Whit Haydn & Phillipe Petit: What?s The Connection?Inside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Phillipe Petit

Okay, you have to be in our diseased mind to understand the subtle, perhaps non-existent, connection between incredible magician Whit Haydn and the best wire walker in history, Phillipe Petit.

Are you ready to take that journey to the heart of darkness?

Mr. Haydn, the magician?s magician, performs the Mongolian Pop Knot. Mr. Petit walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Both have written outstanding books.

Stick with us.

Mr. Haydn says as part of his Mongolian Pop Knot routine, ?here I have an ordinary piece of rope; just as you might find in any bedroom.? Mr. Petit is an expert in the tying and binding of ropes and cords.

Clifford Ashley has written The Ashley Book of Knots. Mr. Petit reviewed it today in the Times of London. Mr. Haydn is always on our mind when we think of knots or ropes.

It is no secret to regular readers of Inside Magic, that our first vocational choice was to be a wire walker. We were inspired by Mr. Petit and the Wallendas to work the slack wire and then the higher tight wire but never had the ability of these famous names. Our only performance at 20? proved we were without the nerve to perform the high wire repeatedly. (This was without a net or pole).

The Ashley Book of Knots will…

Phillipe Petit

Okay, you have to be in our diseased mind to understand the subtle, perhaps non-existent, connection between incredible magician Whit Haydn and the best wire walker in history, Phillipe Petit.

Are you ready to take that journey to the heart of darkness?

Mr. Haydn, the magician?s magician, performs the Mongolian Pop Knot. Mr. Petit walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Both have written outstanding books.

Stick with us.

Clifford Ashley has written The Ashley Book of Knots. Mr. Petit reviewed it today in the Times of London. Mr. Haydn is always on our mind when we think of knots or ropes.

The Ashley Book of Knots will soon be in our library. We just ordered it based on Mr. Petit?s outstanding review.

Mr. Petit writes:

But why knot? Ah! What do you know about knot-tying, one of the earliest of human activities (the people of the Stone Age regularly tied the sheet bend)? What?s the purpose of a rope if you don?t know how to tie a knot? Isn?t a rope without a knot useless? How many knots do you have at your fingertips? One? That?s OK. Three? Swell. Five? Congratulations! I reckon you know the difference between the reef knot and its cousin the granny knot, which slips and jams.

Mr. Petit proceeds to identify the various knots described in the book as well as their use in every day life. There is even a section about magic tricks with knots.

If you are into knots like Mr. Haydn, Mr. Petit or me, you should read this review.

Check it out here.