The Inventor


William Bounds (1924 - 1995)



William Bounds

William Bounds was a man of many talents. During World War II, he worked as an aerial photographer for the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Hornet. After the war, he began his career in photographic instrumentation, where he developed the first cartridge-load, auto-focus, electronic flash camera, revolutionizing the way photos were taken.  He later became Vice President of one of the world's leading aerospace firms.

William Bounds Shake'N'Twist Mill

In the early 1960s, when he "retired" from the aerospace industry, William Bounds could have rested.  Instead, he picked up a pepper mill from his kitchen table and asked, "how can I make this better?" First he incorporated salt shaker into his pepper grinder, making the first combination mill / shaker. Then he developed a first-of-it's-kind 3-step grind adjustment ring, which made selecting a precise grind setting possible with a simple click of the ring.

And so, the Shake'N'Twist, an American original, was born.