sleight of hand Archives

Metal Bending – 5 Reasons Why Metal Bending is Strong Magic

Metal Bending is a genre of Mentalism that has become a lot more popular in recent years. For many years however, it was very rarely seen and only ever spoken about when people mentioned Uri Gellar in conversation.

What Uri Gellar did with some simple and direct demonstrations of metal bending was amazing. He inspired almost everyone who owned a television at that time to believe in the power of mind over matter. Millions of people worldwide would be heard shouting “BEND” at their TV screens on a Saturday night just willing a fork to bend in Uri’s hands!

This is how powerful metal bending can be.

Here are 5 reasons why metal bending still is some of the strongest magic you can perform.

1) A lot of people still believe telekinesis is possible.

To a lot of people telekinesis is an ability we all have but just can’t tap into, so if you can portray the illusion that you can tap into your ability then it instantly is more believable than say, a card repeatedly coming to the top of a deck of playing cards. Metal bending is believed to be a real phenomenon, (which it may be, who knows?!) to a lot of people. Therefore, if a spectator were to encounter metal bending in real life then this experience would be much like if they spoke with a psychic or fortune teller. They automatically believe that it is real as their primary belief is that it IS possible to do.

2) It cannot be explained as sleight of hand by a lay person.

Any card trick can be explained in the eyes of a spectator as ‘sleight of hand’. Now, nearly everyone who says this does not understand what sleight of hand really is. Sayings like ‘the hand is faster than the eye’ or ‘very good with your hands’ are the extent of the explanations you will receive from a lay person when asked what they think sleight of hand is. Metal bending does not fall into this trap (unless performed very badly). It cannot be explained as ‘being clever with your hands’.

3) Some visual bends are undeniable.

Thanks to some amazing minds in magic such as Banachek, Morgan Strebler and Dee Christopher there are some very visual bends that can be performed with regular metal cutlery that are undeniable. What do I mean by that? I mean that the spectator sees the metal bending before their very eyes. It is the old saying, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ the spectator’s see it, so they believe it.

4) There is lasting evidence of the magic that occurred.

Metal bending is one of the types of magic tricks that finishes with evidence of what has just happened. You begin with a straight, regular fork or key, coin or nail, and you end with it bent, distorted or twisted, it is proof of what has just occurred. Also, it is a very bizarre sight, no one in their right mind would actually bend their cutlery, so the image of a twisted and bent fork is a very strong and bizarre image.

5) Metal Bending is still shrouded in mystery.

Everybody has seen, or knows a simple card trick, even if it is just the one with three piles of seven cards! There has been tonnes of exposure and trick decks sold in toy stores; There are whole sections in magic books for beginners on Card Magic Tricks, some are common knowledge, and although most of the secrets are still secret the mystery has been lost, the performer, with his or her performance, can bring back the mystery and feel of magic, but card tricks especially are seen as tricks, not magic. Metal Bending is still mysterious and not common place in magic sets, toy stores or even in magic shops, this certainly helps gives you the edge as a performer.

As mentioned previously, metal bending has become more popular in recent years, thanks to magicians such as Banchek, Dee Christopher and Morgan Strebler. So studying and learning some of these secret techniques is easier than ever before.

Dry Hands Vs. Sleight of Hand – How Magicians can Improve their Sleight of Hand

by Merchant of Magic 2 Comments

Michael asks: ‘I have very dry hands, do you have any tips on how to manage this to help my sleight of hand magic tricks?‘

Problems with dry hands are a frequent question we get asked at the Magic Shop. It is a problem that many people have to deal with, and it really can be a hindrance to you when learning sleight of hand routines and other magic tricks.

Drink plenty of water.

In order to stay healthy, your skin needs a decent amount of water to be internally ingested each day. 2 Litres or more of water is the recommended daily amount. If you drink at least this amount, then this is the first step to helping your skin be as supple as possible and preventing dry hands that make sleight of hand harder to perform. Even if you don’t suffer from dry hands, having a bottle of water in your close up magic case is a very wise move.

Moisturising regime

Let’s face it, it is the year 2018, and metrosexuality has been embraced. It is no longer taboo for a man to crack out the moisturiser from his man bag and give his hands a good moisturising rub! If you wash your hands with lukewarm water, (not hot water this breaks down natural oils the hands produce), the damp skin will absorb the moisturiser much better.

Protect your hands

Protecting your skin is key if you suffer form dry hands. Dryness can sometimes be linked to sensitive skin and exposure to irritating substances can cause your skin to react badly. If you are handling anything that could be considered as an irritant, then be sure to wear gloves. Washing up the dishes to topping up oil in your car, from using bleaches and harsh cleaners to applying rubber cement to a gimmick always be sure to protect your skin. A simple box of latex gloves will last you a very long time and help keep the skin on your hands in tip top condition. As you master sleight of hand, your hands become professional tools. Protect your hands as a musician would protect their instrument.

Use a moisturising soap

When washing your hands don’t use a regular soap bar or soap that doesn’t have a moisturiser combined with it. Make sure you have a moisturising bar or bottle of soap in every place at both home and work that you regularly wash your hands. It may be a bit more expensive but can you put a price on soft skin?!?

Extremely dry hands

If your hands are extremely dry, you can rub a thin layer of Vaseline (or petroleum jelly) on your hands at night. If you then wear cotton socks (or cotton gloves) on your hands, they will provide a barrier and retain the moisturising benefit of the Vaseline. This routine should be repeated each night. If you do this, and keep hydrated you will be sure to see an improvement in your skin condition and your sleight of hand.

Moisturisers for dry hands to check out:

Vaseline Intensive Care Hand and Nail Lotion

Atrixo Regenerating Treatment

Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment

Moisturising Products specifically for magicians:

Hand Lotion

Magician’s Choice Formula

As a magician, your hands are your greatest asset. Taking a little time to look after them is a wise investment. Regular use of a hand cream will help combat dry hands and improve your sleight of hand.

Useless Sleight of Hand – Sleight of Hand Vs Magicians

by Merchant of Magic 2 Comments

Is the sleight of hand you are learning leading anywhere?

What do we mean by useless sleight of hand? Useless sleight of hand is anything you don’t have an actual use for right at that moment. It’s sleight of hand that has been studied and practiced just for the sake of it.

‘These individuals have riches just as we say we have a fever, when really the fever has us.‘ – Seneca 4BC-65AD

Don’t collect moves without tricks. The moves will begin to control you.

Do you hang out with other magicians? If you do, you will have met a LOT of very skilled magicians who know just about every sleight or flourish going. They somehow seem to be overnight experts on THE current fashionable move being promoted in a just released magic DVD. They delight in showing you 5 different colour changes, an undetectable pass, their one handed farrow shuffle, and a La Paul spread that turns you green. It’s very easy to be disheartened by their skills.

Why aren’t I that good at sleight of hand? I practice as much as possible. What have they got, that I haven’t?

Knowing a huge range of useless sleight of hand moves, doesn’t make you a magician:

‘John? Oh yes, he’s an author you know! Yes, yes, well.. he hasn’t actually written anything yet, but he can type 70 words per minute! He’s a total master of the keyboard. Did you know, he even knows all the keyboard shortcut keys! I hear at the moment he is working on several advanced ways to cut and paste some text!‘

Before you envy them too much, ask them to show you their best magic trick. Judge them on THAT, not the individual sleight of hand moves they can perform. If they are magicians, their primary goal should be learning and performing magic. If they are collecting and mastering useless sleight of hand techniques, that’s something else instead. It could be flourishing, it may be juggling, it could even be wasting time, but it’s not working towards a goal of performing magic.

There’s nothing wrong with the past-time of learning card magic technique. After all, it could be possible to create an act which featured a demonstration of unassociated card moves and techniques. Flourishing can work really well build into an act. However, if YOUR goal is to become a master magician, then your efforts should be different to those of someone wanting to learn new variations of sleights.

What impresses the magic shop team magicians?

Like most magicians, we like watching good sleight of hand. A perfected one handed colour change is a thing of beauty. However, when a magician shows us a move built into a magic trick or routine, in a way that complements and enhances the routine, we get excited and have more respect for the magician.

Do This: Look for the best magic tricks that suit you, then master the moves and sleight of hand for THOSE tricks. If you don’t have an application for a sleight of hand technique, make note of it, but put it aside until you do.

Disassociated moves and random flourishes distract you and eat up time you could be using to become a better magician.

Ditch your useless sleight of hand and focus on what interests you and what you will actually use.