Why are Fiskars Orange?

The orange-handled scissors are one of Fiskars' best known products. But how was it decided to make the handles of the scissors orange?

In 1967 when the first basic models were about to be manufactured the designer wanted the scissors to be black, red or green. As the prototype went into production, the machinist decided to first use up the plastic that he had already in his machine, before molding the colors that were specified, the black, green and red.

This meant prototypes were made in four different colors, of which the orange and black were most popular. A choice had to be made. An internal vote was taken at Fiskars, and the result gave birth to Fiskars orange-handled scissors.

The color, Fiskars Orange™, was officially registered as a trademark in Finland in 2003 and in the US 2007.

(from the Fiskars website)