Monthly Archives: February 2010

Aluminum Cup

subtitle: The Plastic Cup circa 1950

By Sebastian Kaufmann | 7 Feb 10 | Product Design | 10 Comments

I’m getting the feeling that for many household products, aluminum was the standard before plastic had it’s big breakthrough. These aluminum cups were popular in the 1940s and ’50s in the same settings where today plastic is the number one material of choice: barbecues, parties and picnics.

Bascal Aluminum Tumbler, 1950s

10 Comments

Safety Razor

subtitle: The Indisposable Shaving Solution

By David Vega | 5 Feb 10 | Grooming | 7 Comments

I was walking on the beach not long ago and came across a sight not entirely uncommon in Southern California – a pile of trash. Scattered amongst this little hill of debris situated along the foamy line where surf meets sand, was: A plastic lighter, an empty Dasani water bottle and a Gillette disposable razor. Further down the beach lay a Bic ballpoint pen. Now, how is it that both Gillette and Bic, who’ve won over consumers with the offering of cheap lighters, razors and pens, keep us convinced that plastic is the material of choice? When did men’s little personal effects become so cheap, so… disposable?

Gilette Safety Razor Catalog, 1909 / Razor Archive

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Vinegar

subtitle: The Essence of Life

By Jessica Hundley | 4 Feb 10 | Food & Cooking | 6 Comments

First there was wine, beloved by the ancients. Then there was wine gone bad – a mishap of leaky casks or stashes gone past their prime that mutated into one of the most versatile products in the world. “Vin aigre” (which roughly translates to “sour wine”) is a combination of acetic acid (aka ethanoic acid) — an organic compound which is the result of the miracle of fermentation — chemical reactions activated by the slow decay of everything from grapes to beets, malts to grains.

Chemical Formula of Oxidative Fermentation: Making Acetic Acid

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Aluminum Ice Cube Tray

subtitle: Faster Ice Cubes

By Sebastian Kaufmann | 1 Feb 10 | Product Design | 11 Comments

I was excited when I found this 1950s aluminum ice cube tray. I couldn’t help but imagine a wealthy Palm Springs divorcee lounging poolside, brightly colored fingernails on her sun-leathered hands, levering ice cubes for a Tom Collins. The best thing about using aluminum is that it makes ice much faster. Plastic and rubber trays are quite inadequate, as they act as insulators between the freezing cold and the water.