#SWEET BANANA SLICER DRIVER#

(The patent describes the banana slicer as a “tool which has a frame circumscribing an area into which a typical banana readily fits, and a plurality of spaced ribs or blades disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the frame and interconnecting opposite sides of the frame.”) But how would he convince every household to buy one? Sheffield purchased a book with the name and address of every grocery store in America. In 1989 Sheffield met with a plastics manufacturer in Hong Kong, built and tested a prototype, then secured a patent. Sheffield recalls suddenly seeing a crystal-clear vision of a flat, ladderlike, banana-shaped device. Sheffield found himself walking through the crowded streets of that city one day, brainstorming potential ways to help the director of a small orphanage in India he and his wife recently met. This drove him to leave the California Superior Court bench, where he had worked for two years, and travel to Hong Kong to work as general counsel for the Mormon Church in Asia. In 1985, well into his 40s, Sheffield converted to Mormonism.

#SWEET BANANA SLICER DRIVER#

Aside from an entrepreneurial spirit, the biggest driver of his innovative spirit is his faith.ĭuring an interview with Slate, Sheffield explained how the idea for a banana slicer was not the direct result of fruit-cutting frustration, but rather a vision from God. And as strange as it may sound, Sheffield’s story embodies the American dream. But the story behind it goes back nearly 25 years. The yellow plastic device became a viral meme almost two years ago, when it inspired thousands of hilarious, satirical customer reviews online.

Sweet banana slicer