Small things your hands remembered

Edition 2026-11-01

Week of 2026-11-01

Five quick questions, no timer and no sign-up. Start with what you recognize; each answer opens a little more of the story.

1. In Smith’s 1853 clothespin design, where is the hinge in relation to the handles and gripping jaws? Between the handles and the jaws At the tips of the jaws Above both handles

2. What extra job does the coiled spring do in Moore’s 1887 clothespin design? It winds up a timer It provides the turning support for the two halves It cuts a groove in the clothesline

3. Why do Wright’s toy-cabin foundation pieces have flat bottoms? To make the roof lighter To hold a paper label To rest steadily on the table or floor

4. In Wright’s cabin design, how can the front wall leave room for a doorway? Use shorter wall logs and small connecting pieces Run every log across the entire wall Remove all the corner joints

5. What problem was Ballou’s 1930 pencil-sharpener stop designed to reduce? A crank that turned too slowly Continued cutting after the pencil had a satisfactory point Shavings falling outside a desk drawer

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