Egg Bags - Senor Mardo or Tarbell ?

[David Nethery]

Although I am slightly embarrassed to admit my ignorance on this topic, perhaps some of you could clear up a little mystery for me:

I need a straight answer from someone who has owned and used both the "Senor Mardo Egg Bag" and the "Tarbell Egg Bag" .

What is the difference between those two egg bags , if any ?

I have read several discussions on Magic Cafe and other boards talking about various egg bags and why one is better than the other (some prefer the Malini/Charlie Miller bag, some like Tarbell, some like Senor Mardo) but sometimes it sounds like people say that Senor Mardo and Tarbell bags are basically the same thing , while other times people write as if there is a difference between Senor Mardo and Tarbell egg bags .

What's the real deal here ?

Is there any significant difference between the Senor Mardo egg bag and the Tarbell egg bag ?

Thanks.

[Kipp Sherry]

I haven't used an egg bag in years. The last time I did I used the Malini style bag. I haven't compare the differences between the different ones so I'm afraid I won't be much help. I just wanted to pipe in so that you didn't feel ignored.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

[David Nethery]

Originally Posted by Kipp Sherry

I just wanted to pipe in so that you didn't feel ignored.

Thanks , Kipp. No problem. Not feeling ignored. I can wait a bit .

Actually, I did a little more poking around and found this post on the Genii Forum from 2002 by the knowledgeable Mr. Pete Biro:

" the "Senor Mardo Egg Bag" is, in fact, the "Tarbell Egg Bag" (I don't know which volume it is in).

Senor Mardo moved from the East Coast to California, settling in Oakland, California for some time. He worked in the same shop I did, then openend (for a very short time) his own shop.

His wife (Lynn Castell, I believe) was an excellent seamstress and made the bags.

The key is the design. I used to bring Royal Stewart Tartan fabric back from England for the bags.

When Martin Lewis' Mum started to make the bags it revived a high-quality bag suitable for many routines.

Different in design than the Charlie Miller bag (called a Malini bag, but designed by Charlie and Harry Riser--who's wife made the first ones--and input from Persi Diaconis) which is a solid color.

IMHO the Miller/Malini bag is best for close up, the Tarbell/Mardo/Lewis bag best for parlour and stage. -Biro

So Pete is saying that the Senor Mardo bag is the same as the Tarbell Bag.

That's what I've been trying to figure out. I've been working with a Senor Mardo bag , but then recently someone told me "Well, you know the Tarbell Egg Bag is better" , but I could not get him to elaborate on why. To my eyes they look the same from comparing the Senor Mardo bag I have to photos of the Tarbell bag. I'm starting to think that the reason the "Senor Mardo" is named that way is simply because Senor Mardo (or rather his wife) became well known for supplying a high quality egg bag , so it started to be called the "Senor Mardo" bag, even though the design is basically the same as the "Tarbell Egg Bag" .