gollan Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Can you crack nuts with your bare hands? Which ones? What technique do you use? I was looking for a practical application of my newfound grip strength over the holidays so I tried out to be a human nut cracker. It turns out I can crack walnuts in my palms by clasping my hands together. In all honesty some nuts require a bit of "body english" (i.e. the chest muscles get involved). And some walnuts just refuse to submit, which explains the lingering bruises on my palms. Anyway the pain of occasional failure is worth it for those walnuts that go CRUNCH at the first big squeeze. I tried other nuts without success (for now). You would think a strong pinch grip would be no match for a hazlenut (AKA "filbert"). One of my goals for the next holiday season is to crack hazlenuts with my pinch grip. Have you tried it? Can you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersqueeze Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I can crack peanuts. mike m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobsterone Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Some can be done by having more than one nut of the type in the hand. You press one against another. In this way they can all be broken - still hurts though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I wrote a entire thread about this very subject about a year ago. I could NOT crack a walnut with just one hand, but clasping two hands together and pressing it went quite easily. If ANYONE can completely smash a walnut with ONE hand, that would be incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersqueeze Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Brookfield (in his new book) offers this feat as a challenge. He lists five challenges, getting progressively harder. The one-hand walnut squeeze and shatter is challenge #3. Mike M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Mike, What were the others?.... if ya don't mind me asking. Yeah, I tried to crack one open by just putting it into my hand and squeezing it. It is one of those "deceptive feats of strength" - two hands pressing is no problem, but take a large walnut against one hand.... it didn't happen for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersqueeze Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Snott - #1) Breaking a key #2) Breaking a 60d nail #3) Walnut smash between thumb and forefinger #4) I can't remember ... something impossibly hard #5) Some funky muscle control thing about flexing any muscle in the forearm on command without moving any part of the hand ... impossible! Maybe someone else can remember #4 ... my book is at home and I an loafing while I should be working. Mike M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletTooth Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 #4) Crush an apple in flight with one hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog12000 Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I think the fourth feat Brookfield mentioned was tossing an apple into the air and grabbing then immediately crushing it with your hand. Supposedly our first president was capable of crushing a walnut between his index finger and thumb, which is feat 3...Wonder if Bush could manage this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gripper42004 Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I've seen John break the keys, even two at once it was awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongmitts Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 What did yall think about Brookfield's feat of flexing every muscle on command in his forearms? This is something I would like to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 StrongMitts, Thanks for starting this thread I forgot to check to see if Brookfield had put a new tip up...the towel ringing sounds like it'd be a fun struggle. Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 I tried the walnut cracking these last days, and I can do it with one hand! I have tried two different "brands" of walnuts. They were quite small though. However I dont crush them in my palm. My technique is the following: I circle my index finger around the "joint" of the nut, and press on it with my thumb. the middle finger might help. A bit akward, but not very hard (at least with the walnuts I tried) try it!! I think i couldn't do any much bigger nuts though, because of the size of my index finger. david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Does John claim to be able to control individual forearm muscles without moving his hand/fingers, or is he simply listing it as difficult? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terminator Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Joe, he claims to be able to do it. I would definitely love to see that. Is anyone trying to calibrate walnuts yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bender Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 This last Thanksgiving my boss's wife crushed a number of walnuts with one hand (though he couldn't ), and I crushed a bunch of them one-handed. My gripper best is only the #2 x 4 reps, and this woman is quite small. There has to be a number of different wallnuts or different ways of roasting... ah, does Brookfield mention if they are raw nuts or roasted? Now crushing a raw wallnut... I would also assume that most wallnuts are uncalibrated and vary greatly in strength. Just yesterday I took a batch of #3 wallnuts over to a buddies house, and he crushed them like nothing, exclaming that they were as easy as his #2 wallnuts. There needs to be some form of quality control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongmitts Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Bender, where the walnuts seasoned?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Hi, I'm a newbie here, and just received mine from the Walnuts Warehouse. I haven't opened the bag yet. Can anyone tell me if they're as hard as the ones from IronNuts? They don't taste very good after I crack them by hand. Does anyone else use chalk... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 I just got my bag from PBA (Peanut Butter Associates) after speaking to John. He calibrated my walnuts, and to tell you the truth, these nuts are easier than the ones from IronNuts. I have tried the ones from Walnuts Warehouse, especially the "Word Class Nut"... this is a nut I won't be cracking anytime soon! I heard Mister Peanut is the only one to crack it! .... wow, what nut strength! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Almost fell off my chair reading this thread! You guys are hillarious I'm jealous as I can't think of anything witty to add. Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gollan Posted January 10, 2003 Author Share Posted January 10, 2003 (edited) You guys are, uh, nuts! Edited January 10, 2003 by gollan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted January 11, 2003 Share Posted January 11, 2003 Hey, what can I say.... we're a bunch of nuts!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunny Posted January 11, 2003 Share Posted January 11, 2003 Was gonna add that you are all nuts But you beat me to it..... but I did manage to break a nutter cracker on a nut before chrimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted January 12, 2003 Share Posted January 12, 2003 I was wondering if there was any comments from the peanut gallery? Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted January 12, 2003 Share Posted January 12, 2003 I'm having mixed nut results applying all this to the KTA program. One hundred pounds is no problem on the strapholds, but that negative crush with my walnut isn't working so swell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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