Why not forks or knives?

[zer0vector]

I've been thinking a bit recently about why Uri Gellar chooses to bend spoons, rather than some other piece of fine dining ware. I don't know how much this has been discussed, but here are my thoughts. Most people are under the impression that silverware is pretty tough stuff, being metal and all, so it's understandable why uses it, but why not forks or knives? The simple answer I've been able to come up with is as follows.

Out of our three silverware drawer buddies, we need to choose one easy to bend quickly and possible with a single hand. The fork and the spoon both have a weak spot between the handle and the service end, where the metal is rather narrow. As well, they're both curved, aiding in bending. The knife has neither of these features, so it's out.

Now, to bend a fork or spoon in one hand, the easiest way (that I've found through dinnertime experimentation) is to place the end of the handle into the heel of the hand, and the service end on the fingers. Then you simply close your hand, like making a fist, and you get a nice bend. It becomes painfully apparent why forks are not bent in this manner, namely, it hurts a lot and leaves some telling marks. This leaves only Gellar's old buddy, the spoon.

This is pure speculation of course, and I'm open to any opinions on the matter.

[roger]

Clearly it's because the parabolic shape of the spoon focuses his mental energy.

:D

[scribble]

"I'll rip his heart out with a spoon!"

"Why a spoon - not a knife?"

"It'll hurt more, idiot!"

[Producer]

Done With Mirrors (http://www.earfloss.com/cd/page175_vs_pr_8910908.html)

Good CD!

[El Greco]

Because if he accidentally flings a fork or knife while mind-bending it, he may seriously hurt someone.

[WildCat]

Because "spoon" rhymes with "buffoon".




Damn, I wasted my 1000th post on a lame joke like that?

[Producer]

Congrates Wildcat. I still need to keep posting to get an avatar.

[Beleth]

Because he's not STAB-MAN. He's not MURDER BOY. He's The Blue Raj-... I mean, he's Uri Geller.

[VicosciaDrive]

I think that's a remarkably significant observation! The fact that Geller (and others like him) do not bend silverware indiscriminate of the function is quite revealing! I wonder why noone has ever presented a knife to these folks for bending...

[teddygrahams]

Why not a 1/4" by 1" strip of aluminum foil ? Could you ask for anything easier to bend with your mind ?

[DarkMagician]

I can bend a spoon with my mind.
*sets spoon on table*
*slams head into table*
*passes out*
*several hours pass*
*regains consciousness*
As you can see, the spoon is-- Sonofa!

[zer0vector]

Originally posted by Beleth
Because he's not STAB-MAN. He's not MURDER BOY. He's The Blue Raj-... I mean, he's Uri Geller.

Good reference, I haven't seen that movie in such a long time.

"God's given me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well."

[epepke]

He bends keys too. Especially under running water, where there's a nice solid pipe with a key-sized hole in it for leverage.

[Trebuchet]

From a practical standpoint, the knives in many sets of stainless flatware are made of different alloys than the spoons. They need to be a bit harder, and hence stronger, for their intended function. You can sometimes check this out with a magnet -- the knife will be magnetic and the spoon will not. Geller will naturally want to chose the piece that bends with the least force, making it easier to disguise what he's doing.

[zer0vector]

Originally posted by epepke
He bends keys too. Especially under running water, where there's a nice solid pipe with a key-sized hole in it for leverage.

Oh yes, I forgot about the keys. Bending a normal size key in one hand would be quite a challenge, since it's so small and the grooves are going to give it much more stability to lateral bending. Does anyone know of a case where he's bent a key without some obvious aid, ie. hard surfaces, other tools? Also, does he use his own keys or some just random ones people give him? I'm guessing if you were to heat a key up and cool it slowly the metal would be considerably softer.

[epepke]

Originally posted by zer0vector
Oh yes, I forgot about the keys. Bending a normal size key in one hand would be quite a challenge, since it's so small and the grooves are going to give it much more stability to lateral bending. Does anyone know of a case where he's bent a key without some obvious aid, ie. hard surfaces, other tools? Also, does he use his own keys or some just random ones people give him? I'm guessing if you were to heat a key up and cool it slowly the metal would be considerably softer.

The aluminum ones, which used to be all the rage during Geller's heyday, are quite easy to bend with just finger force, which is probably why you don't see them around much any more. They were popular because they came in pretty anodized colors. When I was a kid I did make a digital lock using one, based on the fact that the anodized part is an insulator, but it also scrapes off pretty easily. The brass ones are not so easy, but you can buy keybenders in any decently equipped magic shop. Or make your own. They're easily concealed.