Fundamental Tricks and Combos
These are tricks that serve as a basis for most other tricks. These tricks are generally well-known, and are perhaps easier to perform than others. Ayone should start with these first.
ThumbAround Normal
Description: One of the most well-known tricks around the world, the ThumbAround makes the pen spin AROUND your thumb. The Normal version spins counter-clockwise for a right-handed person. This should not be confused with a ThumbSpin Normal, which spins on TOP of the Thumb. This video is seen from the top.
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Sonic Normal
Description: Another common trick is the Sonic. This standard version makes the pen to travel from one finger to another, in a motion that some people describe as "jumping". This trick is known for its speed and its high rate of success (once you've learned it, that is). This video contains the respective views: side, front, and top.
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FingerPass Normal
Description: This trick has the pen rolling down the fingers first, then back up, indefinitely. A well-known variation of the FingerPass if Boris' trick with a pen (watch 007 Golden Eye). Video from the side.
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FingerPass Normal - top view
Description: The FingerPass viewed from the top.
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More Tricks
Other tricks that are not fundamental tricks, but have not yet been categorized.
Fingerless ThumbAround
Description: This is a variation of the ThumbAround Normal. The pen spins around the Thumb as usual; however, there's no fingers to push the pen!!! This trick makes for an interesting show off among those who already know the ThumbAround Normal. View from the top.
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Leigun
Description: A deadly weapon. Used in an open field, this trick can shoot the pen over the a room's length with minimal hand movement. The video only shows the pen traveling a short distance, but you can see the basic technique in action (note: in real life, the pen does not need to be caught). There are actually three variations of this trick: shooting forward, shooting backward, and in place. Never use this trick against a living target. View from the top.
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BackAround
Description: This is one of the most original and versatile tricks around (thanks to David Weis for inventing it). The move looks cool, and can be linked from almost any trick. This is similar to an IndexAround Reverse, but note that the pen touches the skin between the index and middle fingers during the spin. The force is also provided by the movement of the hand instead of a finger push. View from the top.
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Combos
By combining two or more tricks together, you can create combos that will baffle your audience. Here are some combos ranging from the common, the unusual, to the very difficult ones.
Double ThumbAround Normal
Description: This is a short, yet very difficult combo to perform. It is basically a ThumbAround Normal followed by a Fingerless ThumbAround Normal. Viewed from top.
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Infinity Normal
Description: The Infinity was first named because it resembles the mathematical symbol for infinity (a sideways eight) when looked from the proper angle. This combo has a very unusual look, since the pen held at one end (most tricks hold the pen around the center). It also uses a different way of spinning the pen, which make the tip of the pen go "through" the fingers. This video shows a view from the top, which doesn't allow you to quite see the infinity symbol.
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Double Infinity Normal
Description: The Double Infinity is a variation of the Infinity, in which the pen not only goes through Thumb-Index and Index-Middle, but also through Middle-Ring. No, this combo is not performing two Infinities in sequence.
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Reverse to BackAround
Description: This combo is one of David Weis's signature moves. I have performed it here to illustrate how it must be done, but
I don't claim to be an expert at it. You can visit David Weis's Pencil Spinning site for his original video.
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A NeoBak Combo
Description: This combo is something that I've worked on for over two years. It consists of a Fake Reverse, followed by a NeoBak, followed by a BackAround-23-12. The difficulty lies in connecting the last BackAround because the pen either falls off easily, or it gets stuck. Not to mention how awkward your hand feels when doing this combo. The view is from the top.
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SuperHandz Clips
These videos were taken from the SuperHandz Pen Spinning video I made a while ago. To see the whole video, visit
FingerPass Combo
Description: A simple combo with part of the FingerPass Reverse at the end. For some reason, this combo flows really smoothly, and is one of my favorites. Viewed from the side.
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Half Taps and Cont. 360s
Description: Cotinuous HalfTaps and Continous ThumbArounds. This trick is done using a really long pencil (twice the length of a regular pencil). Viewed from the top.
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Infinity Combo
Description: Some linkage with variations of the Infinity, ending with a toss. Viewed from the front.
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Tutorials
These are instructional videos that teach you how to perform a trick.
ThumbAround Normal
Description: This tutorial teaches you how to make the pen spin AROUND your thumb. Although it is one of the fundamental tricks, it has a very high drop rate, so don't get frustrated when trying.
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