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Here's what we looked at this week:From Japan, a sexy matte black sledge.The Japanese matte black tool trend came from the L.A. car scene.Nifty hardware: These quick-release pins.

Multitool blades are expensive, and tradespeople can extend their lives by resharpening them. We've looked at Jim Dimond's Tiger's Teeth invention, designed for the task, as well as the SharpTool, a drill-based solution from the Netherlands.

French industrial designer Johannes Faure-Brac knows furniture; he grew up in his father's woodworking shop in the French Alps, building traditional furniture. But after gaining two degrees in ID and working in the furniture industry, he found its practices wasteful. "It had become inefficient to produce, store, transport [furniture]," he writes. "A cumbersome, expensive, energy-intensive system."Ever more volume, containers, logistics costs, and wasted energy. To compensate, the industry has cut back on materials and sacrificed quality, comfort, and design. Ultimately, users pay the price for this logic, which impoverishes the object, its use, and the experience [of it]."Faure-Brac spent six years researching and developing an alternative type of furniture. "The goal was not to lighten the furniture at all costs, but to rethink its

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.