Red Dot Winner - Biomimicry drawing pin created by Toshi Fukaya.

With its sharp point concealed when not in use, this silicone-capped drawing pin guards against pin pricks and scratches, and feels like a pebble in your hands.

The inspiration for this drawing pin struck the designer when he was studying his cat’s paws. A cat’s sharp claws are extended and exposed only in times of need. When retracted, the claws are sheathed by fur and the paw pads. The designer mimicked this mechanism when designing the Biomimicry drawing pin.

The sharp pin is sheathed by a hollow pad (or bubble) of malleable silicone. The pin is revealed only when the drawing pin is pressed into the pin-up surface and the silicon undergoes compression. It regains its former shape (and sheaths the pin) when the drawing pin is pulled out. The ‘push’ side is composed of solid silicon that covers the drawing pin’s plastic handle.