This everyday object did not look like this at all in ancient times.

The history of these clothespins dates back to ancient times. They were handmade and, in addition to wood, could also be made of bone or even stone.

The clothespin, still in use today, first appeared in the 19th century and was handcrafted from solid wood, often maple or birch. A patent was filed on October 25, 1853, by David M. Smith, a native of Vermont, USA.

“The great advantage which my improved clothespin possesses over the ordinary pin is, that it cannot be blown off the clothes by the wind, as is the case with the ordinary pin, which is a serious inconvenience to washerwomen,” Smith said at the time.

With the industrialization that followed, wooden clothespin factories were established to mass produce large quantities of these small wooden objects that are still very useful to us today.