Ron Popeil, TV Knife Pitchman, Passes Away

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Ron Popeil, TV Knife Pitchman, Passes Away
Ron Popeil's Showtime knife infomercial was a standard of off-hour TV programming.

Ron Popeil, best known as a TV infomercial pitchman, passed away on July 28, 2021, at the age of 86, according to multiple news media outlets.

The company Popeil founded, Ronco, is synonymous with as-seen-on-TV products, and the “set it and forget it” and “but wait, there’s more” catchphrases. While he wasn’t the first to apply salesmanship to the screen, Popeil did popularize the personality behind the product.

Popeil’s Showtime knife set is a perfect example. Well into his career as a “name” on TV, Popeil brought on his family to pitch his blades:

While Popeil’s contributions to all things sharp didn’t bring him to BLADE Show, there’s no doubt that his ubiquitous media presence influenced the consumer knife market and countless imitators.


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