The Eye

A Screw That Will Put a Smile on Your Face

Why do screws have to be boring?

Courtesy of Satoru Ikegami

Metal screws were first invented in the 15th century—wooden ones can be traced back to the 1st—and started becoming mass-produced in the late 18th century. Since then, nobody seems to have thought much about these ubiquitous little pieces of practical design.

Happy screw, close-up.

Courtesy of Satoru Ikegami

But Japanese designer Yuma Kano and East Osaka–based screw factory Komuro Seisakusho have changed all that with a whimsical collaboration called Screw:) that turns the faceless screw into a smiley face designed to “surprise” and “delight.”

Screw as a key hook.

Courtesy of Satoru Ikegami

What’s not to smile about? The screws might be adorable, but they require their own custom screwdriver to install.

The only downside of these adorable screws is having to buy the custom screwdriver to install them.

Courtesy of Satoru Ikegami

Via Designboom