The objects on a desk are made by the billion, which makes small design decisions matter: a few millimetres of material, a shape that rolls or doesn't, or a safety feature set by an international standard.
Office oddities explain those choices, from manufacturing efficiency to the standards bodies that make some features compulsory. We link the standards and manufacturer sources directly where they are public.
Office
Most pencils are hexagonal because the flat sides stop them rolling off a desk and give your fingers something to grip. Faber-Castell says the shape replaced round pencils for exactly that reason. The hexagon also suits the factory: pencils are cut from glued wooden slats, and six-sided pencils can fit more per slat than round ones.
Office
The hole in a pen cap is a safety feature. If a cap is inhaled and lodges in the airway, the hole lets some air through so the person can keep breathing until doctors remove it. The ISO 11540 safety standard covers caps on pens likely to be used by children up to age 14.
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