Fiskars is Finland’s oldest industrial enterprise, having been formed in 1649. Fiskars can be traced back to Peter Thorwéste’s ironworks in southern Finland, founded in 1649. Fiskars has been producing high-quality tableware, kitchen knives, and scissors since the 1820s.
Still, it wasn’t until 1967 that the business gained international recognition by launching its famed orange-handled O-series scissors (1963). The prototype for the ergonomically designed ABS handles of these scissors was carved from wood by engineer and woodcarver Olof Backstrém (b. 1922). The scissors were also made as pinking shears and in a left-handed form and were licenced internationally. This landmark ergonomic design, now known as the Classic, has evolved into a family of 18 scissors throughout the years.
Fiskar Classic Designs
More recently, the Fiskars design team, led by Olavi Lindén (b. 1946), has produced a line of garden tools that has won multiple design awards. Known as Clippers (1996), these tools reflect Fiskars’ “commitment to quality and systematic application of the ergonomic principle, which result in products that are easy, safe and pleasurable to use.”
Sources
Fiell, & Fiell. (2000). Industrial design A-Z. Taschen.
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