Spyderco Forums

I'll add this image to this thread that I ran across in my Spyderco digital files. This is an advertisement from "Popular Science" from 1977 for Sal's "Portable Hand":

Wow, 6% sales tax in 1977!

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:01 am

Wow, 6% sales tax in 1977!

Yes, it's amazing it's not much higher now.

75 cent shipping, though. Wow!

FeistyKat wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 3:04 am

Yes, it's amazing

Bloke wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 4:07 am

FeistyKat wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 3:04 am

Yes, it's amazing

:D Bloke, I rarely reply and there’s no “like” feature on this forum. So just wanted to say I appreciate your injection of humor. :spyder:

Super cool find on this piece of Glesser history! :spyder: :spyder: :spyder:

Donut wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:25 pm

Maybe for the forum knife, do a sprint run of the portable hand. :P

Yes! So people can put back together their Manix and not post on this forum about their lost bearing balls or springs! :D

Hi Belzaem,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

The same, but different:

https://www.riogrande.com/product/grs-b ... ion/502042

https://www.riogrande.com/product/econo ... and/502003

Hi Brian,

The advantage of the Portable hand was that you could clip it to the work, like inside of a television. The instructions that came with the unit has a lot of uses.

I remember drawing that add in the Bread truck.

sal

Sal:

Do you recall who made the components that went into the Portable Hand? Did you do all of the assembly yourself? Any estimates on how many Portable Hands were sold over the years?

Hi CoPilot,

The center base was stamped in Southern California and sent to us. The drill rod, we cut and welded. The ball bearings, cir-clips and alligator clips were shipped in to Colorado and we carried them with us. We carried the welding tanks and the fixtures. We took the photos and printed the instructions in Indianapolis. Manufactured "on-the-road".

I guess we made a thousand or so. Eric's wants to build them again for a run. I would make some changes though.

sal

Thank you,Sal.

I love hearing about the early Spyderco products and how things got started.

A new run of the Portable Hand would be great! Perhaps a 50th Anniversary edition in 2026?!

I’d be in for a portable hand! So useful...

Eric's call.

sal

I’m in...this thread just got another follower!

Found this mention of the Portable Hand on page 23 of the old "black cover" instruction booklet for the Triangle Sharpmaker. Thought I would post it here on this thread.

Here's another reference to the portable hand for y'all :)

Couldn’t find one for years and now they are multiplying!! :) The new one I got is in pristine condition!

Candyman wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:03 am

Couldn’t find one for years and now they are multiplying!! :) The new one I got is in pristine condition!

Nice! Does this second one have a story with it?

More pics, please!

The CoPilot wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:53 am

Candyman wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:03 am

Couldn’t find one for years and now they are multiplying!! :) The new one I got is in pristine condition!

Nice! Does this second one have a story with it?

More pics, please!

I’ll definitely get more pics when I get home. Here was the response I got back from the guy I bought it from.

“I bought a bunch of old tools from a guy and it was in with them. I didn't think it was anything Special till i researched it. I got a new Snap on 3/4" drive socket set with them also from the 30s. Glad your happy with it. “

So cool to see people accidentally stumble across items like these and have no idea what they are at first.

Rich