Craftsman restores century-old IBM... cheese cutter

[chromedome]

This morning I learned that in the 1920s, the newly re-branded IBM (it had previously been the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, a name which even then lacked a certain something) manufactured a "Computing Cheese Cutter" for delis. By moving a lever, even unskilled/semi-skilled staffers could accurately cut someone "50 cents' worth" of cheese (or whatever other amount). The restorer in this case had to fabricate several replacement parts, and even replicate the wooden cutting board, but - more importantly - also had to figure out how the thing worked.

It's an oddly fascinating video to watch (there's no narrative, so you can speed up the playback and still get the full benefit).

 

 

[chromedome]

Okay, a couple of corrections because I posted before I'd gotten *all* the way to the end (I could have just edited the original post, but transparency etc...).

 

There's no narrative during the restoration process, but starting at 43 minutes or so the restorer begins a verbal explanation (and visual demonstration) of how it works. It's not actually the price that the cutter calculates (I was wrong), but the weight of the wedge. One lever adjusts to reflect the original weight of the entire wheel, and then the second one sets the cutter at an appropriate angle to cut x number of ounces from the wheel or wedge of cheese that you're using. Still pretty cool, though.

 

I tripped across this fairly randomly on YouTube, and in one of those little coincidences that make life so interesting, it happens that I'm currently (re)reading Thomas Watson Jr.'s memoir, Father, Son & Company, about IBM under his father Tom Sr. and himself.

[Smithy]

That is a cool video, and at least the opening credits are amusing. Thanks!