2. THE EVOLUTION OF MANUAL HERB GRINDER DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

Following on from the previous article "The History of Herb Grinders."

We discovered the worlds first 2 PIECE manual grinder was patented 116 years ago (1905).

GRINDER COMPARTMENT

The patent by William Henry Wingfield and John Balding solved the grinding / shredder compartment principle. Their grinding teeth arrangement have worked good since 1905. With few innovations or design alliterations over time.

Sparks that saying:

"If it isn't broke, dont fix it!"

2 PIECE GRINDER

Their two piece grinder is essentially 1 chamber, the grinding compartment.

Featuring cutting teeth within both clasped grinder parts. Through users rotational hand input, pulverizes the herbs into smaller pieces. This design and operation is effective as a grinding chamber. Which can yield the desired results.

But as a grinder devise in general, it has many drawbacks:

1. Hard to modulate the processed herb sizes and consistency
2. Grounded herbs get nestled inside teeth valleys and are awkward to dispense
3. Low volume of herb storage, for future use
4. No pollen collector or keif storage

A few of these negative features were overcome.

3 PIECE GRINDER

The desire for more herb storage ushered in new innovations. 

The first design improvement is the addition of a 2nd herb storage compartment, vertically stacked below the grinding chamber.

The second innovation, features the arrangement of holes along the floor of grinding chamber. Which acts to modulate the size and consistency of processed herbs. Only herbs of a small enough diameter can pass through and enter the herb storage compartment below.

This design updates improves:

1. The consistency of the processed herbs
2. Increases the herb storage volume
3. Easier to dispense herbs for application

However, still lacks one refinement:

1. Pollen / Keif Collector

Then the pollen collector was born!

4 PIECE HERB GRINDER

The next evolution comprises of an ingenious wire pollen filter and keif storage compartment.

A new 3rd keif storage compartment was added at the base of the grinder. Featuring a wire filter on the floor of the 2nd herb storage compartment and screw off keif storage area below. 

This revolutionary innovation allows users to (1) filter & store herbs and (2) filter & store keif. This 2nd layer of filtration, allows consumers the ability to accumulate the highly potent keif "dust" for an elevated smoking experience :) 

STAGNATION

 Since the creation of the 4 piece grinder, innovation has remained in stagnation.

The word Innovation

"Comes from Latin innovare for renew, whose root is novus or new."

Sir James Dysons Definition:

"Innovation is bring out a new product or service that drastically changes the way something is done and does it better. Its really the performance of something, how something works. That is true innovation"

The choice of grinders on sale today are mostly homogeneous to the 2 piece, 3 piece or 4 piece designs above. Variations do exist, but not so radical.

Such as:

• Cutting teeth shape, arrangement / designs
• Threaded / Magnetically connected compartments
• Permanent / interchangeable processed herb holes
• Permanent / Removable wire mesh filters
• Alternative ways to dispense herbs
• Choices of Branding & colors
• Choices of materials used 

But essentially, the 4 piece grinder has at its essence stayed the same. Comprising of 3 vertically stacked cylindrical compartments:

1. Grinding compartment
2. Herb storage compartment
3. Pollen collector compartment