Have you ever tried to hammer a nail into a wall or piece of wood and almost smashed your fingers? Many people face this problem every day. Even experienced carpenters can accidentally hit their hands when trying to hold small nails or screws. For people who don’t work with tools often, this can feel scary and painful. One small slip can lead to a painful injury, a trip to the doctor, or worse. Hammering nails without hurting your fingers seems simple, but it’s not always easy.
That’s the problem Drew Zirkle and his friend Daniel Eifes wanted to solve when they invented the Safety Nailer. This tool was designed to protect your fingers when hammering or drilling. They believed it would make building and fixing things much safer for everyone. Their product held the nail perfectly in place so you could hammer it without worrying about hitting your fingers.
When Drew went on Shark Tank in Season 11, he wanted to get help bringing this tool to more people. He asked for $100,000 in exchange for 14% of his company. During the episode, there was excitement, confusion, and intense negotiation.
In the end, Drew made a deal on the show, but did it really happen afterward? This article will share every detail about what happened on Shark Tank, why Drew created the Safety Nailer, the sharks’ reactions, what went wrong, where you can buy it now, and what happened to the company after Shark Tank.
Safety Nailer Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025
Drew was looking for an investment of $100k in exchange for 14% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, he valued his company at $714k. Drew successfully secured a deal with Mark, Lori, and Rohan for an investment of $100k for 33% equity in the company. The investment adjusted the company’s net worth to around $303k. After the show was aired, the company experienced a good boost in exposure. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of Safety Nailer is around $2 million.
Shark(s) name | $100,000 for 50% equity (plus rights to a clacker toy) | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
Lori Greiner, Rohan Oza, Mark Cuban | $100,000 for 33% equity (plus rights to a clacker toy) | $100,000 for 33% equity (plus rights to clacker toy) | Yes |
Kevin O’Leary | Out | N/A | N/A |
Barbara Corcoran | Out | N/A | N/A |
Drew Zirkle and Daniel Eifes Backstory + Their Initial Pitch
Drew Zirkle and Daniel Eifes were friends who enjoyed inventing things together. Daniel was actually the person who first came up with the Safety Nailer idea. He had been working on different projects when he noticed how often people hit their fingers trying to hammer nails. He thought there had to be a better way. He built a simple prototype that used magnets to hold the nail steady while keeping fingers far away.
This meant anyone, even a child or someone who had never used a hammer before, could place a nail perfectly and hammer it without risking injury.
But just when they were trying to bring the prototype to life, Daniel had to leave for deployment. When he returned, he needed heart surgery, which made it impossible for him to focus on the business. This was heartbreaking for both friends. Drew decided he wanted to help Daniel make the Safety Nailer a reality. Daniel’s wife stepped in to support the project, too. Together, they decided to keep moving forward and find a way to manufacture and sell their invention.
Drew finally took the step to appear on Shark Tank alone. On the show, he explained the serious problem of injuries from hammering nails. He showed how the Safety Nailer kept fingers completely safe. He shared that they were already selling some units and had made $40,000 the year before. He said they had reached $85,000 in sales during the current year.
He asked the sharks for $100,000 for 14% equity, hoping he could get their help to mass-produce the Safety Nailer and distribute it to stores across the country.
Queries + Sharks’ Responses, and Final Deal
When Drew finished his pitch, the sharks started asking many questions. Kevin O’Leary asked why Drew hadn’t quit his day job yet. Drew explained he needed a stable income to support his family and the business was not big enough to pay him a salary yet. Kevin didn’t like this answer. He said he wanted someone fully committed to their business if he was going to invest. He thought that if Drew wasn’t working on Safety Nailer full time, the company might not succeed. Because of this, Kevin said he was out of the deal.
Barbara Corcoran then shared her concerns. She said she didn’t think the product looked exciting. She felt it was more like a small tool than a business that could grow big. She worried there wouldn’t be enough people interested in buying it, so she also decided to go out.
Mark Cuban agreed with Kevin’s concerns. He said he liked Drew’s passion but thought Drew needed to focus completely on the company if he wanted to scale it. Since Drew was still working his regular job, Mark said he couldn’t invest and went out too.
Guest shark Rohan Oza tried the Safety Nailer himself. He was surprised at how easy it made driving a nail. He liked the simplicity of the tool. He said he saw potential for licensing the idea to bigger tool companies. He told Drew he wanted to make an offer but wanted to bring in Lori Greiner, the queen of QVC, because she had experience selling handy gadgets like this on TV.
Lori agreed with Rohan. She said she thought the Safety Nailer could do well on TV shopping channels and in hardware stores. But they needed to change the offer. They suggested giving Drew $100,000 in exchange for 50% equity, but also wanted the rights to another product Drew had shown them during the pitch, a toy called the “clacker” that didn’t actually clack.
Drew looked worried about giving away his clacker toy rights. He said he wanted to keep it separate. Mark Cuban then jumped in and said if Drew let them keep the rights to the clacker toy, he would join Rohan and Lori in the deal. But he offered to lower the equity share to 33% if Drew agreed.
Drew thought for a moment. He decided to accept the deal of $100,000 for 33% equity plus the rights to his clacker toy. He was excited and hugged the sharks. The episode ended with what looked like a great deal for everyone.
Product Availability
The Safety Nailer is a small plastic device with magnets inside that hold nails or screws perfectly straight. It has a finger protector that shields your hand while you hammer or drill. It can work with finish nails, small screws, or staples. The product is made of durable plastic and is very light, so you can carry it in your tool belt or pocket easily.
Many people who use it say it helps them hammer nails faster and more confidently. They don’t worry about hurting themselves anymore.
The Safety Nailer is now available in many places. You can buy it on Amazon, where it often has good reviews from happy customers. It is also sold in some hardware stores, including Ace Hardware locations. You can also order it directly from the company’s website, safetynailer.com. On the website, they even offer different versions of the tool for different types of nails or screws.
Prices on Amazon and the website usually range from around $12 to $16, depending on the model. Some versions are specifically for small finish nails, while others can hold bigger nails or even screws for power drills. The company also sells replacement parts, accessories, and even other gadgets they have developed.
What Happened To The Safety Nailer After Shark Tank?
After the Shark Tank episode aired, Drew’s company saw a big jump in interest and sales. Many people who watched the show thought the Safety Nailer was a genius idea. Even though the deal with the sharks fell through later, the exposure from being on Shark Tank helped the company a lot. According to Drew, the company started making nearly $2 million in annual sales.
This was a huge increase from the $85,000 they had done in sales the year they filmed Shark Tank.
The company also expanded its product line beyond just the original Safety Nailer. They created other handy tools that help make building projects easier and safer. They even went back to Drew’s clacker toy idea. They launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to make the clacker toy. They managed to raise almost $9,000 from people who liked the idea and wanted to support them.
Today, you can buy the clacker toy on the Safety Nailer website along with the original Safety Nailer and other products they have invented.
As of today, Safety Nailer is still in business. They keep updating their website with new products and ideas. They also share videos showing how to use their tools safely and efficiently. Reviews from customers online remain positive. Many people say they love using the Safety Nailer for DIY projects at home. Parents even buy it for their kids who want to learn how to build things safely.
Although they never signed the final deal with Lori, Rohan, and Mark, Drew kept pushing forward. His determination helped the company stay alive and thrive.
Conclusion
The journey of Safety Nailer on Shark Tank shows how a great idea can catch the attention of investors and millions of viewers. Drew Zirkle went on the show hoping to get $100,000 for 14% equity. He ended up accepting an offer of $100,000 for 33% equity with three sharks: Lori Greiner, Rohan Oza, and Mark Cuban. But after the cameras stopped rolling, the deal did not go through. This shows that what you see on TV doesn’t always happen in real life.
Despite this setback, Safety Nailer continued to grow as a company. Sales went from tens of thousands to nearly two million dollars per year. The company expanded its product line and kept its promise of helping people avoid injuries while working with tools. Today, Safety Nailer is available online, on Amazon, and at Ace Hardware stores.
It is a reminder that with determination, an inventor can keep moving forward even if the original plan doesn’t work out exactly as expected.

Hey, I’m Amna Habib, an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Shark Tank has always been one of my favorite TV shows because it offers a unique glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship. The way entrepreneurs present innovative solutions to everyday problems aligns with my academic interests and fuels my curiosity about business strategies. Each pitch showcases creativity and strategic decision-making, which I find both insightful and inspiring. Watching the show has deepened my passion for business and motivated me to explore the world of entrepreneurship even further. Beyond business and writing, I love food, shopping, and spending time with my friends and family.