Any Tongs is one of those inventions you look at and say “why didn’t I think of that?” Well Tog Samphel did think of it. Actually, he got the idea from his mother. When he was a kid, she’d tape forks to a clothespin to make tongs. He simply refined that idea and made a product out of it. It was something he always wanted to do: invent something.
He dropped out of college in 2004 because he had a good job opportunity at AOL. He spent the next 16 years in a variety of positions at big companies, but the itch to invent something remained. In 2020, he reimagined his mother’s makeshift tongs and the rest is history. His AnyTongs are a simple rubberized hinge that accepts pretty much any fork or spoon in your drawer. This turns them into tongs. The best part is, they’re not big and bulky like conventional tongs. They’re a lot easier to wash, too.
The business got started with a Kickstarter campaign in 2020 that proved his concept and provided funds for the first production run. The business became a family affair with his wife and sons helping with packing and shipping products in their home. This even prompted Tog to go back to school and finish his degree. Now, he’s bringing Any Tongs into the Shark Tank to go global.
My Take on Any Tongs
I LOVE this product. I tried to order the two pack bundle, but it’s sold out on Amazon and his website. I’ll wait until it becomes available and then I’ll definitely order it. This solves so many problems. It saves space in your utensil drawers, it makes clean up easier and it promotes safe food handling. Say you were flipping some chicken on the grill with tongs, then you wanted to serve it with tongs; you’d need to either wash the tongs or get a new set. With Any Tongs, you can just switch out the forks you’re using. Easy peasy!
Will Sharks Like This Invention?
I’m predicting a feeding frenzy on this one if the numbers work. This is one of those products people will instantly understand and want. I want one! Any one of the Sharks could bid on this. The only one who might bow out is Mark because “it’s a product, not a company.” Tog has some skills with web design Mark might admire, so I’m not ruling him completely out.
I fully expect Mr. Wonderful to make a royalty offer. Robert and Daymond will be likely bidders too. The thing is, Lori is going to scoop this one up. It has everything that one of her “hero” products requires: it has mass appeal, it’s easily demonstrated and it’s not expensive. I predict she’ll offer her “Golden Ticket” and give Tog whatever he’s asking for for Any Tongs.
