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A safety pin is a device most commonly used to attach two pieces of fabric together.
Origin
The origin of the safety pin dates back to the Mycenaeans around roughly 1050 B.C.. They are known as "Fibulae" and were used in the same manner as modern day safety pins.
Another possible source of origin for the safety pin is that it was invented by the iron age peoples of Europe, namely the Hallstatt culture located in what is modern day Austria.
The safety pin was re-invented in July of 1849 by Walter Hunt. The rights to the invention were sold for $400.
Construction
Made of rigid but bendable metal, it is activated by squeezing the parallel sides inwards. It is safe because the sharp needle tip is covered when the safety pin is closed. It is used for clothing and other cloth that has no special provision for attaching such as buttons or a zipper, and for provisional repair in the case of some imperfections of clothing. The safety pin punctures and goes through the surface of the material with its sharp end then joins back up to a shielded end on itself holding the object in place. Not only is the safety pin useful, but it is also used as an accessory in the punk fashion of past and present. The safety pin is strong, safe and very durable. Safety pins are very common and inexpensive and they come in many sizes. They are also manufactured in plastic variants.
Culture
According to Dick Hebdige, since the mid- 1970's in Great Britain, the punk subculture has incorporated safety pins in the punk style to represent a 'cut up' look of the post-war working-class youth.
See also
External links
Nadel#Sicherheitsnadel | Imperdible | Veiligheidsspeld | Agrafka | Hakaneula
"Safety pin"