Buzz
When you spot a product on a store shelf, it's logical to assume it has been tested to ensure it delivers on its label's promises. However, labeling regulations are often lenient, allowing companies to make bold claims without substantial proof. This is why some businesses and creators have taken extraordinary measures to prove their claims beyond doubt.
10. Elisha Graves Otis
Although not widely recognized, Elisha Graves Otis was a visionary inventor who transformed vertical transportation. He is credited with creating the elevator safety brake, a groundbreaking innovation that made elevators safer than climbing stairs.
Otis’s ingenious creation significantly enhanced elevator safety by eliminating the danger of a free-fall if the supporting cables broke. The mechanism involves a robust spring, compressed by the elevator's weight, which releases and locks the elevator in place during a sudden drop, preventing catastrophic accidents.
This groundbreaking innovation faced skepticism, making it challenging for Otis to gain public trust. To prove its reliability, he showcased his invention at the 1954 World’s Fair by standing on a 6-meter (20 ft) platform and having an assistant sever the rope with an axe. His survival led to a surge in sales for his safety elevators.
9. Steve Gass
Woodworking is a hazardous craft, causing numerous injuries annually, including over 10 severed fingers daily. Steve Gass aimed to reduce these incidents in the most innovative way possible.
Gass developed a saw designed to prevent finger amputations. The blade carries a small electric current, and when interrupted by contact with skin, it retracts instantly, causing only minor cuts instead of severe injuries.
Gass rigorously tested his invention in his workshop, first using a hotdog and later his own hand. Despite rejection from major US power tool manufacturers who deemed it too costly, Gass chose to market the product directly to consumers. He showcased its capabilities at trade shows, captivating audiences by activating the saw and inserting his finger into it, as demonstrated in the video above.
8. Grant Mackintosh
Draggin’ Jeans specializes in crafting motorcycle jeans that blend denim with Kevlar for enhanced protection. These jeans, which have earned numerous safety accolades, offer a stylish and comfortable alternative to traditional riding leathers.
While safety awards and technical specifications have bolstered the jeans' appeal, it was the CEO’s bold demonstration in the ’90s that truly won over customers. Grant Mackintosh donned a pair of his jeans and allowed himself to be dragged by a motorcycle at 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) for several hundred feet. After the stunt, he stood up unharmed, showing the film crew that the jeans remained intact, as seen in the video above.
7. Trent Kimball
One of the perks of selling bulletproof glass is that most customers will never need to test its effectiveness. However, if the product fails, the small percentage who do will be far from pleased.
To demonstrate the reliability of their bulletproof glass, the CEO of Texas Armoring Corporation positioned himself behind a pane and had an employee fire an AK-47 at him, as shown in the video above. Adding to the drama, Trent Kimball wore only safety glasses and a confident grin, relying entirely on the glass to protect him from harm.
6. Casimir Zeglen
The bulletproof vest, created by Casimir Zeglen, is a product whose reliability is critical. As a Catholic priest, Zeglen was driven to act after the Chicago mayor’s assassination, dedicating years to experimenting with materials. His breakthrough came when he discovered silk’s exceptional resistance to impact, leading him to develop a silk vest capable of stopping bullets in controlled tests.
To validate his invention’s real-world effectiveness, Zeglen needed a more daring approach than laboratory tests. After experimenting on a cadaver and a living dog, he concluded that the ultimate proof would be testing the vest on himself. With the support of Dr. L.C. Borland, Zeglen conducted this final trial on the roof of Borland’s home.
In front of an intrigued audience, Zeglen climbed onto the roof, donned his vest, and allowed himself to be shot eight times in the chest. Emerging unscathed, he likened the experience to being poked with a stick. One spectator, impressed by the demonstration, volunteered to wear the vest and also walked away unharmed after being shot.
5. Giles Brindley
Professor Giles Brindley pioneered the discovery that certain medications could induce erections. In 1983, he famously revealed his penis to a room full of urologists to showcase the effects of papaverine, an antispasmodic drug with unexpected benefits.
Due to sensationalized reports, the exact details of the event remain unclear. However, it is widely acknowledged that Brindley, after removing his trousers, walked around the room of medical experts and encouraged them to examine his genitals to confirm there was no deception. This bold act brought significant attention to the aging scientist and his research, paving the way for drug-based treatments for erectile dysfunction to become widely accepted.
43. M
In 2005, 3M installed two panels of their shatterproof glass at a Vancouver bus stop. They challenged the public to break the glass for a chance to win $3 million.
Many exaggerated claims surround the event, such as rumors that real money was protected behind the glass or that the setup was left unattended. In truth, while a small amount of real cash was placed behind the glass, most of it was counterfeit. Additionally, the public was closely monitored to prevent attempts like using a vehicle to break the glass.
Participants were allowed to use various tools, including sledgehammers, to strike the glass. The challenge ended without a winner when the glass frame started to fail, demonstrating the glass’s near-indestructible nature.
3. Troy Hurtubise
Troy Hurtubise is renowned in certain circles for his intense dedication to creating “bear-proof armor.” As depicted in the 1996 documentary Project Grizzly, his inspiration stemmed from a close encounter with a bear in 1984, which fueled his desire to study bears up close without risking his life.
Eager to observe bears more closely, Hurtubise invested seven years and a significant amount of his own money to develop a fully bear-proof suit. To test its durability, he enlisted strangers to strike him with sticks, push him off cliffs, and even hit him with cars while he wore the suit, as shown in the video above.
Unfortunately, Hurtubise never had the opportunity to test his invention in the wild due to its impractical weight for uneven terrain. However, he once entered a cage with a captive Kodiak bear, which was so frightened by his presence that it urinated. While this proved the suit’s effectiveness in an unexpected way, it wasn’t the outcome he had envisioned.
2. Tesla
In 2013, the Tesla Model S was declared the safest car ever built. Its safety features are so advanced that it exceeds the five-star rating system and famously destroyed the testing machine intended to crush it.
Tesla, however, wasn’t satisfied. After learning their car had broken the roof-crushing machine, the company insisted on retesting to ensure the car’s strength wasn’t limited to specific areas. The Model S was analyzed for structural weaknesses and retested, ultimately surpassing the five-star rating regardless of the test setup.
1. PPSS
PPSS, a UK-based firm, focuses on producing protective apparel such as jackets, shirts, and vests designed to withstand stabbing, slashing, and bullets. The company’s CEO, Robert Kaiser, is deeply committed to demonstrating the durability of his products, often appearing in videos where he challenges individuals to attack him while he wears the protective gear, as seen in the video above.
In these demonstrations, Kaiser endures gunshots, stabbings, and slashes from various lethal weapons. In one video, a large man in a suit strikes him with a telescopic police baton and stabs him with a combat knife. In another, he is shot with a Glock 19. PPSS states that Kaiser participates in these tests to prove his unwavering confidence in the products he offers.
