Pruning shears (bypass)
Bypass pruners use a scissors action to pass next to the lower surface, sometimes called the hook, designed to catch and hold the branch while the cutting blade comes down.
Handbag (III)
Founded in 1835 by Louis Vuitton as a small company crafting travel bags and luggage, Louis Vuitton today is one of the world’s most iconic luxury brands.
Hat (Fedora)
Founded in 1857 by Giuseppe Borsalino, Borsalino is a hat company based in Alessandria, Italy. Borsalino makes felt hats from Belgian rabbit fur, and is known particularly for its fedoras.
Sledge
Two wooden runners joined by a pull-bar for stability, and the word ‘DAVOS’ branded on the central wooden slat: this simple design makes the Davos the most iconic sledge in the world.
Face powder
Founded in 1904 by François Coty, Coty Inc. today is an American manufacturer of fragrances, color cosmetics and skin and body care products, based in New York.
Toolbox
Founded in 1959 as Nakayama Kiko Shokai, Trusco is a wholesaler of machine tools for building sites. Trusco carries hundreds of thousands of products, but their most iconic product is by far the blue enamel toolbox.
Wall mounted soap
Founded in the 1950’s, Laboratoire Provendi has become famous with a single product, the wall-mounted soap.
Glasses (rounded)
Founded in 1875 by Emil Bruno Meyrowitz, E.B. Meyrowitz is the world’s foremost purveyor of luxury optical goods.
Lantern (hurricane)
Founded in 1902 by Hermann Nier as ‘Hermann Nier Feuerhandwerk’ Feurehand is the manufacturer of the most iconic hurricane lantern.
Pencil sharpener (desktop)
Founded in Geneva in 1915, when Arnold Schweitzer purchased the Ecridor Pencil Factory, Caran d’Ache is a Swiss manufacturer of art and luxury writing instruments.
Lip balm
Founded in 1895 by George F. Smith, the Rosebud Perfume Company began in a small drugstore in Woodsboro, Maryland.
Handsaw
Founded in 1830 by John Spear and Sam Jackson, Spear & Jackson Group is a leading manufacturer and distributor of garden tools, metrology equipment, woodworking tools and magnetic equipment under several brand names.
Blanket (II)
Founded in 1863 by Thomas L. Kay, Pendleton Woolen Mills is an American textile manufacturing company, best known for its iconic Indian blankets.
Die cast toy
First produced in 1935 by Frank Hornby as the Frank Hornby Firm, Dinky Toys was a manufacturer of die-cast miniature vehicles.
Shirt (French cuff)
The history of the French cuff shirt is unknown. Some claim it was born because Napoleon ordered extra-long sleeves for his soldiers to wipe their noses and to fold the excess back to hide the evidence.
Dry shampoo
Founded in 1966 by Pierre Fabre, Klorane is a French cosmetics and hair care company, mostly known for its dry shampoo.
Axe
Founded in 1697 by James Reenstierna as a manufacturer of nails and tool used for ship building, Hults Bruk now is the largest axe manufacturer in Sweden.
Meat slicer
Founded in 1898 by W.A. van Berkel, Berkel is the inventor and manufacturer of world’s first meat-slicing machine.
Bicycle (foldable)
Founded in 1976 by Andrew Ritchie, Brompton Bicycle is a manufacturer of folding bicycles. Ritchie named the company after the Brompton Oratory.
Chess clock (digital)
Founded in 1992 by Ben Bulsink, DGT Projects manufactures the official FIDE chess clock. When studying at the Technical University Twente in Enschede, Bulsink built his first clock in 1985.
Chair (plastic)
Designed in 1964 by Helmut Bätzner, the Bofinger Chair was the first one-piece plastic chair to be mass-produced.
Sticky Notes
In 1968, working as a scientist at 3M, Spencer Silver wanted to develop the strongest glue in the world. Instead he invented the worst glue: an adhesive that was easily detachable, reusable and pressure-sensitive.
Camera bag
Founded in 1973 in the West Midlands, Billingham originally manufactured fishing bags and only moved into camera bags after the company noticed that many photographers were using its fishing bags to carry their cameras around.
Home fragrance
Invented in 1898 by Maurice Berger, Lampe Berger is a fragrance lamp that destroys odors and bacteria by using a catalytic burner to combust an alcohol based fuel.
Shampoo
Founded in 1978 by Horst Rechelbacher, Aveda is a cosmetics brand specialized in skin and hair care products, mostly known for popularizing aroma-therapy.
Tureen
Founded in 1818 by Jean Louis Richard Pillivuyt, Pillivuyt SAS is a manufacturer of fine culinary porcelain and is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious porcelain manufacturers in France.
Shoehorn
Founded in 1749 by the Humpherson family, Abbeyhorn manufactures shoe horns, shaving brushes, drinking horns and the Sgian Dubh – a decorative knife to wear with your kilt.
Hot water bottle
Founded in 1948 by Friedrich Kraus, Fashy makes the most iconic hot water bottle. Fashy was one of the pioneers in plastic consumer goods, and started out as a wholesale business dealing in rubber and plastic products.
Shelving system
Designed in 1948 by Danish interior architect Poul Cadovius, the Royal System is considered the world’s first wall-mounted shelving system.
Grocery bag
In the 17th century in Normandy, peasants made fishing nets by hand. In 1860 these workers were organized and Filt was formed as a company.
Stemware (classic)
Founded in 1764 when King Louis XV of France gave permission to Prince Bishop Cardinal Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency to found a glassworks, Baccarat today is a manufacturer of fine crystal glassware.
Sweatshirt (hooded)
Founded in 1919, Champion is an American manufacturer of clothing, specializing in sportswear. In the 1930s Champion produced the first hooded sweatshirt.
Mixing bowl
Jacob Jensen was a young industrial designer when he worked at Bernadotte & Bjørn, a Copenhagen design studio. In 1955 he got assigned a project from Rosti to design a plastic kitchen bowl. The rest is history.
Coat (peacoat)
Founded by Edgard Camplin in 1850, Camplin today makes the best peacoats available. In 1888 Camplin started supplying to the Royal Navy, but the success came when there was a need of standardization in uniform production.
Radio (office)
Founded in 2000 by Tom DeVesto Tivoli Audio is an electronics company specialized in radios and other sound reproduction equipment.
Clock (torsion)
A torsion clock is a mechanical clock which does not need to be wound manually. It gets its energy from changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure, so it can run for years without you having to do anything.
Serving tray
Founded in 1951 by William and Argyle Campbell, Cambro Manufacturing is a globally known foodservice industry manufacturer.
Jacket (lumberjack)
Founded in 1897 by C.C. Filson, Filson is a manufacturer of goods for outdoor enthusiasts.
Chair (foldable)
Giancarlo Piretti (1940) studied at the Instituto Statale d’ Arte in Bologna and worked as an interior designer for Castelli. During his twelve years with Castelli, he developed countless innovative furniture designs primarily in the field of seating.
Salt & pepper pots
Founded in 1853 by the miller Daniel Straub and the brothers Schweizer Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer, WMF is a German tableware manufacturer.
Boots (cowboy)
Founded in 1883 by Salvatore and Joseph Lucchese as ‘Lucchese Bros’, Lucchese Boot Company makes the most iconic cowboy boots.
Potato peeler
Founded in 1923, Westmark is a German brand of clever and practical kitchen gadgets and household articles.
Chair (bentwood)
Founded in 1853 by Michael Thonet as ‘Gebrüder Thonet’, Thonet is a European furniture manufacturer, particularly known for their bentwood furniture made with a unique steam-bending technology.
Crayons
Founded in 1885 by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith as ‘Binney & Smith’, Crayola is a brand of artists’ supplies and best known for its crayons.
Conference table
Charles & Ray Eames are best known for their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, industrial design and photographic arts.
Surf trunks
Founded in 1954 by Nancy and Walter Katin as a small boat cover business, Kanvas by Katin is one of the oldest surf shops in California.
Coffee maker (French press)
Founded in 1944 by Peter Bodum, Bodum, Inc. is a tableware and kitchenware company, specialized in French presses, vacuum coffee brewers and double-walled beverage glasses.
Sofa (sofabed)
Founded in 1941, Spectrum is one of the oldest Dutch furniture companies still existing. The collection includes design classics from Martin Visser, Gerrit Rietveld and Constant Nieuwenhuijs, all from around 1960, and some newer items by Dutch designers.
Sunglasses
Founded in 1937 by eye health company Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Ban is a brand of sunglasses. Their most iconic models are the Aviator (which also features on Wikiconic) and the Wayferer.
Skin cream
Founded in 1882 by pharmacist Paul Carl Beiersdorf, Beiersdorf AG is a German personal care company based in Hamburg.