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This Eraser is Designed to Always Present a Sharp Corner, Even as It Wears Out

Hideo Kanbara's Kadokeshi eraser is a fine example of MoMA-worthy Japanese overdesign

By Rain Noe - January 18

Gummy erasers and eraser shields are good enough for old-school industrial designers. Laypeople using regular erasers, however, may grow frustrated with how ordinary erasers wear into a pebble shape, making precision erasing impossible.

Japanese designer Hideo Kanbara has thought of this, and come up with an eraser called the Kadokeshi, which always presents a sharp corner:

Kanbara's design was selected for the MoMA's "Humble Masterpieces" exhibit back in 2004.

You might reason that it gets tricky to hold onto once it shrinks. Well, manufacturer Kokuyo also makes this "stick" version that comes with a dispensing handle:

Image: Masayuki Takabatake

I learned about the Kadokeshi over at Masayuki Takabatake's B-LABO site.

o

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This Eraser is Designed to Always Present a Sharp Corner, Even as It Wears Out

Zach Wheeler

3 months ago

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I just wish the half-empty carton wasn't made of plastic......... yaaaay waste!

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Rain Noe

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.