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I think that's why it's a good thing to study up on a number of methods if you're going to get into metal bending.
Done right - it is something that can build your reputation quickly so you need to think about a lot more than just 'the effect'.

Yeah, but what other non-gimmicked impromptu metal bending routines are their?

Dan

Well their's my routine..

I have posted on this before - do a search. Actually - I just re-compiled a list, but felt that the list itself was a bit too much like exposure - so I posted it in the mentalist section.

Shame i can't access the Mentalist section. I can't see how using you're routine can enable you to bend high quality steel cutlery at a moments notice. Not without gimmicks anyway.

Dan

There's enough stuff 'lying around' the forum to give you what you need. Obviously there is stuff that can't be bent, but it is possible to bend high quality stainless steel cutlery if you know how.
If you ever get the chance to go to "The floating Lotus" at Canary Warf - have a look at their cutlery. It's pretty heavy duty. I was asked to demonstrate a spoon bend with that (by the restaurant) and I did (even twisted it).

As I said - there are a number of methods that don't require gimmicks and it is a good idea to learn them if you're in a situation like that. There are also a few ways to make a spoon bend without it actually bending - it just really looks like it. "It's not the spoon that bends.." (I'm serious, though)

DW wrote:Shame i can't access the Mentalist section. I can't see how using you're routine can enable you to bend high quality steel cutlery at a moments notice. Not without gimmicks anyway.

Dan

Something Banachek brings out as does Guy Bavli in his tapes, is to think beyond your own hands... you have an entire body to work with, just learn proper misdirection.

Several years ago I was at a Mentalist's gathering here in New England and the gang went to a nice dinning establishement one evening. No sooner than we'd sat down, than Steve was "twisting" a fork. Bear in mind, we'd just sat down, there was no way he could have had things "pre-arranged" etc. and yet, he blew us all away at a second's notice.

BTW... the flatware in this establishment was very tough stainless... several of the gang tried bending it via the normal route and couldn't, let alone what must be done to create a twist.

Yes, I'm quite aware as to what really happened and how Steve managed to get one over on us. But, it is from his years of experience and literally competing with the likes of Uri Gellar, that's allowed Steve to garner such ability. Anyone can do it, it just take 20 or so years experience and THINKING... it's not instantaneous and it does require discipline.

I don't expect to be able to do this sort of work instantaniously and without practice. I have had the Banacheck dvd for about 18 months but have not yet performed it because i don't feel compatant enough yet, and need more practice. It just got me thinking as to how i would manage bending extra tough steel cutlery. Does Banacheck or anyone else have anymore notes available on the subject?

Dan

Don't worry about the heavy duty stuff yet. Don't try fly before you can walk..

Banachek's dvd is brilliant. You don't need to do the whole routine - start with parts of it and build up confidence. Go out and get about 50 forks and just do it over and over again. Then get some more and perform it a couple of 100 times or so (for people - not the mirror ) and you'll start feeling more comfortable with it. All you need to know is there - misdirection, using movement, suggestion etc. etc.

Such a wise bit of advice

I've been doing Psychic styled bits since the mid-1980s and even toyed around with it a bit in the 70s when I was still in high school... the whole destruction of innocent keys, spoons & forks just never really appealed to me... I've done it and I've had fun with it, but other than a very brief time in my early 90's show seasons, I just reached the point to where I found it a non-practical, non-climatic stunt... that includes the Wine Glass bit (based on Ted Lesley's idea) I did for a while in Vegas...

I still do PK Time but only because I have a logical way for it to fit the program, not the case with all the other stuff which, in my opinion, belongs in a ghost show... a good old faishoned Seance... that's when it really creeps people out... or so I've found.

Today far too many magic buffs are doing it and because of this, I feel they've ruined what was once a great bit of Mentalism. Not because they do it poorly (though many do) but becuase too many people are doing it. When it was rare and a novelty, then it had impact but not so in today's world... it's slowly loosing public appreciation as a "legit" mystery and become "another cheap trick".

It's something to think about.

But remember, you were once a 'magic buff', and you have contributed to making it a so called 'cheap trick'. Just making a point.

Dan

Craig Browning wrote:Today far too many magic buffs are doing it and because of this, I feel they've ruined what was once a great bit of Mentalism. Not because they do it poorly (though many do) but becuase too many people are doing it. When it was rare and a novelty, then it had impact but not so in today's world... it's slowly loosing public appreciation as a "legit" mystery and become "another cheap trick".

I agree - and it is very unfortunate (One of the reason I posted my list of books in the mentalism only section - although it's probably a futile exercise). In South Africa there aren't too many people doing it so I still get some milage out of metal bending - in fact I've caused quite a stir in my home town and often people come to the restaurant just to see 'the guy who bends forks'. I'm sometimes hired just to do 'cutlery sculpting' as I've started calling it. But - it is catching on and I think that I need to start dropping it - which is a shame because I really enjoy it.

I'm playing with some other ideas, though. I've seen a few guys selling forks that have been twisted (by mechanical means) at fairs. I'm starting to think there may be some money to be made setting up a stall and bending cutlery while people watch and then selling it. One of the twists I do - no-one else here does and it turns the fork into a great business card holder

DW wrote:But remember, you were once a 'magic buff', and you have contributed to making it a so called 'cheap trick'. Just making a point.

Dan

Ahhh...you obviously have no clue about who I am and my past

My "magic buff" days were between the ages of 4 and 9... I've been on stage or working behind the scenes at tech levels ever since.

Sure, I've had my fubars... we all do. But I have always had the ear and voice of older, more seasoned performers coaching and directing me; people I was more or less "trained" to pay attention to. Something our present generation don't care to do too terribly much... that is, listen to and respecting the older, more experienced folks out there.

The other side of the coin... the point that you evedently missed, given your retort ... is the fact that everyone is out there chasing a trend. One classic example is the idiot that used The Mother of All Book Tests in their birthday party shows for 10 year old kids... that wasn't insult enough, they did it in full clown drag -- white face, bright neon wig, etc.

Why would anyone want to devalue such a priceless work of genius in this manner unless it is out of direct ignorance or blantant disrespect to the whole of mentalism?

This kind of situation -- the mixing of strong mentalism with magic -- is what I was referring to in that the newbies to this field have not cleaned out their ears and LISTENED to the discussions concerning the nuances involved with mentalism and how they contrast to magic, etc. Their "greed" as it were, to be able to do the same "tricks" they see the big boys doing, is where the harm comes into play and that is exactly where I, Knepper and others are coming from when it comes to the plethora of folk tormenting harmless flatware around the globe these days.

I understand your point. The buffoon in the clown costume presenting 'the mother of all book tests' to ten year old kids does show a blatant disrespect for the art of mentalism. I also understand that doing, say, a classic 'pick a card, any card' trick then going on to melt a fork with 'the power of you mind' does devalue the latter effect greatly, and that the two forms shouldn't really be mixed. Don't get me wrong, i appreciate your years of experience.

Dan

DW wrote:I understand your point. The buffoon in the clown costume presenting 'the mother of all book tests' to ten year old kids does show a blatant disrespect for the art of mentalism. I also understand that doing, say, a classic 'pick a card, any card' trick then going on to melt a fork with 'the power of you mind' does devalue the latter effect greatly, and that the two forms shouldn't really be mixed. Don't get me wrong, i appreciate your years of experience.

Dan

What makes the whole MoAB & Clown thing hurt the most is the person that did was the President of a major magic fraternity group

He should've known better.

Dan