Handmade pizza cutter: turned cocobolo handle fixed to ornate swivel-caster frame with 5 inch rotary blade. Acrylic and brass stand. 1877

U.S. Patent Office files reveal information on early patents (US209065A: 1878 rotary chopping knife; US482830A: 1892 roller knife for trimming wallpaper) granted for devices that bear a striking resemblance to modern era rotary pizza slicers.

However, this idiosyncratic culinary tool (Lot 1014) has been identified as possibly the earliest known rotary blade pizza slicer predating previous rotary cutter patents.

This ingenious slicer sprang from the gifted mind of Mr. David A. Fisher.

Mr. Fisher worked in the furniture manufacturing industry and is credited with one of the earliest patents for a wheeled caster (US74794: 1876).

In a stroke of inspired creation, Mr. Fisher, an ardent pizza lover, adapted his furniture caster design to create this distinctive culinary utensil.

His design eliminates the problem of “flutter” found in swiveling casters (also known as “speed wobble” or “shimmy”) by lengthening the distance between the wheel axle and the steering axis (aka “trailing distance”).

When this innovative change was applied to his swiveling pizza slicer it allowed Mr. Fisher to rapidly and effortlessly cut a perfectly proportioned slice from any size pie from either a standing or sitting position. The integral swivel bearing and blade steering lever allowed for slicing oval or curvilinear portions.

As this was a one-off creation by Mr. Fisher for his personal use he never applied for a patent, and is the only one of its type known to exist.