The Art of Spitting Tacks
May 5, 2016 7:20 PM Subscribe
"My training involves tongue techniques that were taught to me by older masters." Master Upholsterer Kevin Kennedy demonstrates the dangerous art of spitting tacks.
Tack spitting has been a dying art for over half a century. Here's Reese Hart of the Associated Press profiling the iron-stomached, nimble-tongued Old Pros at Tack Spitting, already facing pressure from stapling guns back in 1965. Come for the high stakes chewing gum skills -- stay for the engaging theories about human digestion.
Want [even more inside]? See if you can guess how many tacks Paul DeVito, Jr. has in his mouth while narrating this video.
Tack spitting has been a dying art for over half a century. Here's Reese Hart of the Associated Press profiling the iron-stomached, nimble-tongued Old Pros at Tack Spitting, already facing pressure from stapling guns back in 1965. Come for the high stakes chewing gum skills -- stay for the engaging theories about human digestion.
Want [even more inside]? See if you can guess how many tacks Paul DeVito, Jr. has in his mouth while narrating this video.
...and remember, if you can balance a tack-hammer on your head, you can head off your foes with a balanced attack.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:41 PM on May 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:41 PM on May 5, 2016 [7 favorites]
I can't be the only person who was hoping that he would spit out tacks with such force that they would stick into the target, like a human blowgun.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:08 PM on May 5, 2016 [48 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 8:08 PM on May 5, 2016 [48 favorites]
Unfortunately I can't find the clip from Buffy The Vampir Slayer where she pegs a fly with a thumbtack.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:22 PM on May 5, 2016
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:22 PM on May 5, 2016
I can't be the only person who was hoping that he would spit out tacks with such force that they would stick into the target, like a human blowgun.
Yep, me too. I suppose "The art of tack-positioning-on-the-end-of-ones-tongue-with-the-head-pointed-outwards" isn't catchy enough.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:32 PM on May 5, 2016
Yep, me too. I suppose "The art of tack-positioning-on-the-end-of-ones-tongue-with-the-head-pointed-outwards" isn't catchy enough.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:32 PM on May 5, 2016
"My training involves tongue techniques that were taught to me by older masters."
I really wanted this to be a Mae West quote.
posted by rokusan at 8:41 PM on May 5, 2016 [8 favorites]
I really wanted this to be a Mae West quote.
posted by rokusan at 8:41 PM on May 5, 2016 [8 favorites]
Shemp shows why you don't want to try this at home.
They did this in another episode (which I couldn't find) and tried to get the tacks out by turning him upside down.
"They went in, but they won't come out!"
"They must be in-come tacks!"
posted by eye of newt at 8:57 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
They did this in another episode (which I couldn't find) and tried to get the tacks out by turning him upside down.
"They went in, but they won't come out!"
"They must be in-come tacks!"
posted by eye of newt at 8:57 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
i cringe at the amount of contaminants and/or heavy metals the upholsters exposed themselves to.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 9:01 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 9:01 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
He doesn't seem that angry to me.
posted by unliteral at 9:38 PM on May 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by unliteral at 9:38 PM on May 5, 2016 [4 favorites]
I had no idea that the phrase originated from a professional skill. I'm always amazed at the wondrous things people learn to do through the quotidian activities of their day-to-day. Although I'm no luddite, it's a little sad that this is no longer a useful skill due to technological advances. Somehow I don't think that super-complicated excel spreadsheets or mad IDE skills will have youtube videos made of them after they become obsolete.
posted by sid at 10:31 PM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by sid at 10:31 PM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
That explains why old boxes of tacks I have found declared them "sterilized".
posted by boilermonster at 11:16 PM on May 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by boilermonster at 11:16 PM on May 5, 2016 [5 favorites]
"Now, I don't want to brag, but one day I shot a fly out of the air with a staple.
That's badass! (Even if he was using a staple gun at the time.)
I love this post.
posted by Omnomnom at 2:26 AM on May 6, 2016
That's badass! (Even if he was using a staple gun at the time.)
I love this post.
posted by Omnomnom at 2:26 AM on May 6, 2016
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posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:33 PM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]