Why Does Your Nail Clipper Have a Little Round Hole?

We navigate our daily lives surrounded by marvels of industrial design that we rarely stop to examine. From the tiny pocket on denim jeans to the serrated edge of a tape dispenser, our household tools are filled with subtle features that we often dismiss as decorative or accidental. One of the most ubiquitous examples is the small, round hole located at the end of the lever on a standard pair of nail clippers.¹ While it might look like a mere artifact of the manufacturing process, this humble aperture is actually a deliberate design choice with deep roots in both practicality and history.

The primary function of this hole is to facilitate portability and