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It’s time for another Thingamajig Thursday. Today I’m naming that silvery metal thing you stick your foot in when you go to the shoe store. It’s called the Brannock Device because it was–surprise, surprise–invented by one Mr. Brannock… Charles F., to be precise.
Some interesting facts via The Lemelson-MIT Program:
As a Syracuse University student, young Brannock wanted to find the best way to measure the foot. He played around with the idea for a couple of years and finally built a prototype using an Erector set. In 1926 and 1927, Brannock patented the device and created a company to build it.
Some other interesting things worth knowing about this particular thingamajig:
* It comes in a variety of colors! (green, purple, red and black.) * In addition to different models for men and women, adult and children, there are also Brannock Devices for ski boots! * During WW II, the Army hired Brannock to make sure boots and shoes fit soldiers. * Advised to make his devices out of plastic, ensuring that they would need to be replaced every couple of years, Brannock refused and would only make them from durable steel. * Today, most shoe stores don’t get rid of their Brannock Devices for 10 or 15 years, until the numbers finally wear away from so much use.
Okay, so now we’ve reached my favorite part of Thingamajig Thursday, the part where I ask you all to come up with a better name for the thingamajig, because, let’s face it, the Brannock Device is about as original as a new reality TV show on Bravo. So lay ‘em on us!
Comments (14)
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There’s a band in Kansas City called The Brannock Device. I always wondered where they got their name.
posted by Jane on 9-21-2006 at 3:08 pm
I’d often wondered what these gizmos were called. Looks like there is one manufacturer of the device; The Brannock Device Co., LTD. And you can still buy them, starting at about US$50.
posted by Dave on 9-21-2006 at 4:21 pm
Good thing this is a post about feet…my reCAPTCHA is “shrinks fast”.
posted by Adam on 7-31-2008 at 7:37 am
I got nothing for a new name! I always remeber saying to my sister when we went school shopping to hand me that foot thingy and wipe your foot sweat off first. :)
posted by jennifer on 7-31-2008 at 8:10 am
I’d say Pedometer… But that’s already taken.
Also, Man or Astro-man?’s sound guy went by the stage name “The Brannock Device”
My reCAPTCHA is “sciences ANARCHIST”.
posted by Stuart on 7-31-2008 at 8:44 am
I always just called it the “Shoe Sizer.” I remember the days when the Brannock Device was cast aside in favor of the insert-your-foot x-ray machine; and then how everyone speedily returned to Brannock Devices when they realized they were irradiating kid’s feet.
(My reCAPTCHA was “ribbon restore” – and the type looked as if someone needs to restore the ribbon.)
posted by Karl on 7-31-2008 at 8:50 am
“Foot Ruler”
posted by Hypatia on 7-31-2008 at 11:46 am
Whenever I get shoes, the store that I go to has to get a special Brannock Device to measure my feet because they’re so darn big (17 and still growing!).
posted by Mark on 7-31-2008 at 12:20 pm
Shoe-size jobber.
posted by Zach on 7-31-2008 at 12:22 pm
The Tootsie Tester
posted by Jake Le Master on 7-31-2008 at 1:27 pm
The neat thing about this device (besides its boring name) is how it works! The meaurement taken on the interior of the foot gives the sizer an ARCH measurement, and (obviously) the slidey-bar-thing meaures the foot length. Most people don’t know that the 2 numbers are supposed to match! When they don’t, however, the sizer needs approximate TRUE size. My arch measuers 8.5, but my slider measures nine- ergo, I wear a size nine shoe with an arch support (because my arches are too high).
posted by Ashley on 7-31-2008 at 2:43 pm
Ok..this is a little off the subject, but speaking of weird shoe devices, when I was young, they said my toes/feet pointed in. As a result, I was forced to wear a device that had shoes with a metal bar at the bottom that forced my feet in an outward position. What was the name of the device? And from what I understand the device was not necessary. It did nothing but help me get familiar with some mad snowboarding moves..hopping to bed on a nightly basis.
posted by Mikey on 7-31-2008 at 3:17 pm
Pedograph
posted by gus on 7-31-2008 at 9:33 pm
I think it should be called a
“foot-size-alyzer”.
Better than the old x-ray machines that I’ve read that they used to take a view of kids’ feet in the 40’s and 50’s ( or whenever it was) Imagine all the needless radiation exposure kids were getting!!!! OMG
posted by tweber on 8-1-2008 at 10:47 pm