Percussion Nutcrackers

A percussion nutcracker can be described simply as any object that strikes the nut in order to break the shell. It is the oldest type of nutcracker with archaeologists documenting that early civilizations would round out nut-sized indentions in a stone before placing the nuts inside the indentions and striking them with another stone. Later, in the mid 19th century, an American craftsman invented a percussion type nutcracker colloquially named the “knee warmer.” This nutcracker consisted of a curved metal plate with a pedestal on top. The metal plate would be placed over the thigh while the nut was set atop the pedestal and struck by a hammer. The pressure of the hit would be spread across the metal plate, causing no harm to the user’s leg. The simplicity of the percussion nutcracker allowed it to stand the test of time, although most modern percussion nutcrackers use metal or wooden hammers rather than stones. This 1960s-1970s era walnut-shaped percussion nutcracker is both decorative and functional, featuring a detachable wooden mallet for breaking nut shells, metal nut picks, and a whimsical bowl for storing nuts.