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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.
· 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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