Take 2 10-foot-long lengths of rope or thick string and double them over on themselves. Tie their centers loosely together with a piece of thread.
Pick up the ropes from your table, holding your left hand over the center held together with thread. Invite 2 volunteers and your assistant or an audience member wearing a coat to join you on the stage.
Put the hand holding the rope behind the coat of the audience member or your assistant, and slide your hands to grip each end of the rope gently on either side of him.
Hand one end of the rope to each of your 2 volunteers. Take one end of rope from each volunteer and gently tie a single knot over the chest of your assistant. Return the rope to the hands of the volunteers.
Instruct the tied person to take 2 steps back while the volunteers hold the rope tightly. At this time, the thread will break and the rope will appear in front of his body, as if it has passed through him.
Cut a 3-inch piece off the string or rope prior to your show. Place it in your left hand, doubled, with the loop end facing towards your fingers before you begin to do this trick.
Take a 3-foot length of rope or string and show it to the audience to prove that it is whole. Place the rope over your right hand so that it is folded in half.
Place the rope in your left hand, allowing the ends to hang. Give the illusion that you are passing the rope through your hand to hold the loop tightly, but instead pass the short rope through to make the loop.
Call up an audience member and give her scissors to cut the loop made by the rope. Take the scissors from her and trim away the remaining parts of the short string.
Take the ends of the long rope with each hand, which will let the center hang down, showing that the cut rope has been restored.