Finally!! The Portable Hand!
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:37 pm
Before the Worker and the Sharpmaker there was the Portable hand!
The Portable Hand!!! I can’t even begin to explain to you how friggin excited I am to receive this in the mail! To say I was stressing while this was in transit is a major understatement. I might have just drove 35 minutes home from work to grab this package off the porch, take a picture and then drive 35 minutes back to work. :) The person I got it from was clearing out an old clock shop and came across it. Said that it was used to hold the small parts of the clocks after they would clean them. The story that follows most of you know but I figured I’d add it for anyone that doesn’t!
Spyderco's history began in 1976 in Redding, California, when Sal invented the Portable Hand. This was a tool designed to hold small objects securely in place, which frees up a hand and aids in intricate tasks. The Portable Hand was a practical solution for people working on electronical components and many other uses, both in industry and at home. At the same time, Sal had an avid interest in high performance sports cars. He noticed that many car manufacturers in the 1970s used the term 'spider/spyder' or 'spydercars' to name their high-end sports cars. The Portable Hand's spider-like looks and the naming of high performance sports-cars, inspired Sal to name his company Spyderco.
(Sal)
The "Portable Hand" was an "invention pilot" that Gail and I wanted to go through. The project was; to invent an funtional tool, patent it, design it, build it ourselves, market and sell the product. We welded up the parts while on the road on campground benches and motel rooms. We sold them mail order and at shows. Our 2nd invention, the Sharpmaker, overpowered the portable hand and we didn't have enough time to do both, so we disco'd the portable hand.
I snagged this information from my good friends over at Spydiewiki and Sal himself off the forum.
Thanks, Rich
The Portable Hand!!! I can’t even begin to explain to you how friggin excited I am to receive this in the mail! To say I was stressing while this was in transit is a major understatement. I might have just drove 35 minutes home from work to grab this package off the porch, take a picture and then drive 35 minutes back to work. :) The person I got it from was clearing out an old clock shop and came across it. Said that it was used to hold the small parts of the clocks after they would clean them. The story that follows most of you know but I figured I’d add it for anyone that doesn’t!
Spyderco's history began in 1976 in Redding, California, when Sal invented the Portable Hand. This was a tool designed to hold small objects securely in place, which frees up a hand and aids in intricate tasks. The Portable Hand was a practical solution for people working on electronical components and many other uses, both in industry and at home. At the same time, Sal had an avid interest in high performance sports cars. He noticed that many car manufacturers in the 1970s used the term 'spider/spyder' or 'spydercars' to name their high-end sports cars. The Portable Hand's spider-like looks and the naming of high performance sports-cars, inspired Sal to name his company Spyderco.
(Sal)
The "Portable Hand" was an "invention pilot" that Gail and I wanted to go through. The project was; to invent an funtional tool, patent it, design it, build it ourselves, market and sell the product. We welded up the parts while on the road on campground benches and motel rooms. We sold them mail order and at shows. Our 2nd invention, the Sharpmaker, overpowered the portable hand and we didn't have enough time to do both, so we disco'd the portable hand.
I snagged this information from my good friends over at Spydiewiki and Sal himself off the forum.
Thanks, Rich
