Hitting nail on head with Toe Stool

The Toe Stools are made by an Amish carpenter.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Some might think a footrest is, well, just a footrest.
But not Dr. Harold Martin.
Martin, 77, of New Beaver Borough in Lawrence County, believes his footrest -- aptly coined The Toe Stool -- is the best.
"There are a lot of footrests out there, but they are not this height," Martin explains.
At 12 inches high, 10 inches long and 8 inches wide, the Toe Stool resembles a small podium. He's selling them for $19.95 each.
A practicing chiropractor for 43 years, Martin invented the footrest after realizing he needed a better vantage point when cutting and filing his own toenails.
"I got tired of putting my foot on the toilet," he said.
It took about a year and a few prototypes for Martin to come up with final product, which he is now selling from his Web site, www.toestool.com.
Making the product
Martin made about 25 of the Toe Stools in his cellar and a friend's workshop, but he has since farmed out the work to an Amish carpenter.
So far, there are about 50 Toe Stools in use, he says.
Martin says they put the foot and knee at a 90-degree-angle, which is ergonomically correct for just relaxing or a nice angle to cut one's own toenails or someone else's.
Martin has been selling them mostly through word of mouth and some advertisements in church-based magazines. He donated a few to his own church, Free Methodist Community Church in New Middletown, to help some of the members during services.
"I like to be comfortable," he said. "Why sit and be uncomfortable?"
The Toe Stool is not the retired chiropractor's first invention. Several years ago he came up with an ergonomically correct recliner, which was custom-built to a person's size. About 20 were sold in the region, but they are no longer in production.
Back pillow
Martin says he is still selling his other invention, the Cushlo Posture Back Support, an ergonomically correct pillow he invented in 1978 for the lower back area, and hopes to soon have that on his Web site for sale also.
For more information, contact Martin at (724) 667-8520.
cioffi@vindy.com