The Bending Spoon

The Bending Spoon magic trick tutorial — performance preview

Category: Kids Magic · Difficulty: 1/5

An ordinary borrowed spoon visibly bends in your hand — Uri Geller's career-defining piece, in 30 seconds.

You'll Need This to Perform the Trick

Bending Spoon Magic Gimmick (silver-finish) — A pre-prepared bend-and-restore spoon designed to take repeated 'breakages' without snapping. Includes the standard 'snap-off' gimmick.

Step-by-Step Performance Guide

  1. 1. Borrow a Spoon — Borrow a spoon from a diner or audience member. Show it from all angles — clearly solid, clearly straight.
  2. 2. Concentrate — Hold the spoon vertically by the handle. Stroke the neck of the spoon gently with your finger. Stare with focus.
  3. 3. The Bend — The spoon visibly droops. Slowly the bowl of the spoon falls forward 90 degrees, as if the metal has melted.
  4. 4. Restore — Hand the bent spoon back to the spectator — or restore it back to straight before you return it. Their choice changes the trick's meaning.

The Secret Behind the Trick

  1. 1. The Pre-Bend — If using a borrowed spoon, you secretly pre-bend the neck of the spoon while it's hidden in your hand. The bend is invisible from straight-on but obvious from the side.
  2. 2. The Visual Bend — Rotate the spoon slowly while you 'stroke' it. As you rotate, the existing bend rotates *into the viewer's sightline* — the bend appears to grow from nothing.
  3. 3. Restore by Switch — If you want to restore the spoon, switch it for an unbent identical spoon hidden in your hand. The bent one goes into your pocket.

Tags: bending spoon, Uri Geller, mentalism