Alchemist: Screw Driver
SansMinds Productionz
What if you could bend it with your mind, in the open, on your spectator's hand as everyone watches reinforced steel conform to your mental will? Now, you can.
The perfect effect for stage, close-up, parlor and tv, metal bending has captured the attention of millions and is one of the strongest mentalist effects around. Watch the look on your spectator's face when the cold metal starts to tighten and curve in their hand. It's a moment they'll never forget.
What's revolutionary about this particular design, is that the handle allows the heat source to be blocked before triggering the effect. This means you have more flexibility in transporting and preparing for the right moment to perform the miracle.
Want to feel what it is like to be a metal-manipulating superhero? the self bending screw driver is an impossible bending item that will give you the power of what only tv special effects can offer.
TWO SELF-BENDING SCREW DRIVERS INCLUDED ONE BENDS IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES THE SECOND UNBENDS BACK TO NORMAL EASY TO PERFORM. EASY TO RESET. ACTIVATES ON BODY HEAT. STAYS STRAIGHT IN ROOM TEMPERATURE. MAGIC HAPPENS IN YOUR HANDS, THEIR HANDS OR HANDS OFF.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
It comes with not one, but two gimmicked screwdrivers! It is way cool.
The quality of the product is very good and the instruction is also good.
As for the issue whether it can or can't be done hands off: I have all of the alchemist series, so perhaps there is an explanation on the blossom DVD that is not on the screwdriver DVD. However, on one of the DVDs he talks about how to make a performance table that allows you to “bend the metal with your mind”, without touching the metal. If that description is not on your DVD, then I suggest you contact Sansminds for the explanation.
CONS
You must follow the instructions carefully or you could damage the product. Do not try to bend the gimmick when it is not cold and do not overbend it.
The screwdriver gimmicks are rather small. They are around 5 ½ inches long. This is not a problem, but something to be aware of.
VERDICT
This is an awesome device!
Suggestions
I realize they are a bit pricey, but to have both the Alchemist screwdriver and fork could make for an awesome routine. I built a box that has cooler packs in the lid. It keeps the gimmicks ready to go. In the box, I have a screwdriver gimmick, a fork gimmick, and a couple of items formed from playdo. I ask a participant to name a number and then I “cleverly” count to one of the playdo items and make it “bend” in my hands as a gag. I do this a couple of times and then end with a free selection of one of the metal items to bend.One more suggestion: I carry the cooler can with me as described in the DVD. However, I only have it as a backup. I place the gimmicks in the freezer overnight and bend them without using the cooler can. I really see this as a one time effect, not a walk-around effect, so using the freezer is a really nice option instead of using the cooler can.
(Top ▲)
The Alchemist Screw Driver comes with a 23 minute DVD narrated by Herman of Sans Mind. The DVD production and instruction is typical Sans Mind “A” quality production, instruction and camera work.
The ad copy pre-supposes that the purchaser knows the method behind this trick. For example, the ad copy claims that the screw driver “activates on body heat” and “stays straight in room temperature.” To this point, the handle on the screw driver shields the metal from your body heat, allowing for greater versatility and handling.
In the DVD, Sans Mind claims that the effect will require 30 to 40 seconds of rubbing the metal with your fingers to accomplish the bend. This contradicts the ad copy that states that you can “bend it with your mind, [or] in the open” which insinuates that the screw driver could be activated and the bend would perform on its own. That is not the case here. While I believe that Sans Mind took some artistic license with the language in the ad copy that you can “bend it with your mind,” needing to rub it does not seem like you are bending it with your mind, but that you are harnessing an energy source to bend the metal. In fact, the 2 minute Hollywood quality promotional video shows the screw driver transforming from the straight position to the bent position and also from the bent position to the straight position, while being held only by the handle, in about 5 seconds. While it is amazingly visual, it is not a fair depiction of what this trick is and can do. In another scene from the promotional video, the video shows the screw driver bending while being quickly rubbed back and forth with the performer’s finger. That is what you will see with this trick.
If you are not happy with needing to rapidly rub the screw driver back and forth to accomplish the effect, you may want to skip this trick or devise another method to deliver heat to the metal. There are other ways to accomplish the bend which are not taught on the DVD and which I believe are stronger effects than what is actually taught. For instance, you can mentally “bend” the screw driver by having the spectator hold the metal of the screw driver with a closed fist. The spectator can actually feel the screw driver bending in his hand. You can also do a bent/straight screw driver transposition if you hold both screw drivers in closed fist or simultaneously stir liquid in an opaque mug. Both of those effects are astounding.
The screw driver that transforms from bent to straight ends up perfectly straight, but the screw driver that starts straight and ends up bent is not perfectly straight when you start off with this trick. There are ways you can deal with that such as positioning of the screw driver or just flat out ignoring it. The bending is so significant that a slight bend in the start position won’t be a big deal to a spectator, especially if you explain that you bend it frequently with your mind.
Because you are provided with two screw drivers that bend in the opposite directions, you are able to “bend” the screw driver and after a sleight, straighten it. On the DVD, you are taught one way to accomplish this and it is particularly obvious, ineffective and not recommended.
The screw drivers remained in the start position for several days in a 72 degree inside environment, so it was ready to go after the pre-trick set up. The pre-trick set up, to get the screw drivers into starting position is easy to do, but you are cautioned to take care. If you set the screw driver with too much force, you could break it beyond repair.
The screw drivers measure 5 ½ inches long including the handle and they look and feel like real small size screw drivers. They can be handed out to spectators, but I would not want them to be inspected after the trick for fear that an overly inquisitive spectator would try and bend the screw driver and break it. There is no indication as to how long this amazing gimmick will last with proper care.
Sans Mind credits many predecessor magicians with self-bending metal tricks and claims that this is the world’s first self-bending screw driver.
The trick is easy to perform, easy to reset and is very impressive to watch. The reset must take place in private and will take 3-5 minutes to accomplish.
This rating suffers a bit because of the potentially misleading promotional video and ad copy. If both were more accurate, this effect would have been rated at least one star higher. Assuming the price tag is something you don't mind (if you assume that each screw driver costs about $65) and you are accepting of the comments to the ad copy and promotional video, you will love this trick.
(Top ▲)
TaiwanBen & SansMinds Alchemist Series Self-Bending Screwdriver Review
Two gimmicks, one DVD and $130 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect
A screwdriver bends merely by your touch. It can be handed out in the bent position to be examined. Or a screwdriver unbends merely by your touch. It can be handed out in the unbent (i.e., straightened) position.
Method
You receive two screwdrivers. One is bent, and one is not. They are both temperature sensitive. Before performing, you take the straight one and get it cold and bend it. Then you take the bent one, get it cold and straighten it. During the performance, your touch will warm up the metal and cause it to go back to its original shape (i.e., the one you got cold and bent in advance will straighten, and the one that you got cold and straightened in advance will bend).
When you get them cold and change their shape, they'll hold that shape as long as they don't get too warm. If you're worried about them getting too warm too soon, the DVD covers how to deal with this. It's super easy. When performing, you bend the screwdriver and hand it out. You then need to switch screwdrivers before unbending. A switch idea is covered in the DVD, but I'd recommend you come up with your own.
The method is very good and is simply a matter of pre-bending (or unbending) the screwdriver in advance. Then during the show, the body heat of your fingers will cause it to unbend (or bend). The method is legitimate and very doable.
Ad Copy Integrity
I'm getting sick and tired of false advertising, and SansMinds is commonly one of the worst offenders, and this one is no exception. That copy, written and video, is crap.
Written Ad Copy
The written ad copy was doing so well, until the very last line. In fact, it's the last two words. If they had left those last two words out, they'd have perfectly honest ad copy. Everything up until that point was accurate (other than the claim that you're bending the metal with your mind — I don't have a problem with that claim since it's just the effect description). Then they make the following statement: "Magic happens in your hands, their hands or hands off." What? Hands off? What are you talking about? The only way for this effect to work is if you rub the metal on the screwdriver with your hands. If you're not touching it, then you are somehow raising the temperature of the room/metal without your body heat. If there's a way to do that, it was not covered on the DVD.
Video Trailer
The video trailer took it further and made it even worse. They showed Chris holding the screwdriver by the handle while the screwdriver just unbends automatically by itself without him touching the metal. Then a few seconds later is a clip of him holding a screwdriver by the handle as it bends by itself without him touching it. This is a total crock. It does not work that way. In fact, on the demo when Herman was causing the screwdriver to bend, he had to rub it quite vigorously to get it warm enough to bend. But it cannot be done without rubbing the metal. Or if it can, it was not taught on the DVD.
Product Quality
The screwdrivers are well made and work very well. They bend as you rub them. They don't bend just by holding the base of the screwdriver as the ad copy would have you believe. Looking past that, they will bend by rubbing them. They're well made props that can be examined during and after the effect.
The DVD is well produced, well lit, well mic'd, etc. The teaching, however, was a bit wonky. Everything was taught out of order and it seemed like they were trying to contrive to multiple DVD chapters. Rather than simply explaining things in one go, they explained things in confusing and out of sequence small bites that had fade ins and fade outs. It was just over produced in that regard.
Further, when Herman tried to give tips on how to effectively perform this, he sounded like he was just rambling on about stuff he was unfamiliar with. Those sections (i.e., "patter" instructions) of the DVD were not very helpful at all.
Final Thoughts
If you need screwdrivers that will bend (or unbend) visibly as you touch them, then you'll be happy with your purchase. They are very good at that one thing. They can be examined; they can be handled by the spectator; they bend visually (as you rub them). However, unlike the lies in the ad copy and video trailer, they do NOT bend automatically without you touching the metal or "hands off." If it weren't for the blatant lie in the ad copy, this would be 5 stars, easy.
However, I cannot tolerate companies trying to bilk you of your hard earned cash. This is unethical and fraudulent in my opinion. If you don't have an issue with that, and you like the what the screwdrivers CAN do, be my guest. Otherwise, I'd steer clear just on principle.
Final Verdict:
2.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Grubble (two gem props buried in a rubble of lies).