Let me guess why you’re here:
You’re here because someone just pulled off the Red Hammer trick on you, and you’re scratching your head wondering:
“How the heck did they do that?!?”
Or perhaps you want to impress your friends with a simple mentalist trick?
Either way, you’re in luck.
Today, we’re discussing what is the Red Hammer mentalist trick and how it’s done:
And we’re not just showing you how to do it, we’re also showing you:
- How it works
- The instances it won’t work and
- The psychology behind it.
So if you’re ready to WOW everyone, let’s get started!
What is Mentalism?
Before we get to the juicy parts, let’s first quickly discuss what mentalism is.
Just in case you don’t know exactly what it is, mentalism is a performing art where a mentalist uses heightened observation skills to “read” a person or influence their behavior.
Some people think it’s magic how a mentalist is able to “read minds.”
Mentalists give off the illusion of clairvoyance but it’s really just a mixture of performance and a thorough study of human psychology.
And sometimes, it’s just sheer confidence.
You can be a mentalist too with enough time and practice.
A great place to start is with the Red Hammer mentalist trick. It’s fast, easy, and you can try it on almost anyone!
The Red Hammer Mentalist Trick and How it’s Done
To fully appreciate this mentalist trick, let’s do a quick test on you first.
After all, you have to experience it before you perform it on your friends.
There are only two rules:
- No calculators
- Answer as quickly as you can; and
- Say the first thing that pops into your head
You don’t need to write your answers down or memorize them.
Just make sure you solve it correctly before you scroll down to the next problem.
Are you ready?
Let’s start!
Method #1: Quick Math
What is…
10 + 13
12 + 30
87 + 5
57 + 8
You’re almost there!
Last one!
875 + 5
QUICK! Think of a color and a tool!
Did you say “red hammer”?
Congratulations! You’re part of the 98% of people who said the same answer.
If you answered something other than a red hammer, you belong to the 2% of the creative, out-of-the-box thinkers.
That’s the Red Hammer mentalist trick.
It looks easy, right?
You can definitely do this trick on your family or a small group of friends.
However, you do have to watch out for that 2% margin of error.
The series of math questions in increasing difficulty is already designed to distract your “suspect” before you drop the ultimate question.
Method #2: Prime the Minds
If you really want to make sure they answer “red hammer” at all costs, you can pull off a few mentalism techniques.
It’s time to include leading questions in the mix to prime some minds.
How?
Ask them questions related to “red” or “hammer” but not something that will explicitly remind them of it.
Let’s try it on you first!
Are you ready for another round?
Here goes…
Which actor played Thor?
10 + 13
What day is Valentine’s day?
12 + 30
87 + 5
Which reindeer guides Santa’s sleigh?
61 + 3
What did Snow White bite that poisoned her?
You’re almost there!
Last one!
875 + 5
QUICK! Think of a color and a tool!
You can’t be tricked this time since you already know the answer, but someone who doesn’t has a higher chance of saying “red hammer.”
What exactly did we do there?
We added questions related to hammers and the color red.
That’s a mentalism technique that uses planting an idea in your suspect’s subconscious.
The famous Norse god Thor has a hammer for a weapon.
(Fun fact: His hammer is called Mjolnir.)
By asking about Valentine’s Day and Santa’s reindeer, Rudolph, you’re directing their subconscious to think of the color red since both occasions heavily use it.
And as an extra precaution, you can also add a question about the juicy, red apple Snow White bit into that poisoned her.
You never mentioned “red” or “hammer,” but these questions will prime your suspect’s mind for you.
See how that works?
Of course, you can add other questions you like and other mind-boggling mathematical equations too.
Why the Red Hammer Mentalist Trick Works
What is the logic behind the Red Hammer trick?
Is it sorcery? Clairvoyance?
Sorcery, clairvoyance, mentalism — that’s precisely what you want your “victims” to think.
Red Hammer only has one goal: distract the person enough so they can’t think of anything else.
You must make sure to instruct them to say the first thing that pops into their mind.
The Red Hammer mentalist trick works because you’ve already exhausted your suspect’s “working mind”, and now they’re left thinking on autopilot.
Once on autopilot, we make basic decisions.
The series of questions you ask, whether mathematical or not, is designed to confuse or plant an image in the mind of your spectator.
Want a higher rate of success?
Try this trick on them first thing in the morning or at night when they’re too sleepy to think.
What’s that? It’s unfair?
All right, all right, of course you want to be proud of this mentalism trick when it works.
Go ahead and pull it off fair and square.
Taking Your Performance to the Next Level
The whole point of doing the Red Hammer mentalist trick on people is to blow their minds.
You want to give off the illusion that you can read their thoughts and see right through them.
Want to take it to the next level?
Add a little dramatic flair to your performance.
Before introducing the trick, take a scrap of paper and write “Red hammer” on it.
Give it to your suspect and tell them not to look.
Tell them that at the end of the trick, their answer will be written on that piece of paper.
Once they say “red hammer,” you can tell them to open the slip of paper.
Congratulations, you just blew their minds.
Check out how this guy successfully pulled it off:
If It Fails?
Don’t expect the Red Hammer trick to work all the time.
It has a high chance for failure if it isn’t properly executed or your suspect has a creative way of thinking.
Sure, 98% of people will give you the answer you want, but there’s still 2% of folks who are wired differently.
They’ll probably answer something along the lines of “magenta saw” or something equally absurd.
Just like with other mentalist tricks, confidence plays a huge role in pulling this one off, so just make sure you’re relaxed and collected.
If your mentalist trick works, then good for you.
Take that as your golden opportunity to gloat and tell everyone you’re on your way to becoming the best mentalist they know.
They should ask you for an autograph in case you get really famous, you know?
BUT
If it fails (and it will, for some), keep your cool.
You can work around that easily.
The secret weapon? Flattery.
Tell them they’ve got a unique mind and that they’re part of the 2% who don’t think like the rest of the world.
How the Red Hammer Mentalist Trick Became Popular
It’s amusing how this mind-boggling mentalist trick rose to popularity.
It all started in the early 2000s when chain letter emails were a thing.
People would pass them on to “get” luck from the universe, avoid the visit of bloody ghosts, or even avoid the “death” of loved ones.
Chain letters were a pain most of the time but they could also be fun too.
One such chain letter that made rounds was about a mentalist trick.
The Red Hammer trick is often forwarded by a friend who is either A) blown away that it worked on them or B) trying to prove a point that it was bogus since it didn’t work on them.
Decades later, the Red Hammer outlived the chain letter era and became a handy trick to wow everyone regardless of age.
If you’ve never heard of this trick or you weren’t alive in the early 2000s, this is the perfect time to try it out.
The Personalities Behind Colors and Tools
Isn’t it interesting that most people will say “red hammer” off the top of their head?
Why is that?
If we’re pressed for time and asked to say the first color that comes to mind, chances are it’s going to be red.
Red is part of the trio of primary colors, making it a basic color choice.
Asked out of the blue, the majority of people will choose red because it’s that simple.
If your suspect is a creative out-of-the-box thinker and chose a different color, you can give them the possible psychology behind their choice.
You might have failed to pull off the Red Hammer Trick on them, but you can still wow them with your mentalism knowledge.
Tell them what type of personality they have based on the color they say.
If they chose…
Yellow: They’re bright, optimistic, and can find happiness even in the littlest of things. Lovers of the color yellow are also creative beings who often come up with fun, new ideas.
Blue: They’re most likely feeling calm and at peace during the moment. Blue lovers are compassionate, reliable, and trustworthy. They’re contemplative too, often carefully planning things out before taking action.
Green: They’re intelligent, calm, and collected. Those who choose green are often a balance of an analytical, logic-driven and creative person. They hate making decisions without knowing the full details.
Black: They’re often aloof, introverted, and mysterious. While black technically isn’t a color (it’s the absence of color), it does absorb all the other colors. Lovers of black also love power and sophistication.
White: They have high standards and dislike clutter and anything disorganized. White means purity, clarity, and innocence. If they chose this color, they’re most likely a good listener, even-tempered, and the voice of reason.
Purple: They are imaginative, emotional, and a dreamer. Lovers of purple are artistic and express themselves in unique ways.
Just like the basic, primary color red, a hammer is also a basic tool.
Every household has one and it’s the easiest to use too.
As kids, we got to play with toy hammers.
As adults, we got to whack the heck out of whack-a-mole in arcades.
It’s more a part of our lives than, say, screwdrivers.
But it’s inevitable for your suspect says anything other than a hammer.
No worries, you can twist that around to your advantage still.
You can tell them their personality based on their tool of choice.
If they chose…
Any cutting tool: They like to get things done instantly. Tools like axes, scissors, or other cutters create clean cuts that get the job done in one fell swoop.
Any turning tool: They could be uptight and need to loosen up. If they choose screwdrivers, wrenches, or even pliers, that could also mean they like adjusting aspects of their life to fit their needs.
Any mechanical tool: They like to work quickly and efficiently. Choosing automated tools and modern tech like drills, sawing machines, grinding machines, etc., means they like to work smart and fast.
And that, folks, is how to pull off the Red Hammer mentalist trick.
More Easy Mentalist Tricks You Can Perform
The Red Hammer mentalist trick is a handy one to perform for anyone regardless of age.
But whether you fail or succeed in tricking people, you have to have a backup trick just in case they want more.
A great mentalist shouldn’t run out of tricks!
Here are three other mentalism tricks in case your audience craves more:
Gray Elephants from Denmark
This is another easy trick you can pull off.
Although it heavily relies on the predictability of humans, you’ve got a better chance at success with this trick versus the Red Hammer.
Gray Elephants from Denmark includes a few mathematical questions too.
Here’s how it goes:
- Let your “victim” think of a number between 1 and 10, without saying it out loud
- Tell them to multiply the number by 9
- Next, ask them to add their two-digit answer together
- From their answer, they should mentally subtract 5
- Once they have a number, ask them to assign it to a letter of the alphabet (1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C)
- Now they should think of a country that starts with that letter
- Ask them to take the second letter of the country and think of an animal that starts with it
- Lastly, ask them the color of the animal they’re thinking of.
Tell them they’re thinking of Denmark, elephant, and gray.
The secret? No matter which number they began with, the long math formula will always end up with the number 4 as the answer.
With the number 4, you get the letter D.
And what’s the first country that comes to mind?
That’s right, it’s Denmark (unless you’re a geography nerd and you think of Djibouti).
“Denmark’s” second letter is the letter E and any sane person will choose to say “elephant.”
Elephants are, as far as we know, all gray.
And that’s it!
Try this out with friends of all ages and they’ll surely love it.
Triangle Inside a Circle
The best thing about mentalism tricks is that you don’t need props to pull it off.
Everything happens in the mind, just like this next trick.
Triangle Inside a Circle is easy:
- You ask your “victim” to think of a shape that’s “a square but not a square.”
All the while, you should be doing a mentalist technique called “shape projection.”
Subtly trace triangles on the table or make triangles with your hand.
- Next, tell them to think of a shape around that shape and make sure to emphasize the word “around.”
That could be enough to make them think of a circle.
If you’re unsure, you can try shape projecting again.
- Ask them to tell you the two shapes they’re thinking of.
Your victim’s answer should be “Triangle inside a circle.”
This mentalist trick should be executed with confidence using practiced shape projection and misdirection.
Check out how the TV show The Mentalist smoothly pulled it off:
Three of Diamonds
The Three of Diamonds is another mentalist trick for beginners.
Tell your victim that you can transmit a specific card in their mind.
- Start off with shape projection by subtly tracing diamonds in the air or making your fingers in the shape of diamonds.
- Once you’re sure they get it, tell them to think of a card that’s “a little lower” in number so they think of the number 3.
- While you’re talking, make exaggerated movements in threes.
For example, you can say, “Imagine the shape lined up in the middle,” and support it by punching a row of three in the air.
You can also subtly show them three fingers.
The secret to pulling the Three of Diamonds off is by using mentalism tricks like misdirection and subliminal suggestion.
You also have to be a great communicator to keep distracting them.
Need practice?
Watch famous mentalist Derren Brown do a smooth version of the Three of Diamonds in under 25 seconds:
Want to know more? You can learn other easy mentalism tricks here.
Conclusion
Many people think that the Red Hammer’s statistic claim of 98%-2% is bogus.
After all, we don’t really know where it came from and exactly how many people were tested to reach that conclusion.
Even if that statistic isn’t accurate, it’s still an interesting fact that the majority of people you perform this trick on will say “red hammer.”
That’s the magic that binds everyone together!
Or should we say the mentalism of it?
Are you ready to try the Red Hammer mentalist trick on your friends and blow their minds?
Let us know what you think in the comments section!