Sam Farber

Samuel "Sam" Farber (November 16, 1924 – June 16, 2013) was an American industrial designer and businessman. Farber and his son, John Farber, co-founded OXO, a manufacturer of kitchen utensils and housewares. Farber is credited with revolutionizing the kitchen utensil industry by developing and introducing a line of utensils with plastic-coated black handles through OXO. While more expensive than traditional utensils, the new soft, black handled utensils proved to be a success with consumers.

Sam Farber was born on November 16, 1924, in New York City, though he was raised in nearby Yonkers, New York. His father, Louis Farber, established Farber Brothers, which sold serving ware. His uncle, Simon Farber, founded Farberware, which manufactures kitchen appliances and cookware.

Farber served in North Africa and Turkey during World War II as a member of the Army Air Forces. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University in 1946.

In 1960, Farber founded Copco, which manufactured enamel-coated, cast iron cookware. He sold Copco in 1982, largely retiring from the industry at the time of the sale.

Farber founded OXO as a result of improvements he made to an everyday vegetable peeler. While vacationing in a rented home in southern France, his wife, Betsy Farber, who suffered from arthritis, was trying to peel apples, which proved difficult using a peeler with a standard design. The difficulties presented by available peelers (and their handles) sparked an idea for Sam. He and his son, John, soon hired Smart Design, an industrial design firm based in New York City, with which they created a new product line of kitchen utensils fitted with soft plastic-coated black handles, which made them easier to hold and utilize than other utensils.

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