Jump to content

Steel Benders Hall Of Fame


Mike Rinderle

Recommended Posts

Just now, EricMilfeld said:

I'm no longer a moderator in these here parts, but ya'll need to stop all this good ol" days bending talk before I start crying .  It's making me nostalgic and melancholy...

They've almost got me sucked back in Eric.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

They've almost got me sucked back in Eric.  

I understand.  It would probably destroy my powerlifting training... it is, after all, the crack cocaine of the grip of world.  Damn...

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, EricMilfeld said:

I understand.  It would probably destroy my powerlifting training... it is, after all, the crack cocaine of the grip of world.  Damn...

Exactly.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, EricMilfeld said:

I understand.  It would probably destroy my powerlifting training... it is, after all, the crack cocaine of the grip of world.  Damn...

Do you still bend Eric?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Fisher 47 said:

Do you still bend Eric?

I’ll do a reverse grip or a horseshoe if the opportunity presents itself. Long bar sounds like fun, but double-over is not something I’d want to subject my joints to. I’ve got all I can do to stay healthy for bench pressing. I do miss it at times!

Edited by EricMilfeld
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With shipping and wraps, it would be $64 for 4 bars.  Little steep just to hurt myself.  

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/12/2018 at 6:39 PM, EricMilfeld said:

I'm no longer a moderator in these here parts, but ya'll need to stop all this good ol" days bending talk before I start crying .  It's making me nostalgic and melancholy...

image.png.9bb1c7390f4c32c931a9818cacd3f482.png

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

image.png.9bb1c7390f4c32c931a9818cacd3f482.png

That seems like forever ago, and at the same time like yesterday.  I used some ballistic nylon for that bend, similar to IM pads.  This was right after I had to recertify on the Red because I used a piece of beach towel. I quickly recerted and became the first to certify on the Red under the new rule Randy made as a result of my fluffy towel:  IM pads must be used. The IM pads were a little easier, as the single towel absorbed a lot of the force and got in the way on the crush. Unbeknownst to me at the time, others had used leather. I was subjected to a lot of questioning about my bending style back then from a small group of folks convinced I was using an easier, less valid technique.  Prior to me explaining my technique on this board, double overhand wasn't even a term.  A couple of others had used the technique, but none of us knew what they were doing exactly.  There were only single still photos to suggest a technique.  Basically, through trial and error I developed my own technique, which became known as double overhand (although I'm not suggesting I invented the technique, I just discovered it for myself and explained it to everyone). It was probably Gavin Holle, but he wasn't on the board to share how he bent it.  People were assuming he just sort of used nothing but wrist power to bend it, with the sort of torque you would use to snap a twig at arm's length.   Certainly a mixed bag of feelings from that era.  

Edited by EricMilfeld
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, EricMilfeld said:

That seems like forever ago, and at the same time like yesterday.  I used some ballistic nylon for that bend, similar to IM pads.  This was right after I had to recertify on the Red because I used a piece of beach towel. I quickly recerted and became the first to certify on the Red under the new rule Randy made as a result of my fluffy towel:  IM pads must be used. The IM pads were a little easier, as the single towel absorbed a lot of the force and got in the way on the crush. Unbeknownst to me at the time, others had used leather. I was subjected to a lot of questioning about my bending style back then from a small group of folks convinced I was using an easier, less valid technique.  Prior to me explaining my technique on this board, double overhand wasn't even a term.  A couple of others had used the technique, but none of us knew what they were doing exactly.  There were only single still photos to suggest a technique.  Basically, through trial and error I developed my own technique, which became known as double overhand (although I'm not suggesting I invented the technique, I just discovered it for myself and explained it to everyone). It was probably Gavin Holle, but he wasn't on the board to share how he bent it.  People were assuming he just sort of used nothing but wrist power to bend it, with the sort of torque you would use to snap a twig at arm's length.   Certainly a mixed bag of feelings from that era.  

Eric, you helped me with my bending more than I can ever thank you for!  Technique tips, patient back-and-forth on basic bending training, encouragement, everything I needed to finally move past the moderate bender level to the elite levels (back then, probably not 10 years later in 2018) of unbraced bending.  :rock

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, EricMilfeld said:

Basically, through trial and error I developed my own technique, which became known as double overhand (although I'm not suggesting I invented the technique, I just discovered it for myself and explained it to everyone). It was probably Gavin Holle, but he wasn't on the board to share how he bent it.  People were assuming he just sort of used nothing but wrist power to bend it, with the sort of torque you would use to snap a twig at arm's length.   Certainly a mixed bag of feelings from that era.  

It’s really interesting to think about how much the flow of information has changed sports like this.

I wasn’t around at the time - did people before Holle mainly reverse the Red? DU it?

and if you don’t mind my asking, what gave you the idea to experiment with a DO technique?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, bencrush said:

Eric, you helped me with my bending more than I can ever thank you for!  Technique tips, patient back-and-forth on basic bending training, encouragement, everything I needed to finally move past the moderate bender level to the elite levels (back then, probably not 10 years later in 2018) of unbraced bending.  :rock

Thank you for that, Ben. Part of my motivation for trying to help guys like you was so I could get a better idea of how I would compare to gifted guys with some serious training under their belts using good technique. You didn’t disappoint! And of course the more benders the merrier. And as everyone from back in the day already knows, Ben was always willing to share all of his expertise with anyone who asked. 

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, EricMilfeld said:

Thank you for that, Ben. Part of my motivation for trying to help guys like you was so I could get a better idea of how I would compare to gifted guys with some serious training under their belts using good technique. You didn’t disappoint! And of course the more benders the merrier. And as everyone from back in the day already knows, Ben was always willing to share all of his expertise with anyone who asked. 

The two of you (along with Aaron) were why I got to the paltry levels I reached.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, bencrush said:

Eric, you helped me with my bending more than I can ever thank you for!  Technique tips, patient back-and-forth on basic bending training, encouragement, everything I needed to finally move past the moderate bender level to the elite levels (back then, probably not 10 years later in 2018) of unbraced bending.  :rock

I don't see people lining up to smash fantastics.  One hard little mother.  Could never get one past that 2 3/4 ish mark.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

The two of you (along with Aaron) were why I got to the paltry levels I reached.

Paltry. Ha. 

But thank you, Mike! Yeah, Aaron came to one of my contests and showed us all what was up. Always loved the way he’d turn on that intensity switch. Like Clark Kent on pcp. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tom Flesher said:

It’s really interesting to think about how much the flow of information has changed sports like this.

I wasn’t around at the time - did people before Holle mainly reverse the Red? DU it?

and if you don’t mind my asking, what gave you the idea to experiment with a DO technique?

Well, rumor had it that John Brookfield braced his Red cert. Not sure if that was ever substantiated. David Ostlund did a painful looking double under, and I wanna say James Smith (Shrug on the board) used the same. But the conventional wisdom of the day was that you started nails with a reverse grip. That’s what I used when I started in 2003. My first Red and first Red cert were both started reverse style. I may have been the only guy certing that way up until that point; not sure. 

I started bending with shop rags and graduated to single pieces of towel. As I approached Red level the steel had habit of tearing through the towel. Luckily Chris Caffery turned me onto these blue squares of nearly impenetrable fabric from IM. So then I started laying a single unfolded IM pad under the towel. That’s what I did for my first cert. The very first Red I bent was done with a single piece of towel alone. One accusation I received was I was bending Reds by pulling on the ends of the towel. If that can be done I’d love to see it. 😆 Lots of times the towel would tear apart in the bend, which speaks to how towel is not the best bending pad; not only do you have to exert enough force to bend the steel, but you must tear apart a towel. So my progression from reverse to double over was a matter of degrees. As the steel got harder my degree of kink with reverse grip began to shrink. And once the puncture issue was resolved I slowly discovered I didn’t even need that initial reverse grip kink. But certainly training with towels toughened my hands and strengthened my grip and wrists. 

Edited by EricMilfeld
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Mike Rinderle said:

I don't see people lining up to smash fantastics.  One hard little mother.  Could never get one past that 2 3/4 ish mark.

Because its not so fantastic it seems. Ill see myself out.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Donc101 said:

Thanks for the history @EricMilfeld. Very interesting. How did you get into bending? How many years did you bend seriously for?

You’re very welcome. 

I guess mainly it was all the talk on the Gripboard about the IronMind nails. I remember thinking it would be really cool to get to Blue Nail level or even a real 60D nail. So I went to Home Depot and got some 3/16” and 1/4” round hrs. I became instantly addicted. 

I bent seriously from 2003 to maybe 2010.

Edited by EricMilfeld
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, EricMilfeld said:

You’re very welcome. 

I guess mainly it was all the talk on the Gripboard about the IronMind nails. I remember thinking it would be really cool to get to Blue Nail level or even a real 60D nail. So I went to Home Depot and got some 3/16” and 1/4” round hrs. I became instantly addicted. 

I bent seriously from 2003 to maybe 2011 or 12.  

What was your favorite aspect of bending? What made it so fun for you, I guess would be the better question. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, KapMan said:

What was your favorite aspect of bending? What made it so fun for you, I guess would be the better question. 

In general terms ever since I was a kid I’ve been a little obsessed with bettering myself at physical pursuits. But specifically, there were several things that I liked. The fact that you had a tangible momento of your accomplishment after your bend was appealing. Just the seemingly impossibleness of what it was you were attempting. The feel of the steel yielding to your power and determination. The sheer variety of objects and styles to attempt and master. The fact that it was often a long drawn out battle leaving you totally spent. And for the same reason I love deadlifts; mental state and desire is everything. I’ve never been able to psyche my self up to the point of performing better than expected on say a bench press or thick bar lift. But with bending there was always another level of effort and madness that would yield success. 

  • Like 7
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, EricMilfeld said:

In general terms ever since I was a kid I’ve been a little obsessed with bettering myself at physical pursuits. But specifically, there were several things that I liked. The fact that you had a tangible momento of your accomplishment after your bend was appealing. Just the seemingly impossibleness of what it was you were attempting. The feel of the steel yielding to your power and determination. The sheer variety of objects and styles to attempt and master. The fact that it was often a long drawn out battle leaving you totally spent. And for the same reason I love deadlifts; mental state and desire is everything. I’ve never been able to psyche my self up to the point of performing better than expected on say a bench press or thick bar lift. But with bending there was always another level of effort and madness that would yield success. 

This.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/5/2018 at 1:48 PM, KapMan said:

Dont think ive seen this. Adam. the man is pretty crafty. I think our community is lucky to have dudes who tinker constantly. 

Thanks for the mention @Andrew Dube

I meant to make some to gift at gripmas.... time is always a factor.  I need to tweak the design some as I've learned a lot from using my set.

I've changed my mind on them being used for volume.  I think they would be best suited to try out a length of stock.  In other words, if you bent a 5/8" X 28" last week and want to try 5/8" X 27" this week, why not use the cheater bars?  That way you are only using 12" of material.  My braced bending journey led me to have 10-15 bars kinked at various spots (i'll finish them one day) leading me to try to come up with something better.  In the case I mentioned, you if you failed the 27" after multiple attempts, you could open the handles up to finish the bend.  Conversely, if you are getting stuck on the sweep, you could kink at a longer length, and just work on the sweep at the length you want.  

Honestly, If I thought there were even 2 people interested in these I would probable make a run of them.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Adam Juncker said:

Thanks for the mention @Andrew Dube

I meant to make some to gift at gripmas.... time is always a factor.  I need to tweak the design some as I've learned a lot from using my set.

I've changed my mind on them being used for volume.  I think they would be best suited to try out a length of stock.  In other words, if you bent a 5/8" X 28" last week and want to try 5/8" X 27" this week, why not use the cheater bars?  That way you are only using 12" of material.  My braced bending journey led me to have 10-15 bars kinked at various spots (i'll finish them one day) leading me to try to come up with something better.  In the case I mentioned, you if you failed the 27" after multiple attempts, you could open the handles up to finish the bend.  Conversely, if you are getting stuck on the sweep, you could kink at a longer length, and just work on the sweep at the length you want.  

Honestly, If I thought there were even 2 people interested in these I would probable make a run of them.  

Im sure theres more then two

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.