Barbie Screwdriver is just one of the tools that have a moulded Barbie doll instead of a conventional generic hand grip. The advantages are simple: when you need extra torque for a stubborn screw, you simply flip out her arms.

As the overall curvy female shape of Barbie is quite comfortable to clench securely, it has been applied as a theme to the rest of the tool kit.

This means we now we have the Barbie Hammer; the Barbie Wrench; the Barbie Saw; the Barbie Drill and the Barbie Trowel etc. In fact, any hand gripped tool can now feature a moulded Barbie. In most cases, Barbie's legs are fused together, except for the Set Square where the inner legs form the two straight edges that generate the right angle.

Having a Barbie themed tool kit, as well as being practical, means that more girls may venture into careers as mechanics, joiners and engineers.
-- xenzag, Jul 30 2023

//Having a Barbie themed tool kit, as well as being practical, means that more girls may venture into careers as mechanics, joiners and engineers.//

Voting against this for pinkwashing.
-- Loris, Jul 30 2023


I never heard of pinkwashing. What is it? Do you do it?
-- xenzag, Jul 30 2023


Looking it up, I'm kind of misusing the term - or at least, some people use it to mean other things.
I mean "changing a product in a silly way (often just colouring it pink) in an effort to market that product to girls."

Thinking about it some more, I guess that's not my only objection, though.
Suppose a guy has a Barbie toolkit, or at least, one barbie tool. Do you think it's unlikely that this tool is always going to be referred to respectfully? If not (and I think not), that's likely to be an /additional/ problem for any female mechanics, engineers etc who have to be around.
-- Loris, Jul 30 2023


So serious. I'm always a bit jealous of serious practical people.
-- xenzag, Jul 30 2023


I'm bunning the idea, but you lost me at the last paragraph. The idea girls can't or won't venture out into new things on their own unless society pushes them is misogynistic and the push against motherhood and family harms women and society.
-- Voice, Jul 30 2023


Most tools marketed to women are smaller cutesy versions of tools used by men. In reality, tools modified for use by women are actually often larger than tools used by men.

Here at Camp Teacup, we have corrected for smaller tool wielders* with steel tubing to extend the ends of tools requiring a longer turn radius, various extra gription options (grabby gloves, gorilla clips), breaker bars and similar.

In cases where ownership needs to be assured, or perhaps the tool must be found in a dimly-lit environment, I can entertain bright colour options, including pink, but it must be day-glo.

*women, unemployed pre-teens who await growth spurts ie: child labour, etc.
-- Sgt Teacup, Jul 31 2023


Yes I'm afraid I have to be on the side of the practical objectors here. There is the potential for a deep undercurrent of misongyny and social regression hovering above this idea waiting to pounce.
-- pocmloc, Jul 31 2023


It's a pity the halfbakery has become so practical and sensible, and is certainly one reason why I post so infrequently now. Everyone likes an audience who appreciate their particular type of ideas. I'll delete it tomorrow.
-- xenzag, Jul 31 2023


I think the idea's fine, apart from the last paragraph which proposes that girls are going to be persuaded to use tools if they're Barbie-themed.

I rather like the image of a toolbox full of these tools - a thrown-together jumble of weird mutant Barbies with strange cyborg-like screwdriver, hammer or saw attachments, like a cyberpunk Hieronymus Bosch painting of hell.
-- hippo, Jul 31 2023


//It's a pity the halfbakery has become so practical and sensible, and is certainly one reason why I post so infrequently now. Everyone likes an audience who appreciate their particular type of ideas.//

If you cannot appreciate whimsy and accept humour when it appears in other people's ideas, even when counter to your taste, you can probably expect to be held to that same standard for your own.

//I'll delete it tomorrow.//
I still object to deleting things, even this. The more mistakes are covered up, the more they are repeated.
-- Loris, Jul 31 2023


//which proposes that girls are going to be persuaded to use tools if they're Barbie-themed// The facts are: Barbie Dolls are made for girls to play with and they are their biggest market by far. Anyone else is free to collect them or do whatever they want with them, but girls are their biggest market. As well as making great practical tool handles, I believe this creates an opportunity to try something totally new in an effort to address a recognised gender imbalance in certain professions. Halfbaked of course, and this is why it's here.
-- xenzag, Jul 31 2023


//As well as making great practical tool handles, I believe this creates an opportunity to try something totally new in an effort to address a recognised gender imbalance in certain professions. Halfbaked of course, and this is why it's here.//

It's an honourable thought. But as I have pointed out, it has the potential to backfire really quite badly.

Social justice warriors like to go on about how STEM is so institutionally sexist, and how engineers and geeks are nerd-bros, but I think that's pretty much entirely wrong.
The reality is that the large majority of engineers, geeks etc have a good attitude to women. If you look at the statistics, women aren't discriminated against in these disciplines - they're maybe even slightly favoured. But then there are a small minority of sexists (as indeed, there are everywhere) who do things they shouldn't, and those events are what people remember.
-- Loris, Jul 31 2023


Don't delete the idea [xenzag]--it's a great idea to repurpose a previously ornamental Barbie into a functional tool-- simply add the KenTool™ option for small men*!

*and those who identify as small men
-- Sgt Teacup, Jul 31 2023


I had considered the Ken option but the male figure lacks the female's more curvaceous form for more effective gripping. There could of course be a very rude version with an appendage that would spring out on demand when more torque was required.
-- xenzag, Jul 31 2023


Ah yes, the Ken tonfa...
-- 21 Quest, Jul 31 2023


I bunned the idea. How did you read that as a call for deletion?
-- Voice, Jul 31 2023


A muscular Ken wearing a rough coverall would help with grip
-- Voice, Jul 31 2023


//How did you read that as a call for deletion?// Your croissant crumb was smelly! It’s a giveaway sign.
-- xenzag, Aug 01 2023



random, halfbakery