Product designer Tog Samphel, who works full-time as the Head of Product Design for wellness company Loop, has a successful side hustle: He invented (and got into production) Anytongs, a clever hinged handle that use existing cutlery to become workable tongs.
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They use less material, take up less space in a drawer, can quickly have their utensils swapped out and are more convenient to pack away for camping.
They work by relying on the fact that most silverware handles are tapered. A trapezoidal slot within each side of the handle can thus be used to create a wedging action, holding the utensils in place.
While this will obviously vary based on the actual silverware you’re using, the wedge arrangement can withstand a fair bit of pressure before the utensils want to pop out:
The video clip below shows Samphel going on “Shark Tank” with his invention last year. As billionaire Mark Cuban criticizes Samphel for not quitting his day job and going all in with his invention, Samphel tells him, in a roundabout way, that his advice is “bullshit:”
As you saw, Samphel gained funding from FUBU’s Daymond John. Anytongs are now sold here for $20 a pop.
Source: core77