Research and Design at Fiskars

At its best, a garden is the product of a creative mind, careful planning, considerable experience and years of dedication. It is this pursuit of perfection, which is reflected in the way Fiskars designs and manufactures its tools. Fiskars uses advanced materials and engineering to produce tools that act like an extension of the body, boost power output, improve control and reduce strain.

Besides their streamlined looks, Fiskars garden tools are renowned for their functionality and superior quality. Fiskars is strongly committed to the new in terms of product development and optimised manufacturing processes.

Throughout the brand’s history, a select team strives to bring Fiskars design credo to life by creating tools that are durable, lightweight, intuitive and ergonomically sound. Every new tool leaving the workshop is conceived with the consumer and his or her daily gardening challenges in mind. Most importantly, Fiskars R&D team approaches existing solutions with fresh eyes to create solutions that increase efficiency and delight in their ingenuity.

All things, even the simplest, can be made better

At Fiskars new products emerge from the designer’s sketch pad through 3D design, hand-carved wooden prototypes and three dimensionally printed objects, which are used to explore new forms and principles, and ultimately more refined tools. At the heart of this process is the belief that absolutely everything – no matter how simple – can be made better and smarter.

The axe - reinvented

When developing the Next Generation axes, the biggest challenge facing the R&D team was to improve a product that was already great. Fiskars existing axe with FiberComp™ shaft and integrated blade design (inspired by the native American Indians’ tomahawk) was considered a big innovation 20 years ago.

The goal was to optimise performance and increase the pleasure of work, being careful to ensure true added value and purposeful functionality of all new features. The study demanded detailed knowledge and experience in materials and manufacturing: in forging, grinding and insert moulding The combined result was truly an evolution of craftsmanship and was quickly recognized as Best of the Best by the red dot design committee in 2010.

Credentials…
Fiskars Research & Development team has over the time registered abundant patents for their ideas and innovations. This includes PowerGear™and Servo-System™, all special gear mechanisms that help boost the hand’s cutting power, as well as FiberComp™ a special material composite that ensure lightweight durable tools.

The unique design of the Fiskars garden tools has earned the brand numerous international design awards, such as the Good Design Award, several iF-Design Prizes and numerous Red Dot awards.

In 2011, Fiskars received two red dot design awards for the creation of their SingleStep™ range of pruners and range of cultivator tools, Fiskars Premium Planters.

In 2010, Fiskars Next Generation Axes reaped the red dot Best of the Best award, while the QuikFit™ (mechanism to attach interchangeable heads to a shaft) and ErgoPlus™+ (stick tools) ranges each collected a red dot design award.

Fiskars PowerStep™ mechanism was granted the prestigious red dot design award in 2009. The PowerStep™ mechanism autonomously selects (according to the thickness of the branch) whether to perform the cut in one snip, or to go for the gradual option cutting in 2 or 3 steps to reduce the force needed per stroke.

Awards won by Fiskars PowerGear™ hedge shears include the gardening products Good Design 2002 Award by Chicago Athenaeum, and the shears were named iF-Design Prize winner in 2001 by the Industrie Forum Design.

The innovative Fiskars Weed Puller received the 2004 red dot design award.

At Fiskars, good design…

...is part of a holistic experience including the delight of ingenious functionality, the comfort of user-friendly practicality, the reassurance of durability and the pleasure of iconic aesthetics.
...starts with consumer insights determining real needs and translates into an optimised manufacturing process
...is true to the superior quality and streamlined functionality of all Fiskars products.
...enriches people’s lives by reinventing the overall gardening experience.

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