What’s the Purpose of That Tiny Hole in a Safety Pin?

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# What’s the Purpose of That Tiny Hole in a Safety Pin?

It’s small. Easy to miss. And almost everyone has noticed it at least once.

That **tiny hole near the hinge of a safety pin** has sparked countless questions over the years. Is it decorative? A manufacturing flaw? Something left over from an old design that no longer matters?

The answer is surprisingly practical—and it reveals a lot about how everyday objects are engineered.

Let’s take a closer look at what that little hole actually does, why it exists, and how such a simple feature has helped make the safety pin one of the most reliable fasteners ever invented.

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## A Brief History of the Safety Pin

Before understanding the hole, it helps to understand the pin itself.

The modern safety pin was invented in **1849** by American inventor **Walter Hunt**. His goal was to create a fastener that:

* Held fabric securely
* Was easy to open and close
* Protected the user from accidental pricks

Hunt’s design used a coiled spring mechanism that applied tension to the pin, keeping it closed unless deliberately opened. That spring tension is the key to understanding the hole.

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## Where Exactly Is the Tiny Hole?

The hole is located:
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