This is T-281 Tenyo Smart Guillotine magic trick secret revealed and explained how it is done, based on merely watching the YouTube demo video clips.
I have this Tenyo pocket trick secret speculation stored in my file way back in 2018, when it first came out.
As a magic enthusiast, I love to explore and learn how this conjuring trick work (method) and the psychology behind the magic.
It is like all my other magic trick and illusion secrets revealed articles.
I view the videos, observe the handlings and props, and then explore the possibilities, how the tricks work.
Again, this legerdemain reveal is fully explained, and backed up with supporting pictures, illustrations and video snippets.
Anyway, welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Tenyo Magic Trick Secrets series.
If you are still confused with all those comments in TikTok, it’s time to cut through the confusion.
Instead read this detailed explanations how the T-281 Tenyo Smart Guillotine penetration trick is done.
This plastic Finger Chopper trick is created by Takayuki Kumazawa.
He is also known for his T-204 Escape King and T-247 Tower Of Dice, which the latter I have revealed and explained.
Finger Chopper/Guillotine
There are many other variations of Finger Guillotine trick, which are mostly sold as a novelty product, rather than a magic trick.
Tenyo T-85 See-Through Guillotine
Anyway, this is not the popular 1977 Tenyo T-85 See-Through Guillotine by Shigeru Sugawara.
It is actually based on the idea Finger Chopper invented by Edward Massey.
The secret working of the T-85 See-Through Guillotine, is using a L-shaped blade, pivoted at one of the slider tracks, as illustrated below.
The two short edges indicated by orange arrows are not connected to the main L-shaped blade gimmick.
They are separately fixed to the slider, and they move along to give the impression, they are parts of the blade.
Hades Improved Finger Chopper By Micky Hades
This 1960s finger chopper trick is said to be the first of its kind that allows the stocks to be completely removed and examined before and after the trick.
The method is similar to the T-85 See-Through Guillotine, using a L-shaped blade, pivoted at one of the slider tracks.
Impossible Penetration By Clarence Miller
Then there is this popular wooden Impossible Penetration aka Finger Penetration Frame.
It was originally created by Clarence S. Miller in the 80s, who is known for hand-made wooden magic tricks.
It is explained in this DIY video.
The secret is the hole for the penetration is concealed inside the blade itself (see picture below).
Let’s get back to the Smart Guillotine by Tenyo Magic Japan.
Effect:
A transparent plastic frame mounted on a stand, that has a round hole in the middle.
A black color blade slotted inside the frame, and it is held up with a binder clip.
Borrow a bill, roll it up and insert it into the hole.
Remove the clip, push the blade down, and it appears to slice through the rolled-up bill.
Then lift up the blade, and magically the bill is still completely intact.
Then invite a spectator to insert his finger into the hole.
Likewise push the blade all the way down, and it visibly penetrates through the finger.
Again mysteriously, when the the blade is raised up, the spectator’s finger is completely unharmed, just like the bill.
Watch the Tenyo T-281 Smart Guillotine trick demo video:
Tenyo Smart Guillotine Magic Trick Revealed
Let’s explore how the blade could apparently penetrate through the rolled-up bill and the finger.
Basically there are two secrets:
- hole or gap for the penetration
- how to hide the hole
Actually, how to hide the hole from being seen is the key secret.
After viewing all the demo videos, I deduced the gimmick is at the blade, and not the transparent guillotine frame.
It’s because of the overly-cautious manner, the performers holding onto the blade, as shown below.
In addition, the blade needs a binder clip to grip it.
The other thing I noticed is the way they remove the blade from the transparent frame.
They lift up the blade from the bottom upward, and not just casually pull it up from the top.
Tenyo Smart Guillotine Blade With Cut-Out
Upon closer scrutiny, I noticed the hidden arch-shaped cut-out on the blade.
Then I knew the method of this penetration trick is similar to the “Dove Through Glass Trick“, which I have already revealed and explained in full.
The Smart Guillotine also used a cut-out in the blade to make the penetration effect possible.
That is the secret hole to accommodate the bill and the finger, so the blade can go through them.
Tenyo Smart Guillotine Cut-Out Hole
You can see the cut-out hole from the side view of the prop from all the video clips, as revealed below:
But when they show the blade to the viewers, it seems there is no cut-out hole on it, except the solid reflective black surface.
So, where and how is the arch-shaped hole hidden?
Guillotine Blade with Arch-Shaped Hole
Well, here are pictures of the cut-out hole on the blade, captured from the videos.
From this picture you can see the hole outline from the edge of the blade.
Now, let’s go to the nitty-gritty of the blade design.
Smart Guillotine Used 2 Blades
I reckoned it uses two pieces of blades, when I saw this from one of the demo videos.
The Tenyo Smart Guillotine blade comprises of two (2) pieces of plates, placed on top of each other.
First Piece:
This first or the top plate is an acrylic sheet with the black color lower part, and gradually it fades out to transparent at the top, as illustrated below.
I would explain why I think there is this gradual shade of the black, and not just a patch of solid black color in this plate.
Second Piece:
It is a fully black plate with an arch-shaped cut-out at the bottom.
This is how the Smart Guillotine black blade looks like:
The First Piece is placed on top of the Second Piece, which has the cut-out hole, as shown below:
The lower black part of the First Piece covers the cut-out of the Second Piece plate.
The gradual shade of black color to transparent camouflaged the black plate behind it.
It blends seamlessly together, so you see them together as one black blade.
In addition, the clear shiny reflective acrylic plate also helps to block off the cut-out hole.
Then when the blade is slotted inside another lucent acrylic frame, it makes it even more difficult to detect the cut-out.
Initially I thought the bottom part on the the First piece plate has a strip of black color, to hide the hole of the Second piece underneath.
But I realized the straight border line of the black color across the plate, could be clearly seen by the naked eyes, as I illustrated below.
Then I spotted the blurred shading on the First Piece plate.
These images are captured from the videos, that show it uses the gradual shade of black.
Watch the front blade from 0:13 to 0:21, you can see there are two shades.
This is another scene of the front piece captured from the same video.
The top section is transparent, and it is laid on top of the full black plate (Second Piece).
Because of the gradual shading of the black color to see-through, and plus the reflective surface, visually it is not very noticeable.
Here is a high contrast image of the front plate, which shows two different colors.
How Tenyo Smart Guillotine Magic Trick Works
When they push the blade down, it is only the Second Piece plate with cut-out, slips all the way down to the bottom.
That is the piece that penetrates through the bill and finger.
The front partial transparent piece stops inside the transparent frame, as you can see from this side view picture.
All of them push the Second Piece plate down through the U-shaped cut-out at the back of the frame.
For instance, at 1:44, you can see this performer’s index finger pushes down only the back black color plate.
The transparent front piece edge is still at the same position in the picture below, captured from the video.
After the trick, they have to lift up the Second Piece blade until the bottom slot of the transparent frame.
Now the two blades are aligned; the cut-out hole is safely shielded by the lower black color of the front piece.
This is how Tenyo Smart Guillotine magic trick is done with a gimmick blade to achieve the penetration effect.
Psychology Behind Smart Guillotine Trick
The two psychological elements of this trick are optical illusion and Black Art.
Optical Illusions
Optical illusions are what our eyes see is one thing, but our brain interprets it differently.
The brain has a need to define reality based on objects that are familiar or that it has seen before.
Optical illusions play tricks on your brain and can make you see things that aren’t really there.
We see as one solid blade apparently penetrating through the bill or finger.
Because of the sheeny transparent acrylic material, it has reflections and refractions.
That confuses our vision from viewing it properly.
Black Art In Magic Tricks
Then we have what in magic tricks, we call it “Black Art”.
It is a principle where anything in black cannot be seen when placed against a black background.
It is a black-on-black method of disguise.
That’s how it concealed the cut-out hole of the bottom blade with the top piece.
Again, there are visual distractions of both reflections and refractions, as I have just mentioned.
These further help to hide its trick secret.
For instance, though you can see the cut-out from the side-view, but there is a reflection of the blade on the clear plastic stand.
They can even show you the side view of the prop, yet your eyes could not easily detect the gimmick easily because of refractions.
Customized Version Of Smart Guillotine
In fact, this demo video with the customized blade revealed to me the secret of the Smart Guillotine.
That it uses two plates to simulate as one solid blade.
At 0:41, when he slides the blade in and out of the bottom slot, you can see this white/silver color line at the frame edge (indicated by orange arrows).
I think that is the reflection of the top blade stopping at the slot edge, while the bottom blade with the cut-out goes past the round hole.
Look at his right hand movement, when he slots the blade into the guillotine frame.
From 0:40 to 0:43, before he inserts his finger into the round hole.
Then from 0:47, after he inserted his finger into the hole, watch his right hand, particularly his forefinger.
He lowers his hand slightly, so his forefinger can push down the bottom blade (black dotted lines) with the hidden cut-out.
Then when he wants to pull out the blade, he uses his thumb to hold onto the top blade from moving, while his forefinger drags the bottom gimmick blade upward.
I hope this should clear your puzzlement how the solid blade of the Tenyo Smart Guillotine could clearly go through the finger, without casing any harm.