A satisfying task

A lovely quiet day in my study after a busy time. Working through my 'To Do' list has been very satisfying but no more satisfying than shredding all the excess paper that can't just be put in the recycle bin. 

While our small shredder did its thing I hopped onto the exercise bike, also in the garage. While pedalling I began to wonder when shredders first appeared. Thanks to the wonderful people who contribute all sorts of information to the internet I have learned that the first paper shredder is credited to an inventor Abbot Augustus Low. He filed his patent on February 2, 1909 but died prematurely before his invention was manufactured.


The first paper shredder was manufactured in 1935 in Germany. It was designed by Adolf Ehinger and was based on a hand-crank pasta maker. It is suggested that he created a shredding machine to shred his anti-Nazi leaflets to protect himself from the authorities. He later marketed and began selling his patented shredders to government agencies and financial institutions converting from hand-crank to electric motor.

Ehinger's company, EBA Maschinenfabrik, manufactured the first cross-cut paper shredders in 1959 and continues to do so as Krug & Priester GmbH & Co. So there you go. There's always something new to learn.