Bare Hand Bending

[mossman]

i started bending a few weeks ago, after playing with a sledge for a few weeks like the info on benders website said. I already put down a 40D , a 6'' timber tie, and kinked a 60 a bit. i know i am moving fast, but after getting john brookfield's art of steel bending vid, i want to learn how to toughen my hands to bend bare. I know this is dangerous, since my idol bill pearl put a 70 penny into his hand doing this. does any one know how to train to bend bare?

moss

[Rekx]

My first advice was going to be "don't do it", but on second thought I guess there coul dbe a method to the madness.

I would sugest starting with comfortabel pads and maybe every couple of weeks make them thinner.

For instance, many people (including myself) double and even quadruple fold my rags. So you could unfold as you go.

my $.02

[Big Steve]

Take some ez stock, say 1/4 x 6'' file the ends down well. And just bend it. Finding somewhere to hide the point in your hand will take time. See if you can put it on a callous or fold in a skin. Then from there it's all mental.

[DAN PETERSON]

I tried this once or twice. I would advice against it unless you like bloody palms and some pain.

[mossman]

to be honest, yes i like pain, and i am slightly unstable , i gues you have to be to talk on this board all jokes aside thanks for the info.....i would like to toughen my hands enough to be able to bend a 60 unpadded..... maybe i could use bare for smaller bends?

thanks much guys

[suterp]

I haven't done much bending, and honestly one of the things that's always turned me off to it is all the wrapping/padding. Reminds me equipped powerlifting. I prefer strength feats that don't require external aids.

I like the idea of bending slightly longer bars, like 8+ inches, without padding. I don't understand the fascination with short bending, where the ends poke into your hands.

[Mikael Siversson]

I find bending bars longer than about 7'' a very wobbly affair.

[RSW]

Use long enough stock that your hands fit completely on it (8"+). It would also help to use larger diameters of softer metal such as 3/8" and 1/2" diameter Aluminum. I would forget about doing 60D nails for now.

As your hands toughen I would progress to HRS stell stock with filed ends.

[Octogen]

As well as bending easier stock barehanded why not try some specific skin toughening.

I know a lot of martial arts guys use special lotions on their hands as well as doing stuff like sand grabbing moving up to gravel grabbing or striking the hands against stones or rope wrapped posts.

This would probably toughen up your hands for bare bending but your hands might end up looking a bit ugly!

[mossman]

Octogen, why didnt i think of that? i am a practicing martial artist, have been for 5 years... duh on my part ....can you give me the name of some lotions?

[amaury]

I've tried it with a 5.5*140mm nail once (during a meet in Switzerland) without removing the head and the end of the nail. I managed to put a real kink in it but had to stop because of pain in spite of the gimmick "pain is just an information" in my head during the whole process. It burst some veins in my hand but no blood. I also fully bent a good sized but very long threaded bolt at work (sic) bare handed and this time there was blood.

I don't encourage that type of bending in a comp but still think it can be funny to SLOWLY train to bend nails this way

[Octogen]

I'm not sure of any specific brands of skin toughening lotion because the only martial arts I do involve whacking people with swords but i'm sure if you have a poke around the net you should be able to find something.

Personally the first thing I would try would be thrusting my hands into sand, then coarse sand, fine smooth gravel, larger rougher gravel etc up to whatever you can handle. I reckon that a few months of building up to thrusting and grabbing gravel would give you hands like leather gloves.