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This unusual Kael Walnut Folding Chair is by a no-history company called Esspur. While it doesn't appear to be high-quality, the folding design is certainly in

Italian manufacturer Manfredini specializes in making shoe lasts for high-end footwear manufacturers. These are objects that only those within the manufacturing industry ever get to see; even the most avowed footwear lover probably has no idea they even exist.

Indiana-based Encore RV makes "Adventure Trailers," camping trailers designed to handle rugged terrain. And for their ROG 12RK model, they've designed a module that makes off-road life way more comfortable: A heated pop-up wet bathroom.In its closed position, the bathroom doesn't look like anything more than a storage box. But it unfurls into a structure providing seven feet of interior height, and providing the ability to use the toilet and take hot showers in a heated environment:

To work the handles of pliers, you need a certain amount of throw. Knipex's new Slim Knips cutting pliers were designed for tight spaces, where handle travel would be limited. Asymmetrical handles make it easier to both hold and work the pliers, while the hand position provides good visibility.

Australian fabrication firm KinkFab creates high-end architectural products, many of them one-offs. They designed, built and installed these adjustable solid brass ventilation screens:"Yes," they write, "it was expensive."

"Last year, we were awarded a utility patent for a table system designed to make group seating more flexible and comfortable," writes furniture designer/builder Justin Nelson, a/k/a Fernweh Woodworking. "The problem is simple: when tables are combined, the legs often end up where people need to sit. This design lets the legs move to better positions, making room for more people and more comfortable seating."The design is clever, and Nelson recognizes that a different sort of firm could put it to best use:"Unlike most of our patents, this one wasn't created with plans to build and sell it o

Here's what we looked at this week:Sony's personal wearable air conditioner / heater is coming to the U.S. Architect Paco Martinez's low-tech height-adjustable workbench.Star-M's substantial No. 4960 edge band trimmer.

Yesterday we wrote about the Japanese trend of making tools with a matte black finish. Today we've tracked down the origin of that trend.Just over a decade ago Yasunobu Nozaki, the President of Japanese tool brand Fujiya, felt that the market was ready for design-forward tools. "Around [the 2010s], Japanese manufacturing began to shift away from low-cost, mass-production models, and people started to demand value that brings richness to the heart," Nozaki said in an interview. "In other words, it is important to create products that are market-oriented, listening to users' opinions, rather than product-oriented, which sells what you have made. That's where

"Form Follows Fabrication" is the motto of Steel & Form, a UK-based metal fabricator. The firm employs designers, engineers and craftspeople. "We recently completed this bespoke handrail for a high-end private client, designed to blend strength with understated elegance," they write. "Precision fabricated and carefully installed, every detail was considered to complement the surrounding architecture."

Tool retail sites are now flooded with anonymous designs from China. The anonymity is a pity, because assuming this works as advertised, the inventor deserves points for thriftiness and creativity.Sharpening drill bits is often done at a bench grinder, using a relatively pricey adjustable-angle grinding attachment that you bolt to the bench: In contrast, this green gewgaw clips onto an angle grinder's shroud, vastly easing set-up: