Geoff Capes Steel Bending

[Tim71]

Anybody ever go to www.wikipedia.org and key in Geoff Capes? He has a page there and it states that he was known for bending steel bars over 1 inch thick and 3 feet long. That's one heck of a bar!

Anybody ever hear this or know of any of Capes' records besides WSM competition?

Also, the Alexander Zass page has some cool photos I've never seen.

Anybody know how to get ahold of Capes to confirm this?

Tim

Correction. Here's the link to Zass's photos.

My link

Cool stuff.

Tim

[naturalstrength]

I would be dubious at best to believe that he has bent >1"x36" stock, especially over his head like he used to in WSM! Could be wrong, but I doubt it!

[Tim71]

Oh yeah, I don't think he would've done that over his head. Heck any style is pretty amazing but I'm not sure how much to believe that page.

Tim

[jsmiley]

If you visit his official website there is a way to email him.

I asked him about this here is the conversation

From: Geoff Capes Website

To: geoffcapes@btinternet.com

Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:34 AM

Subject: customer enquiry

customerName => Frank Chaudoin

customerEmail => frankchaudoin@gmail.com

customerPhone => 3606965970

customerMessage => Hello, I am a huge fan of yours and I am also a fan of grip training and steel bending. One many sites it states that you cpuld bend 1\" x 36\" steel into pretzel shapes, that is an amazing bend, so amazing I have to ask if it\'s true. thanks for your time big fan Frank Chaudoin

and his reply

From: geoff capes

To: Geoff Capes Website

Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 10:26 AM

Subject: Re: customer enquiry

Hi Frank

Yes it is true, but there is some difference to some of the steel used I did this with cold rolled steel.

My regards Geoff Capes (retired)

I was pretty amazed myself.

awesome.

[naturalstrength]

If you visit his official website there is a way to email him.

I asked him about this here is the conversation

From: Geoff Capes Website

To: geoffcapes@btinternet.com

Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:34 AM

Subject: customer enquiry

customerName => Frank Chaudoin

customerEmail => frankchaudoin@gmail.com

customerPhone => 3606965970

customerMessage => Hello, I am a huge fan of yours and I am also a fan of grip training and steel bending. One many sites it states that you cpuld bend 1\" x 36\" steel into pretzel shapes, that is an amazing bend, so amazing I have to ask if it\'s true. thanks for your time big fan Frank Chaudoin

and his reply

From: geoff capes

To: Geoff Capes Website

Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 10:26 AM

Subject: Re: customer enquiry

Hi Frank

Yes it is true, but there is some difference to some of the steel used I did this with cold rolled steel .

My regards Geoff Capes (retired)

I was pretty amazed myself.

awesome.

The fact that he states that not only did he bend >1"x36 steel, but that it was actually CRS steel adds to my skeptisism that this is more and more unbelievable(not "unbelievable" as in WOW, but "unbelievable" as in this sounds like a bunch of B.S.) As far as taking that bend and forming pretzel shapes-that is impossible with that diameter steel, let alone CRS.

For those of you who train with grippers, bending >1"x36 CRS steel is like tns #4 with both hands(tns #4 with both hands would be MUCH,MUCH easier than bending that diameter steel) and for you unbraced benders that would be equivalent to bending a SKOAB Heslep style(bending a SKOAB Heslep style would be MUCH, MUCH easier than bending that caliber steel into a pretzel).

So, you can see why I find it hard to believe. Might actually have happened, but I am definitely a "doubting Thomas" on this claim

[EricMilfeld]

If you visit his official website there is a way to email him.

I asked him about this here is the conversation

From: Geoff Capes Website

To: geoffcapes@btinternet.com

Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:34 AM

Subject: customer enquiry

customerName => Frank Chaudoin

customerEmail => frankchaudoin@gmail.com

customerPhone => 3606965970

customerMessage => Hello, I am a huge fan of yours and I am also a fan of grip training and steel bending. One many sites it states that you cpuld bend 1\" x 36\" steel into pretzel shapes, that is an amazing bend, so amazing I have to ask if it\'s true. thanks for your time big fan Frank Chaudoin

and his reply

From: geoff capes

To: Geoff Capes Website

Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 10:26 AM

Subject: Re: customer enquiry

Hi Frank

Yes it is true, but there is some difference to some of the steel used I did this with cold rolled steel .

My regards Geoff Capes (retired)

I was pretty amazed myself.

awesome.

The fact that he states that not only did he bend >1"x36 steel, but that it was actually CRS steel adds to my skeptisism that this is more and more unbelievable(not "unbelievable" as in WOW, but "unbelievable" as in this sounds like a bunch of B.S.) As far as taking that bend and forming pretzel shapes-that is impossible with that diameter steel, let alone CRS.

For those of you who train with grippers, bending >1"x36 CRS steel is like tns #4 with both hands(tns #4 with both hands would be MUCH,MUCH easier than bending that diameter steel) and for you unbraced benders that would be equivalent to bending a SKOAB Heslep style(bending a SKOAB Heslep style would be MUCH, MUCH easier than bending that caliber steel into a pretzel).

So, you can see why I find it hard to believe. Might actually have happened, but I am definitely a "doubting Thomas" on this claim

I do agree with you, Carl. However, not that I necessarily think you are calling him out as a liar, I just want to suggest the possibility he isn't quite sure what it was he was bending. I've run into similar scenarios with guys that performed feats a while back in the past. I'd like to think I am not guilty of this, but I'm no spring chicken anymore.

[AP]

Yeah, pretzelling sounds a little far fetched. Though I do wonder what a dude like Capes could do with his strength and he did practice bending.

[Tim71]

Hmmmm. Let's put this into perspective once more. A 1 inch CRS bar would probably be like an 1 1/4 inch HRS bar at that length.

You know, kinda like what Eric said, maybe we see the specifics much more than the question Geoff was seeing. Maybe he's just seeing a question that asks if he bent a bar along these lines. Maybe he doesn't know how "into" this we are.

As for the pretzel, I've never seen that and that wasn't in my original question but sometimes the old saying "bent into a pretzel" just means severely bent and maybe that's how he took it.

IF, that's anywhere near being true, then he would still wipe the floor with our butts even at his age now.

I do know this, he bent the 11/16 inch bar in 82 easier than I've ever seen anybody do it. And that is bent over the head and around the neck so I'm sure he is/was VERY strong at steel bending but 1 inch by 3 foot even in HRS is a VERY incredible claim.

Later,

Tim

[gazza]

Ive bent some half decent stuff in my time braced and unbraced and im a little guy so someone the size of Geoff Capes with all his explosive power and strength would be off the charts.

Geoff was a much better steel bender than Kaz altho Kaz was a stronger man Geoff was definately more explosive which helps in bending.

I never right any of the old timers feats or people like Geoffs feats off unless ive seen them because i know were i came from and what i was able to do at my best and im just an ordinary guy not someone with the size and power of geoff.

watch geoff against Kaz in the bar bending Kaz was overall alot stronger than Geoff but Geoff destroys him an the rest in bar bending.

all them years of highland games and power lifting then transfer that explosiveness and power into a big frame with ideal techniques and you have a big big steel bender.

[Tim71]

Geoff is great no doubt, that's why I made this thread. I've sent him an e-mail with some specific questions so I'll see what the reply is.

I sure enjoy watching his old footage.

Tim

[AP]

There is the matter of steel quality, perhaps back in the day or maybe just from the source he got it from, the steel may have been weaker than you are expecting it to be. Plus it sounds from the email that Geoff thinks that cold rolled would be easier, so perhaps he misremembered hot rolled as cold, or it might just have been from an easier batch.

[twig]

We don't really have pretzels over here, I would be very surprised if Geoff knew wht pretzelling a bar means, he probably thinks "Whatever the bar looks like when I've finished bending it, must be a pretzel".

[naturalstrength]

Edited November 24, 2009 by naturalstrength

[HAMMERHEAD]

Blindly beliving something that has been written is silly, especially when the person writing it has no clue about the topic. Every strongman I know has been misrepresented in print.

If you are intrested in bar bending look at the Slim DVD. That's the best you are gonna see.

-HH

[Tim71]

Erik,

Blindly believing it would be silly. Trying to further substantiate the claim with like-minded people - some of which live in England - is objective wisdom. Bottom line, Cape's claim is incredible and he is somebody of fairly modern times so it's human nature to want to find out more.

I do have the Slim DVD and it's great. And yes I'm very interested in bar bending in all styles and have a very technical interest in the details and love to hear what people's PRs are.

What are some of yours Erik? What are some of Slim's? What's the shortest, thickest piece of steel he's bent into a "U" and in what style? If I remember right, you've met him (must've been neat) and so you no doubt have seen some of his bends that would help you to form your opinion of him being a better steel bender than somebody like Capes.

You said that on the Slim DVD, "it's the best you're gonna see". Which one of Slim's bends on that DVD are you refering too? As I recall there's 3 bends, the 60d, the flat steel bar of unmentioned size at the AOBS, and the #5 rebar across the nose.

I do know Capes look VERY impressive bending the 11/16 bar in 82. He delivered the goods in a competition environment for the world to see and I have to give him credit for that just as Kaz did in 1980.

Anyway, when I get a reply from some of the questions I email Capes about, I'll let you know.

Tim

[gazza]

Geoff and Slim are worlds apart plus Slim is alot older.

No disrespect to any of them geoff would have killed slim in the style he geoff used in worlds strongest man but slim would destroy geoff in other multiple facets of bending like over his nose slim style then theres scrolling.

As an all around bender slim is/was probably far ahead of geoff but he slim could not match geoff in bending those bars in worlds strongest man the way that he did.

Slim is the nearest person to ever get to the atom slim knows him better than anyone but slim did not see the atom bend all those bars that he possess and the ones in the museum etc.

Now im not calling slim a liar far from it but he himself can only assume how some of the atoms pieces were bent you can see this on the slim dvd so the same can probably be said about alot of the early steel benders like Breitbart and Zass etc what i like to do is think well if they didnt bend that particular piece in a particular way or even at all but much respect for having the balls to push there "LIMITS" or even think of bending such a piece.

There are alot of varibles in bending Pat would destroy slim and Stanless in unbraced short bending but in scrolling or short braced bending stanless and slim in his prime would give anyone a run for there money.

We should just really admire all these guys and the guys before them for introducing us all to steel bending in its many forms and we should remember that no steel bender past or present can be the best at evey type of steel bending personally i can at my best compare to anyone modern in unbraced short bending notice i said compare not better but i would not compare anywhere near the top guys in unbraced or scrolling etc i could not hope to compare to geoff and his type of bending in worlds strongest manh butr i would beat him at short unbraced bending thats not me being big headed its me being logical.

I 2 would love to hear what the others have bent at there best im not interested in proof i like to hear what others have done and what the thought of as possible like slim on his dvd hes asked what he could lever in his prime if pushed and i think its a good 10-15 above what hes known for that to me is thinking outside the box and pushing your own "LIMITS" and then pushing them again and again thats what in some people like the atom and slim the human mind and body is capavle of.

[Tim71]

Gary,

I guess I'm not looking for proof either as much as specifics. Take you for instance, I know pretty well what your records are and they've been well documented so there's no mystery.

I bet if you could train Geoff in his prime in all the styles of bending I bet he would've been incredible. You ever look close at the size of his wrists?

I agree with Gary, alot of people want to dismiss Geoff, Kaz and these guys in their steel bending but I don't see it that way. The bending they did in those competitions to me is every bit as legit as any other style that someone else practices - looks darn cool too. I don't mind telling my efforts in that style. I've bent a 9/16 by 4 foot bar in that style and I've done some pretty good damage to a 5/8 by 4 foot but can't finish it. Not quite there yet but I would not have finished last either. When I can bend a 5/8 by 4 foot in that style I'll be very happy. It stopped the vast majority of WSM competitors.

I remember hearing about the WSM competitions once that a competitor practiced alot of steel bending because they had a relative (maybe dad?) who worked in a steel place and I want to say it was Capes. If Geoff could bend that 11/16 so fast in such a hard style, then would could he bend in the more traditional styles of performing strongmen? If he got good at pressing over his thigh, maybe he could bend a 1 inch by 3 foot, I don't know but he was obviously strong.

John Brookfield basically implies that he can bend a 3/4 by 4 foot bar around his neck. I've seen vid of Kaz finishing a 3/4 bar in that fashion and I have no doubt that Geoff was capable of it.

What interests me about Geoff, is that we have an example of a man who was very big, very strong (world class level) from head to toe and applied that to my favorite hobby which is steel bending. I just want to know what all he bent in training and in private because it's VERY obvious that he honed his skills.

Boy I bet he was one heck of a constable too. Feel sorry for anybody he had to take by force.

Tim

[gazza]

Yep not a copper you want feeling your collar ouch!

His hobby was Budgerigar breeding

Might be worth you contacting David Horne on his sight for info on geoff i would imagine he has a stack of it.

Would have been great to see geoff pushed in steel bending as i dont think he was pushed by the other competitors including Kaz as he geoff was much more explosive and a better big steel bender because of it.

Ive actually met and performed in front of geoff a long time ago he is a big powerfull man all over.

[boland magyar]

i met geoff in 1986 at a fete. i had a bullterrier at the time and geoff could not leave him alone, stroking and talking to the dog he really is an animal lover.

i have never seen hands as big as geoffs, they are huge

[HAMMERHEAD]

Erik,

Blindly believing it would be silly. Trying to further substantiate the claim with like-minded people - some of which live in England - is objective wisdom. Bottom line, Cape's claim is incredible and he is somebody of fairly modern times so it's human nature to want to find out more.

I do have the Slim DVD and it's great. And yes I'm very interested in bar bending in all styles and have a very technical interest in the details and love to hear what people's PRs are.

What are some of yours Erik? What are some of Slim's? What's the shortest, thickest piece of steel he's bent into a "U" and in what style? If I remember right, you've met him (must've been neat) and so you no doubt have seen some of his bends that would help you to form your opinion of him being a better steel bender than somebody like Capes.

You said that on the Slim DVD, "it's the best you're gonna see". Which one of Slim's bends on that DVD are you refering too? As I recall there's 3 bends, the 60d, the flat steel bar of unmentioned size at the AOBS, and the #5 rebar across the nose.

I do know Capes look VERY impressive bending the 11/16 bar in 82. He delivered the goods in a competition environment for the world to see and I have to give him credit for that just as Kaz did in 1980.

Anyway, when I get a reply from some of the questions I email Capes about, I'll let you know.

Tim

Yes, I've met Slim. I don't know what his best bends are. Slim is of the opinion that what he did in training is for himself, and is reluctant to share. He doesn't claim feats that are not witnessed. This limits speculation and disbelief.

My best bends are my scrolls (not witnessed). My best bar bend on record was bent when I performed at the AOBS.... 1/2" x 1 1/2" 48" long. Bar bends in my gym are training. Don't count em'. They are for me.

-HH

[Tim71]

Nice bend Erik. Never tried flat steel that wide.

Thanks for sharing.

Tim

[3Crusher]

I witnessed Erik bend his "Goliath Bar" and he put on a rather good show doing it as well.

[timiacobucci]

Sorry I haven't checked the board in a little bit so I just came across this.

I can't help but imagine it is a simple slight misrepresentation. Even as the question was asked in the email and his response, it does not account for the exact dimension of the bar. What if it was 1 1/4" x 3/8" at 3' he bent? That makes a hell of allot more sense than "over 1 inch in diameter".

I can see it easy, reporter of event: "just how big was that bar?" Answered: "3 feet." Reporter: "How wide?" Answered: "Over 1 inch." End of discussion, rephrase and print

He was particularly known for his incredible hand and arm strength, easily tearing London telephone directories in half and bending rolled steel bars measuring over 1 inch in diameter and three feet in length.

Also the nature of this section in the article is not record style bending, this sounds like simple strongman routine stuff he may have performed for people from time to time, saying he did it "easily". I'm sorry, it is possible he bent bars over 1" but they would likely have been hrs, pretty long, and most certainly not done "easily". 1 1/4" x 1/4" or 3/8" at 3' makes a hell of allot more sense for a demonstration. If you are truly that interested I would email again and ask specifically.

Also this picture of Zass is awesome

[Tim71]

Hey Tim, good to hear from you. I pretty much agree with you. I emailed Geoff with more specific questions but the response was basically, those were good days, I'm back in track n field, best wishes and keep up the bending.

Tim

[Stew]

Possibly can clarify this a bit, at the 1983 world strongest man competition which capes won they had bar bending, Geoff had until that point never been beaten in that event, the bars were 3ft long and the he failed on a 15mm bar, The event was one by the guy who was "Europes strongest man" at the time with the 15mm bar. The bars look like crs so a bit harder than hrs but none the less a lot less than 3/4 20mm steel let alone an inch +.

Geoff is one of my heroes and the guy who I watched as a kid hoping one day I could do strongman, I marvelled at his strength but in reality (this bit will be unpopular with some people) these guys were in most cases nowehere near the strength of the guys today. At the 1983 Worlds the farmers walks were apprx 75-80kg per hand which is lighter than novice comps today yet most of the guys didnt get very far with them