Crimping irons or crimpers work by crimping hair in sawtooth style. This can be done by rollers, crimpers, choppers and other ways. Finger-like crimpers simulated the curl originally put into the candy by hand. In the 1800s mechanical crimpers were invented to shape the ribbons. She also produced pie crimpers, which she sold door to door. Mechanical crimpers worked well, but the process was slow and very labor-intensive.