by IanKendall » Jan 9th, '07, 00:19
Since I've been mentioned in this thread I thought I'd chime in.
Blockhead is certainly not for everyone. However, it is certainly for some of us, but please get some personal instruction from a proficient performer first. The potential for damage is very real, but it's more of a pain thing than a death thing.
Interestingly, I had a conversation with Ian Rowland about blockhead a couple of years ago. His story involved Derren seeing Ian do the routine, and then telling him that he didn't see the switch of the nail. Ian took a long time to convince him that it was a real nail and there was no switch...
If you do decide to try it, go slow at first. Very slow. If you encounter resistance at anything less than three inches STOP, because you've hit something that you shouldn't. I've had a couple of painful incidents over the years, but nothing lasting. Oh, and don't do it at restaurants - I got a bollocking once because although I had asked the table if they wanted to see it, an elderly couple across the room were watching and didn't like it...
Take care, Ian