6 regularly used inventions that remained unchanged over the last 100 years

Inventions, services, and devices always seem to be headed toward a new update or upgrade. Whether it’s to create more convenience, add an amenity, or resolve a problem, several things tend to be tinkered with as time moves forward. Then again, sometimes an upgrade isn’t really an upgrade. For example, streaming services went from being the future of television and film regarding being commercial-free to now being loaded with ads like traditional television. However, there are many day-to-day items that got it done right the first time. In fact, there are inventions and products that have largely remained the same since their debut over a century ago.

Folks on Reddit have gotten into a few discussions about items that have basically been unchanged for 100 years. Amidst the conversation and debate came the surprise that a good number of inventions were pretty much perfected by their first patent or received their last update a century ago because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here are some of the top inventions mentioned and the results may surprise you.

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Paperclips

The current day paperclips that you see at work or in your home office are essentially the same design that was established way back in 1899. While attempts to redesign the recognizable paperclip you still see today were made, they never caught on.

Spoons

While the spoon has gone through many transformations ever since mankind decided to use utensils to serve and eat food, the modern metal spoon design hasn’t been altered aside from serving sizes. The design of a narrow elliptical bowl with a rounded-end handle hasn’t changed since the 18th century.

Bicycles

While bicycles have been around since the 1800s and can be made with different materials and wheel sizes, the modern manual bicycle design made with a metal frame and gears hasn’t changed since the 1930s.

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Toilet paper

While the first recorded use of toilet paper dates back to 6th century China and has gone through iterations throughout the centuries, the toilet paper we see and use today was sold in perforated rolls in 1890. While there have been improvements in softness, thickness, and absorption over the years, the design of manufactured toilet paper remains unchanged since it became “splinter-free” in 1930.

Coca-Cola Classic

While the original recipe for Coke was invented in 1886, the psychoactive elements of the coca leaf weren’t fully removed from the soda until 1929. Since then, Coca-Cola has remained unchanged aside from a “New Coke” formula attempt in 1985 that failed so spectacularly that the classic recipe returned 79 days after the new formula debuted.

KitchenAid Stand Mixers

While stand mixers for baking have existed since the 1910s, the recognizable KitchenAid Model K debuted in 1937, and has been the model most home bakers have gone for ever since. The Model K is still sold today and is unchanged in design (aside from having more color choices).

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While innovation and improvement are often the inspiration of would-be inventors and entrepreneurs, this group of inventions proves that sometimes the best, most effective design has already been made. Instead of trying to find a final form, it might be worth just enjoying the peak of the invention that's stood the test of time.