Brandon Hyde, the co-developer of a new multi-tool, the Cole-Bar Hammer, relied on his faith in God to help him survive the tragic accidental death of his twelve-year-old brother, Cole – the inspiration of the combination hammer and crow-bar that bears his name. The Cole-Bar is the most successful hand tool design ever launched on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.com.
Roan Mountain, TN -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/07/2013 -- Indiana resident Cole Hyde, 11, was helping his father, Lance Hyde, build a pole barn. While putting tools away at the end of the day, Cole laid a crow-bar down on top of a hammer. The pair both had the same thought — “Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a hammer and crow bar in the same tool?” Just a few months later, before Lance Hyde could pursue their idea, Cole died in a tragic accident on their property. He was just twelve years old.
Cole’s half-brother Brandon says, “I Ioved being Cole’s big brother. He was one of the most loving little boys you could ever meet. Our family was just devastated at his senseless loss. I had my faith in God to help get me through, but my father was not at the same place with his faith,” says Brandon Hyde. “Dad was crushed, and angry at God for taking this innocent child.”
“A couple of years after Cole passed away, Dad called me to say that he had decided to move forward with the multi-tool that he and Cole had talked about before he died, as a way of paying tribute to my brother.”
Over the next few years, the family manufactured five Cole-Bar Hammer prototypes. In 2011, Lance Hyde was awarded a U.S. Patent for the Cole-Bar Hammer. “Development of the Cole-Bar Hammer has been a real rollercoaster ride,” says Brandon Hyde. “We had a couple of ‘big breaks’ that didn’t pan out. We had some business deals fall through. But whenever we would hit an obstacle, I just prayed.”
“At the time, Dad couldn’t fully relate to it, but my faith is my foundation. I’m not an inventor. I’m not a marketing expert. What do I know about bringing a tool to the market?” Brandon Hyde asks. “Well, God knows all, so who better to rely on than the one who knows everything?”
The Cole-Bar Hammer is among the first tool designs ever to be funded via Kickstarter. The Hyde family has raised $100,000 in pledges to launch commercial production of the tool in just the first thirty days of the the sixty-day campaign. Brandon Hyde continues, “It’s incredible how many people have been inspired to help us. Our story gives people hope. With God’s help, we’ve turned a tragic loss into something positive that my brother Cole would be so proud of. He would just love this.”
“I graduated from Lee University, a Christ-centered college,” Brandon Hyde continues. “Dad has always known where I stand as a Christian and he deep down has always had a level of faith himself, but there were times he didn’t want to talk about his faith because he was hurting. Now we look back and see all the things that have taken place in the development of the Cole-Bar Hammer, the obstacles that have miraculously turned into opportunities...now Dad is thinking, ‘Maybe there’s something to this whole God thing.’ Dad is talking about God in ways he never has before. Because he has seen the miracles,” says Brandon Hyde.
About the Cole-Bar Hammer
The Cole-Bar Hammer is a patented multi-tool that combines a hammer, crow bar, a demolition tool, angle measurement tool, ruler, a socket wrench and nail pliers. The Cole-Bar Hammer had its official launch at the 2013 National Hardware Show. An earlier prototype made it to the finals in a DIY Network inventors competition. The Cole-Bar Hammer was inspired by its inventor’s late son, Cole Hyde, who had the idea for the tool when he was just eleven years old. When Cole tragically passed away less than a year later, Cole’s father, Lance Hyde, decided to move forward with a prototype of the tool in tribute to his son, ultimately naming the tool after him. The Cole-Bar Hammer is among the first hand tool designs ever funded on Kickstarter.com, raising more than $100,000 from over 1,575 supporters to date.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Brandon Hyde has appeared on Popular Science Radio, “DIY Live” Karl Champley, and “On The House” with the Carey Brothers. He’s an eloquent, passionate and articulate spokesperson for both the Cole-Bar Hammer and his Christian faith. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Brandon directly using the information listed in this release.