Slydini’s Broken Spoon Mystery by Bill Wisch

Original Publication Date: November, 21, 1999

An innocent spoon... Until Slydini sat down at the Table

What Slydini did with items on a table and with certain items of food and condiments are legendary. This is another example.

Everyone knows the time-honored spoon bending effect...the one where you seem to bend the shaft of the spoon (or fork) and then display it being perfectly straight to the amazement of the spectators. I, along with many magicians, use this a lot at restaurants and the effect is very powerful if done in an off-handed fashion. However, Slydini had his own way of performing this and I want to put it into print (cyber-print) to get it onto the record. I'm sure this never has been written up about Slydini before.

This is really knowledge as opposed to a secret. Assuming you know how the bending works and you have your favorite handling, then incorporating this "Slydini information" will give you opportunity for expansion in your routine and in the overall spectator effect.

Go to a place that has lots of mismatched pieces of silverware/flatware. I know of stores that have odd-lot, buy-outs or discontinued/damaged merchandise. Usually they have a big box of different spoons, forks, knives and other types of eating utensils for practically no cost. Buy one each of spoons and forks that have different patterns at the end. Some are fancy and others are very plain, like what you see in most diners. Still others have patterns that are relatively common. Select about five or six varieties.

Now when you get home put each one in a vise and use a hack-saw to cut about two inches off the end of each spoon or fork. You'll have a nice collection of mixed patterns that you can put into a small envelope and keep.

Slydini had about three basic pattern "ends" with him in his pocket. He told me that when he was out with non-magicians and first sat down in a restaurant he would go into his pocket and secretly select the end that matched the pattern of the fork or spoon he was given to eat with. He would keep that end handy until the right time.

After he would perform the standard bending effect someone would almost always insist to, "do that again!". At that point Slydini would already have the small end in his right hand. It would be no problem at all to bring the right hand up with the fake end and set up to do the same bending move as before. But this time THE END WOULD BREAK OFF (or at least it appeared that way to the spectators)!

With the real spoon shaft hidden by the left hand and the small end of the gimmick sticking out of the right hand just a little bit (enough so that the spectators can see the pattern of the end) by the right thumb, it really looked as if the shaft snapped in two. Slydini never ever exposed the end. He kept it in his right hand and only the pattern was ever seen by the audience.

He added a lot of theatrics at this point by looking up and giving a surprised "OH NO!" look. Then he would look around as if to see if any of the waiters were watching and then sheepishly he would bring the spoon up to his mouth and give it a "little blow". Then he would show the spoon or fork complete again and toss it onto the table. People would freak out! They actually saw the spoon or fork broken!

Naturally, as he was looking around for the waiter, everyone was looking at his face and there was no problem lapping the fake end. I never heard anyone ask him to do it again but if someone did I'm sure Slydini would have said something like, "I better quit while I'm ahead".

Most master magicians like Slydini, Leipzig, Malini, Blackstone Sr., Vernon, Scarne and a number of others, never thought it to be too much trouble to save a certain effect for precisely the right time, even if they had to go without doing it. Once you get to that level, magic becomes a fun-filled, adventure as opposed to just a performance, for both your audience and yourself as well. The effects created at those times are the ones people talk about for years to come...reputation makers, if you will.

I have used this Slydini version and it is outstanding. Take the time and small amount of trouble to get and prepare the items and the handling you need and you'll have something truly unique.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!