A Nutcracker for All Seasons

Did you know that nutcrackers have been around for thousands of years? After all, a nutcracker is just a mini-lever that cracks a nutshell, revealing the yummy meat inside. Some genius Homo sapiens figured this out, and we are all grateful for it.

Of course, it's been generations since that evolved ape realized that cracking nuts was so easy, a caveman could do it. German miners spent their off-time beautifying the craft, and created the Christmas tradition that we enjoy today.

Nutcrackers can be any device that cracks the shell of a nut - it doesn't have to be a little man with a large set of champers. For the utilitarian line-up, we have the plier-shaped nutcracker, which uses a simple lever to crack the nut into submission. These pliers use a ridged curve to grasp the nut (or lobster, or crab) and crack the surface. These nutcrackers are a must-have for any utensil drawer.

Screw-shaped nutcrackers admittedly resemble medieval torture devices, but they have a noble purpose - getting those nuts cracked. Screw nutcrackers utilize a simple mechanism that uses leverage to crack nuts. Seriously, are you sensing a theme here?

Finally, there is the nutcracker that you know and love - the carved, wooden character nutcracker. These nutcrackers are an indispensible Christmas decoration, and over the past fifty years, have become as important as a Christmas tree and twinkling lights. These nutcrackers started as authority figures, like kings and soldiers, but over the years, makers like Ulbricht and Steinbach have included just about every possible layman, pop culture icons, literary figures, and more. While many of these figures can crack the nuts, they are better suited to a life of leisure on your fireplace mantle.