Unofficial world record double sledgehammer lever

[Mike Rinderle]

19 minutes ago, Alawadhi said:

Sorry brother you got it wrong. He squatted 440 for 60 reps! A feat that might be replicated by the mighty hulk

Thanks for the correction brother!  My mistake.  It was those extra 10 reps every morning before his way to the outhouse  that made all the testosterone.  Didn't mean to shortchange him.

[EricMilfeld]

Joe, yours is one of the most impressive feats of hand/wrist strength I’ve ever seen. Easily. Congratulations!

It’s been a decade or so since I’ve watched the video of Slim establishing that world record at Madison Square Garden. But I’m almost certain he started with a front lever from the floor. Normally he would be resting his hands on a padded board to initiate the lift from the floor. If your hands are allowed to roll off the back of this board it gives a good deal of leverage and momentum. But even with the benefit of the board the front lever portion of the lift is going to be the most difficult part of the feat for most people. We need that video to study... Also, no disrespect to Slim intended, but were the hammers weighed and by whom?

 

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, EricMilfeld said:

Joe, yours is one of the most impressive feats of hand/wrist strength I’ve ever seen. Easily. Congratulations!

It’s been a decade or so since I’ve watched the video of Slim establishing that world record at Madison Square Garden. But I’m almost certain he started with a front lever from the floor. Normally he would be resting his hands on a padded board to initiate the lift from the floor. If your hands are allowed to roll off the back of this board it gives a good deal of leverage and momentum. But even with the benefit of the board the front lever portion of the lift is going to be the most difficult part of the feat for most people. We need that video to study... Also, no disrespect to Slim intended, but were the hammers weighed and by whom?

 

Thanks for the kind words,Eric, and the extra info. I plan on tweaking this, of course, to make it as clean as possible. First order of business is bigger bolts to secure the weights. I was literally trying to keep them from falling off from the pick up from the floor. Having the hammer weights secure will make it a ton easier for executing. Thanks again brother!

Edited May 5, 2019 by Guest

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Alawadhi said:

Oh a lot was going on here! First well done my brother and friend Joseph. You did great!!! And for the people who didn't speak there mind, yes having the hammers lower is a bit easier, but that is his first time with not so tight bolts. Joseph will get the 70 for sure. And yes guys I have Slim the hammer man Farmann DVD. He is STRONG and legit. Didn't claim anything out of this world. After all, he was swinging hammer 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. And yes the hammers were pinned in the DVD. He was 6'6" tall and have very wide hands and STRONG. Once he and Clay Edgin (a CoC #4 closer) had handshake war. Neither won despite clay being much younger (but hey handshake strength is not grip strength, it's hand anatomy mostly). Shows how strong he is. But Joseph here showed dominance. One thing is my concern, did Slim lever the hammers on his WR from the floor? I can't seem to remember that. If yes that is super strong!

He is a legend. A real living legend. Very strong in hammers.

Sorry brother you got it wrong. He squatted 440 for 60 reps! A feat that might be replicated by the mighty hulk.

I totally agree!

Thank you, Bader! I appreciate it very much!!

[king crusher]

Slim said he was 6'8.5" in that recent documentary I linked here. But as you age you lose height so I'm sure now hes 6'6"

[Alawadhi]

3 minutes ago, king crusher said:

Slim said he was 6'8.5" in that recent documentary I linked here. But as you age you lose height so I'm sure now hes 6'6"

My bad

[king crusher]

3 minutes ago, Alawadhi said:

My bad

No not at all bud, both heights are technically right just in different decades haha

[Rick Browne]

5 hours ago, Alawadhi said:

Oh a lot was going on here! First well done my brother and friend Joseph. You did great!!! And for the people who didn't speak there mind, yes having the hammers lower is a bit easier, but that is his first time with not so tight bolts. Joseph will get the 70 for sure. And yes guys I have Slim the hammer man Farmann DVD. He is STRONG and legit. Didn't claim anything out of this world. After all, he was swinging hammer 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. And yes the hammers were pinned in the DVD. He was 6'6" tall and have very wide hands and STRONG. Once he and Clay Edgin (a CoC #4 closer) had handshake war. Neither won despite clay being much younger (but hey handshake strength is not grip strength, it's hand anatomy mostly). Shows how strong he is. But Joseph here showed dominance. One thing is my concern, did Slim lever the hammers on his WR from the floor? I can't seem to remember that. If yes that is super strong!

He is a legend. A real living legend. Very strong in hammers.

Sorry brother you got it wrong. He squatted 440 for 60 reps! A feat that might be replicated by the mighty hulk.

I totally agree!

If I remember correctly, Edgin was given credit for the #4 close here (based on the Gripboard standard).  Edgin is not listed on Ironminds COC #4 list as a closer. Edgin however, held the record for the Silver Bullet hold with a #4 at one time.

[Alawadhi]

3 minutes ago, Rick Browne said:

If I remember correctly, Edgin was given credit for the #4 close here (based on the Gripboard standard).  Edgin is not listed on Ironminds COC #4 list as a closer. Edgin however, held the record for the Silver Bullet hold with a #4 at one time.

No. Reread what I said. I said a #4 closer, not a CoC #4 IronMind certified. He did close a #4 on video few times.

[Mike Rinderle]

 

2 hours ago, EricMilfeld said:

Joe, yours is one of the most impressive feats of hand/wrist strength I’ve ever seen. Easily. Congratulations!

It’s been a decade or so since I’ve watched the video of Slim establishing that world record at Madison Square Garden. But I’m almost certain he started with a front lever from the floor. Normally he would be resting his hands on a padded board to initiate the lift from the floor. If your hands are allowed to roll off the back of this board it gives a good deal of leverage and momentum. But even with the benefit of the board the front lever portion of the lift is going to be the most difficult part of the feat for most people. We need that video to study... Also, no disrespect to Slim intended, but were the hammers weighed and by whom?

 

He does a Slim lever to vertical on the floor, which is made much easier with his board setup and the fact that he is using pinned hammers so you aren't fighting the side to side motion.  Still no easy feat given the weight.  He then would rest the handles on his head and stand up.  While painful, that's the easy part.  He then extends the arms and does the lever to his face.  

The video below is a good example.  Every video I've seen him on he performs it like this.  At 39 seconds you get a good feel for his setup and how he gets up with them.  That's a tall fulcrum on a couple short hammers with counterweightson ends of the handles.  He just uses bodyweight to get em going and fights the last 40° or so, which is made easier by the momentum.  Again, very hard, but like any true showman, it looks harder than it is.  I think many of us could eventually get to this weight with this set up.  Not many (maybe only Joe) could actually get the final lever eventually. 

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Mike Rinderle

[Rick Browne]

10 minutes ago, Alawadhi said:

No. Reread what I said. I said a #4 closer, not a CoC #4 IronMind certified. He did close a #4 on video few times.

Yes, I read it. Maybe some, perhaps, can be mislead with the statement that he is a COC #4 closer and think he is certified??   Anyway, you know how it is here on the Gripboard.  Semantics given. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Rick Browne

[Hubgeezer]

A few random comments concerning Slim based on conversations with him 2006-2012:

I looked up something (conversation with him in 2012) and saw that at the 2010 AOBS Dinner (his last performance there, Age 76) he said there were 53 pounds on his contraption, and that he was training for the contest with 57 pounds. He said he would never perform if he was working with less than 50 lbs.

He said that The Atom taught him "panache", which seemed to be his word for showmanship. It was all about making things look easier than they were, not harder. In 2009, he was complaining to me that Stanless Steel would go beyond his own limits in a performance, and Slim did not approve of that approach. He said Stanley said something like "but Slim, no one wants to see someone easily lift something", to which Slim stated in a rather intense and loud manner "Yeah, but Stanley, can't you do something IN BETWEEN??!" 

Slim was an honest performer. Any grunts or staggers or pain/grimaces were not for show, they were real/authentic. Yes, with his height, long arms, training, and experience, it looked pretty dramatic, which was why he was the last of the Old Time Showmen, having come into the field a full generation after those who preceded him. 

I have watched 4 of those 6 recent videos, and they make me sad. Much of his macho swagger is gone, his memory is shot, and he was repeating himself quite a bit. Still, I appreciate being made aware of their existence, enjoyed them, and will watch all 6 of them. 

I do not believe, despite his saying he was 6 feet 8 plus, that he was ever that tall. In the mid-2000's, when I saw him the most, and he was in his mid-70s, he was probably 6 5"...in 2006, a young man who was 6’3” insisted to my son and I that Slim was under 6 ft 5; he was a kid hanging out in the hotel lobby who had joined those of us with Slim, who was doing a good job of Holding Court for a few hours.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Hubgeezer

[Rick Browne]

I like this  display of his Strongman venue. I have never seen wingnuts like the ones on his hammers. The wingnuts look like something used on a battleship (jking).

I  think in the 6 part documentary, it alluded to he lived in Pottstown Pa (?) Hey, Big Joe sullivan, I definitely see the pinned set up now

Edited May 5, 2019 by Rick Browne

[Mike Rinderle]

1 hour ago, Hubgeezer said:

A few random comments concerning Slim based on conversations with him 2006-2012:

I looked up something (conversation with him in 2012) and saw that at the 2010 AOBS Dinner (his last performance there, Age 76) he said there were 53 pounds on his contraption, and that he was training for the contest with 57 pounds. He said he would never perform if he was working with less than 50 lbs.

He said that The Atom taught him "panache", which seemed to be his word for showmanship. It was all about making things look easier than they were, not harder. In 2009, he was complaining to me that Stanless Steel would go beyond his own limits in a performance, and Slim did not approve of that approach. He said Stanley said something like "but Slim, no one wants to see someone easily lift something", to which Slim stated in a rather intense and loud manner "Yeah, but Stanley, can't you do something IN BETWEEN??!" 

Slim was an honest performer. Any grunts or staggers or pain/grimaces were not for show, they were real/authentic. Yes, with his height, long arms, training, and experience, it looked pretty dramatic, which was why he was the last of the Old Time Showmen, having come into the field a full generation after those who preceded him. 

I have watched 4 of those 6 recent videos, and they make me sad. Much of his macho swagger is gone, his memory is shot, and he was repeating himself quite a bit. Still, I appreciate being made aware of their existence, enjoyed them, and will watch all 6 of them. 

I do not believe, despite his saying he was 6 feet 8 plus, that he was ever that tall. In the mid-2000's, when I saw him the most, and he was in his mid-70s, he was probably 6 5"...in 2006, a young man who was 6’3” insisted to my son and I that Slim was under 6 ft 5; he was a kid hanging out in the hotel lobby who had joined those of us with Slim, who was doing a got job of Holding Court for a few hours.

Did he ever mention why he wore the thick leather wrist braces, used shorter than average sledges, and had counterweights on the ends of the handles?  Must have been to make it look easier than it was I guess...

Stan was the only performing strongman that regularly tried feats he wasn't absolutely sure he could do.  

Every other strongman does feats that he is sure of and makes them look like they are super hard with a lot of showmanship.  Not to belittle what Slim did.  He got so strong that something he could do show in and show out was more than anyone else on the planet could do for a max.  

Now Joe's going to destroy the record.

 

[Hubgeezer]

5 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

Did he ever mention why he wore the thick leather wrist braces, used shorter than average sledges, and had counterweights on the ends of the handles?  Must have been to make it look easier than it was I guess...

Stan was the only performing strongman that regularly tried feats he wasn't absolutely sure he could do.  

Every other strongman does feats that he is sure of and makes them look like they are super hard with a lot of showmanship.  Not to belittle what Slim did.  He got so strong that something he could do show in and show out was more than anyone else on the planet could do for a max.  

Now Joe's going to destroy the record.

 

a) No, I didn't ask him about leather wrist braces, "shorter than average sledges", or counterweights on the handles.

b) Stan was always absolutely sure he could do anything he attempted, even though he often would fail at the feat. That was what made Stan the unique person he was. In Slim's words "Stanley does not understand the meaning of the word 'can't'". That was why Stan did not achieve top tier billing on the level that others less talented than he did. 

c) I am not buying that Slim ever exaggerated the difficulty of any feat. His focus was so intense that it might have appeared that way, but there is something to be said about taking what you are doing extremely seriously. And Slim took everything he did extremely seriously. 

d) Joe very well may pull off 70 pounds Slim-style. My suggestion for Joe to meet with Slim would be through Stan. I would be happy to help arrange that. 

[climber511]

I have talked to Slim a couple times on the phone and in person several years ago.  We never discussed the leather wrist braces but I will guess they were as much for looks as for performance.  We did talk about the length of his hammers.  He said they were the length that when he dropped his arms down with the hammers standing up - his hands fell naturally to the ends where he wanted to grip them - he said it was a carry over from his working days.   He has very long arms and when I met him in person they were quite muscular..  His hands were "hard" feeling all over and he pretty much encircled my hand when we shook.  He was very striking and impressive to see.  I only had to speak with him for a minute or two to see the intensity for which he is so famous - kind and gracious but intense.  It was not discussed but I would think the chromed heads and weights, the fancier shined wooden handles and the wrapped grips were all part of the showmanship. 

[Rick Browne]

Quote

It was not discussed but I would think the chromed heads and weights, the fancier shined wooden handles and the wrapped grips were all part of the showmanship. 

Farman said he chromed the hammers because he liked how the lights of the venue where he performed  would shine and glint off of them. (Paraphrased a little here)

[Hubgeezer]

1 hour ago, climber511 said:

I have talked to Slim a couple times on the phone and in person several years ago.  We never discussed the leather wrist braces but I will guess they were as much for looks as for performance.  We did talk about the length of his hammers.  He said they were the length that when he dropped his arms down with the hammers standing up - his hands fell naturally to the ends where he wanted to grip them - he said it was a carry over from his working days.   He has very long arms and when I met him in person they were quite muscular..  His hands were "hard" feeling all over and he pretty much encircled my hand when we shook.  He was very striking and impressive to see.  I only had to speak with him for a minute or two to see the intensity for which he is so famous - kind and gracious but intense.  It was not discussed but I would think the chromed heads and weights, the fancier shined wooden handles and the wrapped grips were all part of the showmanship. 

Chris, somewhere I have a photo of you and Slim. I have no idea where it came from, because I thought my brother gave it to me. Do you have it, and where was it taken?

[climber511]

Mike - I cannot remember where we were - darn old man memory.  Just as information I am 6' 2" tall (or was where I was younger) - I'm guessing in that picture I'm around 190# or so?

[Mike Rinderle]

Awesome pic!  So Slim is only about 6'2 or 3?  His arms look like steel cables.  

[Rick Browne]

You have a piece of gold there Chris.... I would hate for that man to crack me upside the head with those knuckles....

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Mike Rinderle said:

Awesome pic!  So Slim is only about 6'2 or 3?  His arms look like steel cables.  

Wow, nowhere close to 6’6. I have a photo with Chris, I am just a hair above 6’3.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Guest

[Mike Rinderle]

Chris has the same photo with the two greatest sledge masters ever.  Pretty cool.

[Guest]

30 minutes ago, Mike Rinderle said:

Chris has the same photo with the two greatest sledge masters ever.  Pretty cool.

You are too kind, Rindo! 

[Hubgeezer]

I think Chris is closer to the camera. I can’t say what he is today at 84, but I suspect he was 6 4 then. Chris, you would remember if he seemed taller than you right? I am going to ask my brother where it was taken. At Age 70 he hasn’t forgotten anything yet.