At 89 years old, Jim Ball holds a rare triple distinction in sword swallowing: he’s the world’s oldest living sword swallower; when he learned at age 12, he was the world’s youngest; and having swallowed steel for 77 years, he’s the world’s longest-performing sword swallower. Jim is also unique in that both his parents were sword swallowers: John “Lucky” Ball and Estelline Pike. It was his mother, Estelline, who trained him.
Jim’s career took him across the U.S. and Canada, working with legendary showmen like Dick Best, Walter Wanous, and Alex Linton. From Hubert’s Museum in New York to Madison Square Garden with Ringling Bros., to What’s My Line? in 1958, and a stint in the army in between it all, Jim has many adventures to share in this episode.
Jim Ball is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.