Become a hardware store savant

How old were you when you learned these hardware staples' names'?

It happens to the best of us: you embark on a mundane home repair, only to realize that there is a broken thing in need of replacement. But, alas, you don’t know the name of said item. Spare yourself the embarrassment of having to show the hardware store clerk a clumsy smartphone picture of the wretched piece itself. After reading this article, you will be able to walk into the store and order a wing nut or an escutcheon with the confidence of a seasoned contractor.

A toggle bolt is a fastener designed for hollow walls such as drywall. Its secret weapon is a pair of spring-loaded wings that fold to fit through a hole and then expand behind the wall, spreading the load over a larger area.

The word toggle comes from an older mechanical term for a pivoting or folding device. The name describes exactly what the wings do: they change position after passing through the wall. As drywall construction became widespread during the twentieth century, toggle bolts became a common household fastener.

A wing nut is probably one of the easiest hardware names to understand. Instead of a standard hexagonal shape, it has two projections that resemble wings, allowing it to be tightened or loosened by hand. You might find it located under the toilet tank.

The design became popular wherever quick adjustments were needed without tools. You’ll find wing nuts on equipment, musical stands, machinery, and countless household items. Their name is purely visual, based on the shape that makes them so convenient.

Among hardware terms, escutcheon sounds especially mysterious, right? It refers to the decorative or protective plate surrounding a keyhole, pipe opening, or door fixture.

The word originally referred to a shield used in heraldry. Over time, the term was applied to hardware because the plate "shielded" or covered an opening. Although most people encounter escutcheons regularly, almost nobody realizes that they are using a word with medieval roots.

The carriage bolt earned its name from the horse-drawn carriage era. Builders needed a fastener that could secure wooden components without leaving a protruding head that might snag clothing, cargo, or harnesses. You might find one on an outdoor deck.

Its smooth, rounded head and square neck solved the problem. The square section bites into wood and prevents the bolt from turning while the nut is tightened. Even though carriages largely disappeared long ago, the name remains in use today.

A lag screw is a heavy-duty fastener commonly used in timber construction. It looks like a giant screw but is often tightened with a wrench because of its large hexagonal head. It can usually be found on TV wall mounts.

The origin of the word lag is uncertain, but it likely derives from an older term associated with large wooden structural members. The name reflects the fastener’s traditional role in securing heavy timbers for buildings, bridges, docks, and other major structures.

Sometimes hardware names are exactly what they seem. An S-hook is simply a hook shaped like, you guessed it, the letter S. You might recognize it from kitchen pot racks.

Its design has existed for centuries because of its simplicity and usefulness. One end can attach to a support while the other holds an object. From hanging pots and tools to organizing workshops and warehouses, the S-hook remains one of the most versatile pieces of hardware ever created.

Aside from being a common name, many people assume that "molly" describes a type of fastener. It began as a trademark. In 1934, inventor George Frederick Croessant patented an improved hollow-wall anchor sold under the name MOLLY. Today, it can be seen in curtain rod brackets.

The product became so successful that the brand name gradually turned into a generic term. Today, countless people use "molly bolt" to describe expandable wall anchors, even when they are not made by the original manufacturer.

The purpose of a lock washer is built directly into its name. It is designed to help prevent a fastener from loosening because of vibration or movement. It can often be found in washing machines and dryers.

As automobiles, railroads, and industrial machinery became more common during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, engineers needed better ways to keep bolts secure. Lock washers became one of the simplest solutions, helping assemblies stay tight under demanding conditions.

A nyloc nut contains a nylon insert that grips the bolt’s threads. This extra friction helps keep the nut from backing off when subjected to vibration. It can be found in skateboards and roller skates.

The name combines two words: nylon and lock. Like many successful engineering products, the term eventually became familiar beyond the company that originally promoted it. Today, nyloc nuts are widely used in automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.

This acorn nut is not the kind that grows on oaks. An acorn nut bolt features a rounded, closed end that covers the exposed tip of a bolt. Viewed from the side, the shape somewhat resembles the acorn that grows on trees.

The design serves both practical and aesthetic purposes. It protects people from sharp threads while helping shield the bold from dirt and moisture. That’s why acorn nuts are often found on furniture, bicycles, playground equipment, and ornamental metalwork.

A draw bolt works by pulling two parts tightly together. Unlike a standard bolt-and-nut combination, it often functions as a latch that creates tension when closed.

The name comes directly from the verb draw, meaning to pull. Draw bolts are commonly used on toolboxes, storage cases, industrial cabinets, and equipment enclosures where a secure, tight closure is needed.

A T-nut, also known as a tee nut, gets its name from its shape. Viewed from the side, its threaded barrel and flange resemble the letter T.

The design allows a bolt to be inserted from one side of a wooden panel, while the T-nut anchors itself from the other. T-nuts are especially common in furniture, speaker cabinets, climbing walls, and other products that require strong threaded connections in wood.

Tools of yore

You won’t believe where these 10 everyday items really came from

Image: Europeana

Modern life depends on a surprising number of ancient or overlooked inventions. From common kitchen tools to office supplies, many everyday items have roots buried deep in history. Some were invented by accident, others by necessity—but most have a backstory you’ve likely never heard. Here are 10 objects you use regularly that carry a legacy most people forget.

Image: Matt Artz

Invented in ancient Egypt around 1500 BCE, the earliest scissors were made of bronze and operated with a spring mechanism.

The modern pivoted scissors, as we know them today, appeared in Rome around 100 CE. Leonardo da Vinci even improved their design while using them for fine arts and tailoring.

Image: Patrick Ladner

The paperclip was never patented for its most iconic shape—the Gem clip—because it was already in commercial use before its design could be protected.

Invented in the late 19th century, the paperclip's rise paralleled the spread of mass bureaucracy. During WWII, Norwegians wore them as symbols of resistance against the Nazis, defying a ban on national symbols.

Image: Diana Polekhina

The first bristle toothbrush originated in China during the 15th century, featuring hog hair bristles set into bamboo or bone handles.

Mass production in the West didn’t happen until 1780, when Englishman William Addis created one in prison, of all places. Nylon bristles only appeared in 1938, giving us the modern version still used today.

Image: Nina Cuk

The zipper began as a "clasp locker" in 1893, designed by Whitcomb Judson to fasten shoes.

It wasn't until 1913 that Gideon Sundback refined the mechanism into what resembles the zipper we use today. It caught on after being used in military gear and was later popularized in fashion by designers like Elsa Schiaparelli.

Image: Prayag Tejwani

Forks were once considered scandalous. Introduced to Europe by Byzantine royalty in the 11th century, they were mocked for being "effeminate."

Consequently, their adoption was slow. By the 17th century, forks became standard at aristocratic tables in Italy and France, but didn’t become common in England or America until the 18th century.

Image: Calle Macarone

Shockingly, canned food came before the can opener—and by decades! To make matters worse, early cans were so thick they had to be opened with chisels or bayonets.

Ezra Warner patented the first can opener in 1858, and a rotating-wheel design followed in 1870. The modern safety can opener with a side-cutting wheel wasn’t patented until 1956.

Image: freestocks

Ancient Babylonians made soap around 2800 BCE from water, alkali, and cassia oil. The word "soap" comes from Mount Sapo, where Roman legend says animal fat and ash ran into the Tiber River.

Despite its ancient origins, soap didn’t become widely used for personal hygiene until the 19th century, when cholera outbreaks underscored the need for better sanitation.

Image: Will H McMahan

Created by accident, the adhesive used in Post-it Notes was originally a failed attempt to make a super-strong glue.

In 1974, Art Fry used the weak adhesive to mark pages in his hymnal. Realizing its potential, 3M released the product nationwide in 1980, and it became a staple in offices and schools worldwide.

Image: Ryan Stone

Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented Velcro in 1941 after noticing burrs sticking to his dog’s fur during a hike.

It took over a decade to perfect the manufacturing process. NASA popularized Velcro in the 1960s for use in zero-gravity environments, boosting its civilian use.

Image: Donald Giannatti

Sylvan Goldman, owner of a grocery chain, invented the shopping cart in 1937 to help customers buy more.

Customers initially resisted using them, so Goldman hired actors to push them around stores to normalize the concept. Today, over 25 million carts are used in the U.S. alone.