell game?
The answer to this question can vary from others. Some will say to buy a cheap shell set to start with, then upgrade to a good set.
This has never made any sense to me. This is putting a limit on what you can do with a shell set right from the start and slowing down your advancement to doing it well or losing the interest of taking yourself to a good level.
The 3 shell game is not hard to do if you have the right items to work with. This is the case with doing anything well.
There are many factors with finding a shell set that can work well for you.
Listed below are some important things that I feel can make a good working shell set to bring good growth to your shell game working skills.
The question that comes up very often, is what shell set do I recommend for the beginner to start with learning to do the shell game?
The answer to this question can vary from others. Some will say to buy a cheap shell set to start with, then upgrade to a good set.
This has never made any sense to me. This is putting a limit on what you can do with a shell set right from the start and slowing down your advancement to doing it well or losing the interest of taking yourself to a good level.
The 3 shell game is not hard to do if you have the right items to work with. This is the case with doing anything well.
There are many factors with finding a shell set that can work well for you.
Listed below are some important things that I feel can make a good working shell set to bring good growth to your shell game working skills.
Walnut Shell Size
1-3/4" Shell Length is the size that I have found that handles well for most.
This shell size can fit most hands well and fits well under a standard shot glass without having much movement of the shell when stealing the pea. This shell size can work well for the V grip between the fingers. It also is a good viewable size shell.
Height of the shell is 7/8". This is one of the most important dimensions that is overlooked. You want a shell with good height where the fingers can grip the shell well. Also want the outside shell wall to have a flat surface where the fingers can grip the shell well.
Many shells on the market have a low inward taper on the shell wall, where the fingers will slip upward with the taper and off the shell. Having a shell with good height and very little inward wall taper where the fingers grip the shell will also bring good features for the shell interior. Like having equal headspace inside the shell for the ball to roll freely in any area inside the shell. You will never have any movement of the shell when releasing your grip on the shell.
These shells that have good height and without the inward wall taper brings the feature that the shells can also work with a cork ball, When you can perform the shell game with a cork ball you will be a "Pro Shell Operator". This is how the shell game was originally done.
The way the interior of these shells are designed the cork ball will stay inside the shell when the shells are moved on the surface with the ball.
This makes it a fair game and everything can be fully examined without switching anything out.
The only thing that is unfair is the shell operator, not the equipment being used.
You have full control of the game on when to play fair to set up the con and when to play unfairly for the win.
The ball can be stolen from the shell any time you choose too. The cool thing is once the ball is stolen and loaded into a different shell all the shells can be moved fairly again without the ball coming out of the new loaded shell.
The hardest part to learn with working with a cork ball is training your memory muscles to clip the cork ball with very light finger pressure. The set comes with a 5/16" cork ball to start with learning to clip the cork ball and two larger 3/8" cork balls to advance too. Set also comes with a three pea pod pea holder with three soft 3/8" peas. Shells and accessory bags.
1-3/4" Shell Length is the size that I have found that handles well for most.
This shell size can fit most hands well and fits well under a standard shot glass without having much movement of the shell when stealing the pea. This shell size can work well for the V grip between the fingers. It also is a good viewable size shell.
Height of the shell is 7/8". This is one of the most important dimensions that is overlooked. You want a shell with good height where the fingers can grip the shell well. Also want the outside shell wall to have a flat surface where the fingers can grip the shell well.
Many shells on the market have a low inward taper on the shell wall, where the fingers will slip upward with the taper and off the shell. Having a shell with good height and very little inward wall taper where the fingers grip the shell will also bring good features for the shell interior. Like having equal headspace inside the shell for the ball to roll freely in any area inside the shell. You will never have any movement of the shell when releasing your grip on the shell.
These shells that have good height and without the inward wall taper brings the feature that the shells can also work with a cork ball, When you can perform the shell game with a cork ball you will be a "Pro Shell Operator". This is how the shell game was originally done.
The way the interior of these shells are designed the cork ball will stay inside the shell when the shells are moved on the surface with the ball.
This makes it a fair game and everything can be fully examined without switching anything out.
The only thing that is unfair is the shell operator, not the equipment being used.
You have full control of the game on when to play fair to set up the con and when to play unfairly for the win.
The ball can be stolen from the shell any time you choose too. The cool thing is once the ball is stolen and loaded into a different shell all the shells can be moved fairly again without the ball coming out of the new loaded shell.
The hardest part to learn with working with a cork ball is training your memory muscles to clip the cork ball with very light finger pressure. The set comes with a 5/16" cork ball to start with learning to clip the cork ball and two larger 3/8" cork balls to advance too. Set also comes with a three pea pod pea holder with three soft 3/8" peas. Shells and accessory bags.
The shell width is 1-1/2". I find that most hands can take a 1-1/2" wide shell in a V- Grip between the fingers.
These shells can be taken in a much more natural way to fit between the fingers with the V-Grip.
Most take the shells in the V-grip from the back of the shells.
This is not the best fit between the fingers to grip the shell.
I recommend taking these shells between the fingers from the front of the shell where the front of the walnut shell has a natural V-shape to fit the fingers the best when gripping the shell between the fingers, as shown above.
The reason this is not done with other shells is the player would see the hole at the back of the shell that most shells have. Shells that have a hole at the back of the shell are a visual clue on how the ball can escape the shell and this hole is not needed.
Many try to justify this hole by saying it is from where the walnut was broken off of the tree stem.
No matter how you try to justify it, it is still a visual escape hole for the pea and is not needed.
The "Pro Starter Shells" has no visual gimmick clues. The shells have a totally flat surface around the entire shell.
What they do have is a tapered bottom wall rim around the entire shell where nothing stands out as an escape door.
They look like fair shells.
Hope this is of some help,
Al
Most take the shells in the V-grip from the back of the shells.
This is not the best fit between the fingers to grip the shell.
I recommend taking these shells between the fingers from the front of the shell where the front of the walnut shell has a natural V-shape to fit the fingers the best when gripping the shell between the fingers, as shown above.
The reason this is not done with other shells is the player would see the hole at the back of the shell that most shells have. Shells that have a hole at the back of the shell are a visual clue on how the ball can escape the shell and this hole is not needed.
Many try to justify this hole by saying it is from where the walnut was broken off of the tree stem.
No matter how you try to justify it, it is still a visual escape hole for the pea and is not needed.
The "Pro Starter Shells" has no visual gimmick clues. The shells have a totally flat surface around the entire shell.
What they do have is a tapered bottom wall rim around the entire shell where nothing stands out as an escape door.
They look like fair shells.
Hope this is of some help,
Al