American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the modern safety pin. Mechanic and independent inventor Walter Hunt secured a place in American history when he invented the useful, everyday device known as the safety pin in 1849. Born on July 29, 1796, Hunt lived and worked in New York, where he invented a variety of tools and household items and made improvements to existing machinery.
Needing to settle a $15 debt with a friend, Hunt decided to invent something new in order to pay it off. He took an 8″ piece of brass wire and made a coil in the centre so it would open up when released. A clasp at one end shielded the sharp edge from the user. After being issued the patent on 10 April 1849, he sold it to W. R. Grace and Company for $400. He then paid the $15 to the friend and kept the remaining amount. In the years to follow, the company would make millions of dollars in profits from his invention.
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