15 Products Where Innovation Stopped Dead In Its Tracks

Ah, the 20th century. A time of great invention and innovation, when the world was rapidly changing and new ideas and products were popping up left and right. But for some products, innovation seemed to stop after the initial invention. Take toilet paper, for example. It was improved into the soft, splinter-free version we know today in 1930, and then nothing much changed after that. Or take the toaster, invented in 1919 and patented in 1921. It was a great invention, but nothing much changed after that.
It’s the same with bicycles, handcuffs, zippers, rope-making, spoons, screws, pasta, hamburgers, Lindt chocolate, KitchenAid stand mixers, and paper clips. All of these products have been around for centuries, and while their materials and technology have changed, their basic designs remain the same. Even the Moka pot has stayed the same since 1933. So here’s to the 20th century, and all the timeless classics it has left us with.
Ain’t bent, don’t fix.

Innovation: Flushed away in 1930.

Innovation: toast-ed since 1921.

Same screw, different century.

Zipped in time, since 1893.

Rope: same old, same old, just with new materials.

Pasta: timeless, tasty, and good for you.

A timeless classic, inspired by Mrs. Bialetti’s curves, apparently.

A timeless classic

Cuffs have come a long way, but still look the same.

Same old paper clips, different century.

Lindt Chocolate

A century of wheeling.

Aqueducts

The hamburger: 100 years and still unbeatable.
