Magic Trick Thumb Off

Effect:
The magician pinches his thumb and wiggles it. Upon which, he pulls it off his hand
and drags across his own finger. Moments later, he returns it to the stump where it
magically restores itself.
Famous Connections:
This trick has been performed throughout the ages, most recently it was performed by
‘Teller’, from ‘Penn & Teller’, on the Fear Factor 2002 Celebrity Special.
It has also been performed by ‘Dan Harlan’ and ‘Meir Yedid’ in their videos and on
their Television Appearances.
Method:
The right hand thumb takes the place of the left hand thumb.
Performance:
Pinch the Left thumb with the Right thumb, forefinger and index fingers and show the
Thumb to the audience. Have the right ring and pinkie fingers curled into the palm of
the hand, and try to keep them there throughout the trick.

Rotate the left hand, using the thumb as the pivot point, in a stationary position. When
the fingers of the left hand rotate to a flat position, start to bring the hand back down.
It is at this moment that you perform the move to get into position. (So the big
movement on the left hand rotating hides the small movement of exchanging the
thumbs).
In one swift motion, curl the right thumb into the palm and bring the two fingers over
the thumb so that it protrudes between them, like so:

Simultaneously, fold the left thumb so that the tip goes into the palm, but the base
remains in view.

Both of these actions are done at the same time on top of the left hand. It should
match up, so that the two thumbs meet together like so:

Cover the gab, where the two thumbs meet with the two fingers (Right forefinger and
index finger) to create the illusion that it is just one thumb.

Wiggle the thumb to prove it is real.
When ready, keep the thumb wiggling, and slide the right hand over the left
forefinger, supposedly separating the thumb.

If wanted you can remove the thumb off the hand altogether.

To restore the thumb, return the thumbs so that they are next to each other and rotate
the right hand into the body, bringing the right thumb out-of-view. The two right
fingers are dragged over the left thumb, which simultaneously pops back up over the
hand and is pinched with the right fingers and thumb once again.
This puts you back into a similar position as in the beginning and helps create the
illusion that the same thumb was used throughout the trick.
Upon which, let go and show the thumb has once again been restored.
Variations:
Earlier versions of this trick had the ring and pinkie fingers hanging over the hand,
creating a visual obstruction. By tucking them into the palm, you create cleaner and
more visual illusion.
Keeping the stump of the left thumb in view is another new twist, which helps perfect
the trick.
The wiggling of the thumb is also a new feature, which helps the audience believe it is
a real thumb.