The invisible man of innovation
Wed Jan 21 2026
Have you ever used a safety pin, a fountain pen, or a sewing machine? You might know the famous brands behind them, but you likely don’t know the man who actually invented them.
Meet Walter Hunt, the "Yankee mechanical genius" who could solve almost any problem but struggled to profit from a single one. Perhaps the person who best deserves the title of 'the greatest inventor you've never heard of'
In this episode, we dive into the incredible life of a man who changed the world with a piece of wire and a few hours of "hand-wringing".
Learn about:
The $15 Debt that Changed Everything: How the modern safety pin was invented in just three hours to pay back a draughtsman.
The Sewing Machine Wars: Why Walter Hunt actually invented the lockstitch machine 12 years before Elias Howe—and why he refused to patent it until it was too late.
A Legacy of Innovation: From the repeater rifle (the precursor to the Winchester) to disposable paper collars and even "antipodean apparatus" for walking on ceilings, Hunt’s imagination knew no bounds.
Principles Over Profit: Why this "benevolent Quaker" often prioritized social concerns and the joy of problem-solving over building a Gilded Age fortune.
Walter Hunt was a man who found joy in the quest rather than the goal. Join us as we uncover the story of the prolific inventor who holds hundreds of patents for items we still use today, yet remains a hidden figure in history.
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Have you ever used a safety pin, a fountain pen, or a sewing machine? You might know the famous brands behind them, but you likely don’t know the man who actually invented them. Meet Walter Hunt, the "Yankee mechanical genius" who could solve almost any problem but struggled to profit from a single one. Perhaps the person who best deserves the title of 'the greatest inventor you've never heard of' In this episode, we dive into the incredible life of a man who changed the world with a piece of wire and a few hours of "hand-wringing". Learn about: The $15 Debt that Changed Everything: How the modern safety pin was invented in just three hours to pay back a draughtsman. The Sewing Machine Wars: Why Walter Hunt actually invented the lockstitch machine 12 years before Elias Howe—and why he refused to patent it until it was too late. A Legacy of Innovation: From the repeater rifle (the precursor to the Winchester) to disposable paper collars and even "antipodean apparatus" for walking on ceilings, Hunt’s imagination knew no bounds. Principles Over Profit: Why this "benevolent Quaker" often prioritized social concerns and the joy of problem-solving over building a Gilded Age fortune. Walter Hunt was a man who found joy in the quest rather than the goal. Join us as we uncover the story of the prolific inventor who holds hundreds of patents for items we still use today, yet remains a hidden figure in history.