phonebook record

[Guest JoeQ1966]

I heard on the radio that some guy was going to try and break the phonebook tearing record..He is a pastor and a older guy,I think he was going to tear around 70 phonebooks in a row or something like that..has anyone else heard of this..and also is there any pics on phonebook tearing that show starting hand positions and techniques.

              thanks     Joe

[Roark]

Joe,

Use the search button (to the right of the clenched

fist logo) and search for phone or phone book- there are

some refs. There is a wealth of info in the back pages.

Happy hunting.

[AnimalCage]

JoeQ,

I began tearing phone books about 6 months ago.  Hopefully I can give a beginner's perspective.  I've tried tearing both through the spine and top to bottom.  Though many say spine-tearing is easier, I find that I have more control tearing top to bottom.  I think the tears come out cleaner.  

I start with the book on my left leg, spine facing inside.  Why?  I'm not sure yet.  It just feels more stable during the initial tear.  I grasp the book with fingers over the top, then underneath.  My left hand is a thumbless grip, with the book braced against the base of my thumb.  I create a crease on the top of the book, then begin tearing along the crease.  Usually, getting the outsides to tear isn't too hard, it's the middle pages that cause difficulty.  Then it's just a matter of applying pressure in opposite directions (down and left with left, up and right with right).   Once the tear goes through the entire top, it's a matter of keeping the tear straight through the rest of the book.  I still brace the book on my leg during the tear.  

I will probably take more pictures soon to show my hand position and tear progression.  Check out www.taralane.com/training/training.html to see a few of my best efforts.  Lastly, please remember that this is how I do it.   There are many opinions out there.  Try them all, and decide what works best for you.  Hope this has helped.

Alan