An Add on to Tom Fenton’s Phoenix 2 Review (A Comparison of the TF Phoenix Cups Verses the RNT2 Phoenix 2 Cups)
The following is not really a review but a companion piece to Tom Fenton’s fine review of the RNT2 Phoenix 2 Cups; a comparison of the original Tom Frank Cups to the new RNT2 version.
The Back Story-I am a sentimental kind of guy so I want to share my Back Story to the RNT2 Phoenix 2 Cups. If you have read my other postings you know that I have returned to magic after a long absence. It has now been a year or so that I have returned to magic, at best I consider myself a serious hobbyist. During this time, I have made many good friends here at CupsCon and The Magic Café. The first person to really reach out to me in the beginning was Tom Fenton. From day one we have hit it off… probably because we like close-up magic, but most of all Cups. We each dabble in cards, coins and such, but it is Cups that we really care about.
Through our postings to one another, Tom always expressed his desire for a set of RNT2 Phoenix 2 Cups. I am so happy for Tom that he finally got a set that he waited so long for. I believe to this day that they are still Tom’s favorite Cups.
Tom, I want to say publicly thank you for becoming one of my best friends, even though we have never met in person. I so enjoy our conversations discussing Cups, magic, families and the hundreds of other things we talk about. I look forward to the day that we actually meet.
Ok… I am ready for the BFF jokes.
Since the time Tom has received his Phoenix 2 Cups and has given me the rundown on them, I too desired a set. Having recently seen a set listed for sale at TMC I thought now is the time to get them. Boy I am glad that I did… what a wonderful set of Cups they are, Tom was right.
The Phoenix (The Bird)-A Phoenix is a mythical bird with a tail of beautiful gold and red plumage. It has a 500 to 1,000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of myrrh twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises, reborn anew to live again. The new Phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self.
The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — it is also said that it can heal a person with a tear from its eyes and make them temporarily immune to death. The Phoenix is a symbol of fire and divinity.
The Phoenix (The Cups)-The first I ever heard of the TF Phoenix Cups was at the end of the 90’s. I suppose they received their name by being reproductions of the Charlie Miller Cups which were a copy of the Ross Bertrman Cups… get it as it relates to the story of the bird? I am sure that if Bill Palmer reads this that Bill could fill in all the details (his comments are always welcomed).
The TF Phoenix Cups were packaged in a neat wooden box that contained the Cups, balls, wand and a numbered certificate of authenticity. They were marketed as being quite the value…. “Why pay $200.00 or more for just the cups? You receive everything shown for only… $199.95”
The TF Phoenix Cups were thought to be a good street Cup, many praised the Cups for being so resilient to street life… they could be dropped, wacked with a wand, etc and still survive. They were often described as being “as tuff as a tank.”
Those that did not care for them complained that they had no attic space to speak of, wobbled when stacked, the mouth bead was not tight enough to the Cup and would not hold a very large final load.
Go forward several years (I believe around 2005) and RNT2 introduced a new set of Phoenix Cups with Tom Franks blessings, the Phoenix 2 Cups. From what I remember Jake of RNT2 spent almost 2 years designing the new Cups. The Phoenix 2 Cups addressed all that was thought wrong with the original Cups.
My Phoenix Cups-I purchased my set of TF Cups a while back for a good price, they were used but everything was in good condition (Photo 1). The set that I have is set numbered 385 of 1000. I believe that only 500 sets were numbered and sold as A Cups, the rest were sold off as B Cups or seconds.
The RNT2 Phoenix Cups that I purchased were used, I think what made me pull the trigger on them was the fact that this set came with the original embroidered Phoenix Bag (Photo 3). I understand that the Cups now are being sold with plain velvet like bags.
I can attest that Jake fixed all that was thought to be wrong with the original Cups; however doing so the Phoenix 2 Cups only slightly resemble the originals in appearance.
Let’s take a look:Attic Space; Photo 4 shows each set with 3 balls stacked under the top Cup. I never found this to be a problem.
Stack Wobble; Photo 5 shows each set stacked. Yes the Phoenix 2 stands straight and for the most part so do the TF Phoenix, until one kind of forces the issue.
Mouth Bead; Photo 6 shows the difference between the 2 Cups. The Phoenix 2 is very tight and the TF Phoenix is canyon like with its gap. I read that Tom Frank never thought this to be an issue and was surprised how Cup collectors thought this was a problem. I fell that the large gap gives the Cups character and an old world feel.
The Final Load; Photos 7 & 8 shows the Phoenix 2 Cup with Wilson tennis balls, they accommodate them with room to spare. Photo 9 shows the TF Phoenix Cup and how the Wilson ball barley fits in the Cup (the Cup on the left contains an off brand tennis ball, it does fit in the Cup). Photos 10 & 11 shows the TF Phoenix Cups with the off brand tennis balls. The TF Cups will also hold a lacrosse ball with no problem.
Balls/Wand/Box-The original TF Phoenix Cups came with some very unique balls and a wand made of ironwood. I replaced the balls with a set from The Ambitious Card; they are a set of balls that use mouse balls as their core. I prefer them because they are very heavy. The Phoenix 2 Cups came with standard RNT2 knit balls. I made a wand that I think looks better then the ironwood wand. It is made of oak with copper tips (Photos 12 thru 14).
As nice as the box is that came with the TF Phoenix Cups, I made a box to display and house the Cups that looks more befitting of the Cups. To me the Cups look very old the original box looks very contemporary (Photos 15 & 16).
Conclusion-What can I say, I never seen a set of Cups that I don’t like. I would recommend each for your consideration. I do not know if Tom Frank still offers new sets of his Phoenix Cups. I have seen used sets selling complete for around $100. The RNT2 Phoenix Cups are still available new for $350; however RNT2 will be closing shop very soon. Each set are on my top 10 favorite Cup list. Thank you Tom for turning me on to the Phoenix 2 Cups.
I welcome any comments or questions.
Photo 1
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http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/IMG_1294.jpgPhoto 9
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http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/IMG_1308.jpgPhoto 15
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/IMG_1306.jpgPhoto 16
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