Everyday objects often hide clever design features that most of us never notice. From kitchen tools to items in your car, many products include small details meant to make life easier, safer, or more efficient. These features have existed for years, but because no one teaches them, we end up using things incorrectly without ever realizing it. Once you learn their real purpose, ordinary objects suddenly seem much smarter.
Take the tiny hole near the tip of a safety pin. It’s not just a decorative detail — it’s designed so you can thread a string or cord through it to help guide elastic or ribbon through a waistband without losing grip. The hole also reduces tension on the metal, preventing the pin from snapping open. A simple feature, but once you know why it’s there, you appreciate the clever engineering hidden in something so small.