What happened to me was...

I was at a dinner in a hotel and was asked to do some spoonbending. Some of my friends knew I did stuff like that. Knowing how tough hotel silverware can be I declined, commenting that there wasnt any silverware on the table (we were using chopsticks), and it wouldnt be appropriate. I've only tried with thick silverware once before , it was hard but i succeeded to get a slight bend, so i wasnt too sure I could do it again.

A friend requested from a waiter a couple of clean forks for me. When the forks arrived, i weighed them, they felt kind light, so I thought maybe I could do it. yeah..feels bendable...

Under misdirection , I tried to do a quick bend (single handed) . The forks didnt even more a bit. Oh-oh, tried a different version , the 2 handed rub (ala osterlind) , also cannot budge....

So i gave up, gave an excuse saying " these are too hard ..." then openly tried to bend the fork with 2 hands without much success while saying " I can't even bend them with 2 hands, let alone my mind !!! "

Fork - 1 , me -0

Then later while everyone was eating, i snuck in a tine bend.....and when asked to repeat that on the other fork, i pretended to try for a while but said " it wont bend..., must be tired already"

guys, can give me some good excuses to use when the darn fork is just too strong?

Rainking,

In all my performances, I always bring my own forks and spoons but if i'm challenged to bend the hotel's one I'll try to avoid it by saying that the authorities don't allow me to do so. I wouldn't say that the metal is too hard, it don't sound nice.

However, if the customers insist me to in bending the metal and say that they are willing to pay for the damage then I'll bend the hotel's one. I mean the teaspoon not the dining one (this is way too hard even you often perform it). After my show I'll try to straigthern it back in the kitchen or else where before I leave the hotel. Of course I won't do the corkscrew twist and the liquid metal's tine bend flourish because I won't really want the customer to pay for the damage or neither will I want myself to get into trouble.

ScMonte

ahhhh,,dang !!!

thanks for the advise Monte.
Teaspoons,....I'll be sure to remember that.

Rainking,

>> thanks for the advise Monte.
Welcome.

o inform the manager of the restaurant or cafe that you'll be bending their metal but you'll be returning it in proper condition (if you are working there la). If you are not working there, just bend it lah, don't have to go through so much trouble. After that, you pandai-pandai fix it back without anyone noticing it.

ScMonte

Samuel Chong,you're so evil :o haha!...next time they clean up the table they'll see an uneven spoon and thought the chef cooked something too hard till the spoon end up bending lol!...Jeff Gan,remember about...TEA!!!...sry off topic,just a way to help you remember about teaspoons since you've recently had you know bad memory lol jk jk...you'll definitely remember if you like english tea,I like chinese tea though haha

I have another suggestion..

I personally find teaspoon to be a little too small and one time, i discovered.......dessert spoon or ice cream spoon.

They are usually abt the size of a teaspoon but the handle is very much longer. So it looks big and the bends are more visible.

I was performing close-up & stage magic in a hotel last Friday. I accidentally left my close-up kit at home without knowing :wacko:

I quickly find 2 deck of cards, coins, dessert spoons (that's what I mean when I said teaspoon in the previous post :P ), some napkin and what ever I could grap and use.

I told the manager that I'll buy the dessert spoons from the hotel as I'll be twisting and breaking them (This is my paid show hence I have to spoil a couple of them). He said he'll collect the money from me after the show. Who know at the end of the show, he told me that I don't have to pay a cent for those spoons :!!:

A lot people find it hard to put a corkscrew shape on a spoon; you'll find it even harder to put it on a dessert spoon. 2 years ago, I came up with a technique that you could put on a corkscrew shape on a normal spoon easily without having strong hand or feeling pain B). And, I found this technique to be useful with a dessert spoon too after the show. I only taught this technique to 2 people only and they like it very much because it's simply yet deceptive. However for this technique, spoon works a lot easier compare to fork.

Good thing Jeff told me about balancing magic and learning well...more than just cards...I used me onl do card magic,after you told me about the grabing napkin stuff,spoons and all I felt lucky I went for the gathering or I'lll be stuck with no tricks if I forgot to bring my cards haha...now I'm starting to do ropes,tissues,tubes,spoons,etc...I'm not a restuarant magician though haha

Jarrett, when I move around I do not carry any cards and when I am cornered to do close-up magic I would do effects with items that look normal and unsuspecting.

It doesn't mean I don't do cards - and when I do I make sure their eyeballs get blown off.

Here's what I usually do.

With empty hands I would appear a 50 cents coin from the audience hand - usually a lady's hand and never a guys hand (rough like sandpaper, man). After they get over the surprise and have inspected the coin - I will multiply it to 2 coins.

After that with the 2 coins I would do a coin-transposition effect (coin disappearing from one hand and appearing in another hand). Sometimes instead of from hand to hand I would do - from hand to glass (if there is a drinking glass around). Then I would make the coins go through the table. As a finale I would make both coins disappear totally.

That means I would begin with nothing and end with nothing.

If they want to see more I would do the torn and restored money with teir money and again multiply the RM 1.00 note to two. Give them back their RM 1.00 and then I proceed to turn it into RM 50.00. When this happens people always want the RM 50.00 - so again I would end it by disappearing the money.

I always like to start with nothing and end with nothing.

Let us take a look at another angle - If we are REAL magicians what would we do? Wave our hands and something appears and point our fingers and something disappear, right?

So as a 'magician' we should follow this concept closely. A magician should be able to do anything, right?

Another scenario - if a lady happens to have some rubber bands or hair bands then I would use them to do some magic effects.

If they happen to have tissue papers, I will perform tissue balls effects or produce money with their tissues. If there are sweets or chocolate around I will also use them - so I try not to use magic items but people's items.

There was a time when I was with kids and they have a lot of small little toy cars around their house - so I did the following - one car disappearing and joining another car in my other hand. I did color changing car too - yellow car to red car - and my finale was disappearing their favorite car and appear from their pocket. It was fun seeing their expressions.

$$$$ sign will always excite the lay audience - even if you are using 10 cents coins or RM 1.00 notes. No need to use RM 100.00 or 50 cents if you happen not to have them.

I don't carry anything around when I go out anywhere. I am ready for any events empty handed.

Hope this little story inspire you, Isaac.

Ooh...ic...nice visual routine...erm...do you mind telling me what type of "DVD's" or magician I should refer to if I want to learn these "impromptu" tricks? :unsure:

DVD Title: "The Magic of James Tong - Vol 1"

James, are you pulling our legs or does such a DVD really exist?
If it does exist, you can be sure many of us would want to buy a copy :D

I will be announcing the release of my books (hard covers and soft covers), lecture notes, DVDs in my Magic Newsletter. A notice will be posted for anyone interested to receive their free subscription of my Magic Newsletter.

It is actually one of my goals - to be the first Malaysian to release books and DVDs and then sell them to the western market.

Yes, a big thumbs up for Malaysia - MALAYSIA BOLEH!

wow.. awesome....

ur the mr eugene burger of malaysia... eh eh... no no... that our good old Mr Jeff Gan. hehe

James, its great man.. i like ya enthusiasm and ya confidence in Msian magic. It would be cool to see the release of ya DVDs!

wah.. Magic Of James Tong Vol 1-? so cool man.

Wat does this cover? Close up, stage? Card Manipulations, Billiard Ball manipulation? wow... cant wait to see its contents!

U damn right man!... .MALAYSIA BOLEH.... JAMES TONG LAGI BOLEH... dan SAYA PUN BOLEH.... :D ;) That the attitude rite? lol Keep it up!

All the best man!
Brendan

I dont think the real Eugene Burger would be very flattered by what u call me. :D

on bending heavy cutlery : use your environment.

Wah,I was stunned for a second about "The magic of James Tong" till you told us about your future releases...erm,whats the link to your magic newsletter?If you're selling stuff there I will buy a copy of those DVD's!Malaysia boleh!!!James Tong pun boleh!Brendan pun boleh!(Why the heck am I repeating everything again when Brendan has already said it???)Who cares! Jarrett pun boleh!Keep it up Mr.James!Good luck to all your releases!