Kwick Grippers now available - with your help!

[benjamin.eby]

Hello all you probably remember me when I was asking opinions and doing market research here on GJ a while back. Back then I showed my nail-puller (then called the A-nailator) and a few people wanted to buy one but I could not sell them

I am happy to say after years of struggles they are finally available, I have around 2000 of them in production due to be finished in late April.

I have a problem though- basically I spent almost every nickle I could scrape together on development and production tooling- and now I have little if no budget to market it. Which is why
I am making the first run available here

http://www.gofundme.com/1s7woc

to try and raise enough money to pay my legal bills and market it. Any help would be much appreciated and you can get one of the first Kwick Grippers for yourself

 

[benjamin.eby]

for those you you wondering what the 47 prototypes that go with the "nail-master" level look like - here is one I used in a video back in 2005

you may remember it, I posted this video here on GJ and a few people wanted them. I couldn't sell them because I needed them for prototyping and developing what would eventually become the Kwick Gripper - I am sure you can see both the similarity and differences between the two.

 

[signcrafter]

I like it. It's a simple yet effective tool.

How much of the nail has to be sticking out of the board in order for it to grip good?

What is the COO? While this isn't a deal breaker for me for 50 bucks for this I would expect that they are US made.

 

[benjamin.eby]

To pull a nail or staple you need as little as 1/8" coming out of the board, unfortunately they are not US made.

I tried for years to find a place that could/would, but I either got a quotes that were so high it was clear they didn't want the project or no call back at all. If you know anyone in the US who would be able and willing to produce it I would love to contact them

 

[signcrafter]

Ya I'm sure it's tough to find a US company to make a smaller run of these for a decent price with the cost of tooling and whatnot. Hopefully you can get a big order and maybe that would make it more economical per tool to make here.

I still like the tool and wish you luck in making this happen! I've used a lot of nail pullers and I can surely see where your's would come in handy.

 

[benjamin.eby]

YES! that is my ultimate end goal- but getting started is harder than I could have imagined.

I would like to have the capabilities some day of doing all my manufacturing in-house, but right now I'm just too small- maybe next year

 

[andywander]

Alright, well, i just signed up at $49.

It looks really handy.

 

[benjamin.eby]

Thanks Andy!

 

[Shocker]

Seems like the perfect pitch on Shark Tank.

 

[jrlp]

That's a great invention! I'll toss a few dollars your way at the end of the week. Not because I have use for your tool, but rather cherish the idea that there are still innovators in the US, especially a fellow GJ'er!

Goodluck!

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

I havent seen the video yet but even if they're not made in the U.S as long as the Marksmanship and good quality materials are used,all is good.

 

[benjamin.eby]

I had thought about shark tank, the trouble is you really need some sort of sales history to show them that is a viable product- otherwise you run the risk of them making a fool out of you for the sake of entertaining television.
Not a bad idea though

 

[Sick Puppy]

Count me in when I get a job

 

[Cheapskate]

What price point do you think these will sell at when they become available in stores?

 

[benjamin.eby]

What price point do you think these will sell at when they become available in stores?

When I can afford to launch the website they will start at 39.99, which should be the same price they will be in stores. I have a few retailers interested so that may happen pretty soon, well 8 months to a year which is pretty soon to me!

The price will probably come down once I get enough demand- it's much cheaper per unit to make 20,000 of something than it is 2000.

I also have a much larger version that is 3ft long that I would like to get out around that time. -
I worked on a loading dock for a while and I think it would be great to get really stuck nails out of the decking on a semi trailer- just one application for it, but that's the one that sticks in my head- those things were near impossible to get out sometimes

 

[Holt]

Very nice work with the design of the tool. I how it work and how well it works. But just a little bit of critisim if you don't mind. The beginning of the video is horrible. Even the most modest homeowner could have pulled those nail out with a little a patients. You looked liked a frustrated child. Your video needs to focus on What you did later in the videos like the headless nails and lag bolts. This looks like a tool for pros so show the pro side of the tool. Sorry to be blunt but the tool looks cool and I hate to see it fail.

Edit. I see that video was from a while back. New video is a lot better. Nice job. Hope you run a sucessfull business

 

[benjamin.eby]

Very nice work with the design of the tool. I how it work and how well it works. But just a little bit of critisim if you don't mind. The beginning of the video is horrible. Even the most modest homeowner could have pulled those nail out with a little a patients. You looked liked a frustrated child. Your video needs to focus on What you did later in the videos like the headless nails and lag bolts. This looks like a tool for pros so show the pro side of the tool. Sorry to be blunt but the tool looks cool and I hate to see it fail.

Edit. I see that video was from a while back. New video is a lot better. Nice job. Hope you run a sucessfull business

Thanks, I appreciate your constructive criticism- I would much rather you be honest with me and tell me where to improve, than tell me it looks great and allow me to keep making the same mistakes.
We plan on making a few more Videos once we have money- I will definitely take your comments into consideration.
- Glad you like the tool!
-afterall at the end of the day that's what I want to make- not videos

 

[benjamin.eby]

I decided to discount the Pre-sale KwickGrippers on Gofundme down to $39.00 with free shipping.


please ignore the other price levels as the site will not let me get rid of them

Thanks!

 

[benjamin.eby]

http://www.gofundme.com/1s7woc
almost forgot - here's the link again

 

[benjamin.eby]

Alright, well, i just signed up at $49.

It looks really handy.

good news! - you just got 10 bucks off!

 

[Bull]

I'm going to look into this. I remember you.

I wonder if Westling Machine could make these for you?

 

[benjamin.eby]

are they a cnc machine shop?
If so they probably could, but the problem is most CNC shops bill out over $50 an hour so it does becomes cost prohibitive-(unless you're making guns ) - if the are a foundry and forge they would have a better chance because they produce in large volume.

Thanks for checking on it and let me know what they say- if they think they could do it I can send them prints.

thanks again -Ben

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Great idea. I'm just your average homeowner side project guy and I can think of many times when this would of come in handy.

 

[chewy7]

This product looks real handy. There are times on the farm where i could of used something like this. A long handled 3 foot version would come in handy pulling out spikes from old planks

 

[benjamin.eby]

This product looks real handy. There are times on the farm where i could of used something like this. A long handled 3 foot version would come in handy pulling out spikes from old planks

There is a 3-ft version in the works! should be available in 6 months or so - the current version is about 18 inches long.

our initial prototypes were 3-footers and the grip was crazy-

Here's the prototype vid from 8 years ago -

 

[Bull]

are they a cnc machine shop?
If so they probably could, but the problem is most CNC shops bill out over $50 an hour so it does becomes cost prohibitive-(unless you're making guns ) - if the are a foundry and forge they would have a better chance because they produce in large volume.

Thanks for checking on it and let me know what they say- if they think they could do it I can send them prints.

thanks again -Ben

Hi Ben,

These are the guys: http://www.westlingmachine.com/

I just sent the owner, Alex, a PM and asked him to check in on this thread and your video. Maybe it won't lead to anything because of economics, but you just never know.

 

[benjamin.eby]

I will get ahold of them for sure- no matter what happens with it I appreciate your interest and help

 

[Bull]

I will get ahold of them for sure- no matter what happens with it I appreciate your interest and help

And I appreciate your home-grown inventiveness and following through on an idea that most of us would have just left in our heads due to inertia.

I might have missed it, but if buying a tool through your fundraising site, when would the tool be received?

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Might not be made in the USA but say the business does get off the ground he does contribute to jobs being created by needing people here to package them up and ship them, people doing paperwork, etc..
Much better than Joe Blow that sits around twiddling his thumbs.

 

[benjamin.eby]

Might not be made in the USA but say the business does get off the ground he does contribute to jobs being created by needing people here to package them up and ship them, people doing paperwork, etc..
Much better than Joe Blow that sits around twiddling his thumbs.

Thanks!

I do wish I could get it made here, I'm a veteran and about as pro-america as you can get, I just haven't found a way to do it yet.

 

[jsackin]

Have you talked to the people at Vaughn? They make quite a few different styles of nail pullers already. If you are interested PM me and I can send you a phone number.

Jori Sackin
Harry J. Epstein Co.

 

[benjamin.eby]

And I appreciate your home-grown inventiveness and following through on an idea that most of us would have just left in our heads due to inertia.

I might have missed it, but if buying a tool through your fundraising site, when would the tool be received?

They arrive in april and I will ship them out asap!

 

[benjamin.eby]

Thanks again to everyone on here!

 

[Bull]

Ben, I'm going to stick this thread to the top of the forum so it doesn't sink.

 

[joshuaz223]

I just signed for two and threw in a couple extra dollars. good luck with your venture. thanks for your service. when the 3 ft versions are available let me know, i will get a couple of them also. If you give me a rough price i will add that as a donation now to assist you further. i understand there are no guarentees of price and will be willing to pay more if you are a little off.

Roy Andrews

 

[benjamin.eby]

I just signed for two and threw in a couple extra dollars. good luck with your venture. thanks for your service. when the 3 ft versions are available let me know, i will get a couple of them also. If you give me a rough price i will add that as a donation now to assist you further. i understand there are no guarentees of price and will be willing to pay more if you are a little off.

Roy Andrews

Hello Roy, If your willing to buy them now I will reserve the three footers for you for the same price of 39 bucks, heck I'll even throw in a few of the prototypes from the old video- thanks again for your support. -

BTW-
you may also be interested in my blog judging by your love of bikes-
www.bigguylittlebike.com
I got a little 250 ninja on trade and was so impressed with it I started a blog about it for fun- I'm going to take it on some long distance trips in the spring and write how it is being a 250lb guy touring on such a small bike

Thanks!

 

[e30bradley]

very cool tool. If I used nails more often I would definitely buy one but for now I don't work with wood often. Good Luck .

 

[KnurledNut]

The majority of the nails i pull are shot in. How does your product hold up to hammering?
The sharkgrip pullers i have are the best for this...and dont seem to "mushroom" as bad as cheaper versions.

 

[carcajou]

I could use a couple 18" models and a 3 foot one, I'm wondering for us Canadians how much to add for the extra freight cost.

 

[jake00]

Ben, Where are you located? The reason I ask is I'm in the hardwood floor industry. Our trade show is coming up in a few months in Dallas this year. I'd think this would be a great thing to have in a booth. There's a forum for hardwood pro's. www.floormasters.com. You should intro the product over there. See what thy have to say.

That said, If I were you, I'd list your product on amazon and eBay ASAP.