I also find it limited to cool/cold weather, at least if you're going out in public. Luckily it's still cool here, I just did some grocery shopping tonight :)
I've been hook pretending for almost 4 years, off & on. I found that I was constantly chasing the "high" or buzz that comes with pretending. That can apply to anything in life such as riding in fast cars, high-stakes gambling, or whatever gets your jollies. After awhile, that buzz subsided. It did, however, help me control social anxieties more than anything I've ever done in my life. Handing a store clerk cash with your hook is pretty daunting.
Using a hook is incredibly intuitive. It isn't hard to master tying your own shoes. Folks that lose a hand are handicapped, but you can still do everything like before. Now, getting dressed & undressed could be a pain-I was never able to test that!
I have been a hook pretender since about 02. I ordered the first hook from Ebay and constructed the 'socket' myself out of soda bottles. The cables and straps are easy to order as are extra parts.
The end of the arm is a little chunky but someone that doesn't know not what they are looking at would never notice.. someone that does know might be one of us.
I do always wear a long sleeve shirt by the way but not a jacket. South Florida is basically always summer so we don't wear them.
To deal with the length I tilt the 'wrist' in.
To me the most exciting part is people doing double takes and staring while pretending not to stare.
Second favorite part is smoking a cigarette holding it with the hook.
That drives me wild and calms all my triggers that make me want to pretend in the first place.
I do often pretend in public in Palm Beach area but just about every night I put on that arm, come out to my back porch and just do simple tasks with it, stare at it in amazement... and just enjoy my time as an 'amputee'.
I built mine as well, using PVC pipe. I haven't found ordering any real parts to be doable, which is a bit unfortunate, I'd probably do my own fibreglass work if I could purchase wrists.
As for dress, I generally wear long sleeves, but that's easy in New England for much of the year, and also if you're doing bilateral like I do, there's no length discrepancy to deal with.
I don't do bilateral. Been wanting to try it but the hooks are a little expensive for me.
Why are you not able to buy the hooks and wrist off of ebay? Any other way they are super expensive. Ones on Ebay say 'retro' or 'antique' but in reality hooks haven't changed much in 50 years.
As for length, I never really notice it because I keep my elbow bent upwards but I notice it myself when I use my hook to touch my face and I do that a lot.
Went grocery shopping tonight with bilateral hooks. I find that people rarely comment, most don't even notice you, or they quickly pretend they didn't.
Tonight's cashier asked me to empty the basket I put on the conveyor while I fished my credit card out of a pocket in my cargo pants. I reached up and she saw my left hook, and went, "Oh... uh, that's ok." I said, "It's no problem," and did as she asked. As I was paying, she said, "My daughter is going to school to make those prosthetics." I said, "That's great, we need more people like her."
Certainly better than the guy who kept saying I was "awesome".
I'm not a hook-pretender. I'm a leg. But when I pretend, then i've the same experience. People are more friendly. And they seem to look like it's normal!
Hook pretender here. Have had an actual hook since the early 2000's.
Loved the opportunity to live the life as an amputee (although a pretender) for almost a year back in 2008. I had decided to move to the country, and was far enough away from employment and from anyone that knew me that I was able to go out in public without worrying about running into anyone I knew. I was able to go shopping, gas up the truck, and eat in restaurants without having to look over my shoulder. Was an amazing experience.
With that, I came to realization that I was a little more than just a pretender. I wanted to have the real thing (no left arm from just below the elbow).
I've read a number of your comments on this board, and have to say that it's almost exciting to read that so many of you parallel my exact thoughts.
Hope to be able to interact with many of you in future sessions on here.
Cheers.
--- D
PS: Tamarack, I believe we met a number of years ago.
-- Edited by hookguy on Friday 12th of May 2017 06:07:23 AM
