#Daneson toothpicks review how to

How to educate and entice the American marketplace to accept and embrace a new approach to toothpick consumption? In fact, it’s a common one for many small, independent inventors:

Yet the new design posed a marketing problem for Forster. By compressing, polishing and smoothing the toothpick’s surface with their new machine, the inventors produced a highly pleasing innovative design. They realized that the evolution of the toothpick hinged on a new approach: a round version tapered to a point – almost like a wooden missile. When the first toothpicks emerged from the machines, they were too flat for the pair’s liking. It had to have a functional and pleasing aesthetic without compromising the goal of automation. The third step, involved fine-tuning the look and feel of the toothpick itself. To do this, he decided that the first toothpick mills should be built in Maine as close to the trees as possible. Step 2: Site of Productionįorster realized that he had to keep startup and running costs as low as possible. They were in rich supply on the Eastern seaboard and even had a pleasant odor. The first step centered on using white birch wood from Maine to compose the toothpicks. Inventors should heed their progress as they can be applied to solving modern day challenges attached to startup costs, design, manufacturing and of course, intellectual property protection, including design and utility patents. Inventor, Value Partnerships!įive key steps were taken by the partnership in a relatively short period which hurtled them towards success. He turned to the shoe industry where huge strides had been made in factory automation including shoe pegging machines that were used to peel logs into narrow strips of veneer. Other challenges existed but like most small American inventors I come into contact with on a daily basis, he knew how to solve problems. In addition, the inventor had to identify a plentiful and suitable wood in the United States to use in the endeavor. While the concept was simple, its construction was less so, largely because he needed to invent the technology to produce the new toothpick. Nothing like this existed in the United States or Europe where toothpicks tended to be handcrafted and produced ornamentally.Īs he used the Brazilian toothpicks to clean his teeth he clearly saw a non-obvious and novel incantation of the ageless toothpick which could make him millions. Here he observed indigenous tribes crafting their own version of the toothpick from Orangewood.įorster realized a gap existed in the marketplace for a disposable wooden toothpick that could be manufactured through the use of a machine. Yet in the 19 th Century, that is precisely what an American entrepreneur, Charles Forster, proceeded to do in the jungles of Brazil. Considering its universal use through the ages, one may consider it a difficult tool to patent or innovate.

Daneson toothpicks review