Workmate Mark 2 workbench
Workbench
ca.1973 (Made)
ca.1973 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Black & Decker Workmate Mark 2 combined vice and workbench was the first of the Workmates to use aluminium castings, and included a double-height feature so that it could be used as a sawhorse and workbench.
Ron Hickman was a do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiast. Following a project where he damaged a chair he had used to support a piece of wood he was sawing, he set about designing a multi-functional workbench and sawhorse to prevent further damage to his furniture. He initially set up his own design company, Mate Tools, to make the benches above a barn in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, before agreeing a licence with Black & Decker in the early 1970s to exploit the home and international market.
The product's success was due in part to the key role played by television commercials to raise awareness of the product at a time when there was an enthusiasm for home improvements and DIY.
Ron Hickman was a do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiast. Following a project where he damaged a chair he had used to support a piece of wood he was sawing, he set about designing a multi-functional workbench and sawhorse to prevent further damage to his furniture. He initially set up his own design company, Mate Tools, to make the benches above a barn in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, before agreeing a licence with Black & Decker in the early 1970s to exploit the home and international market.
The product's success was due in part to the key role played by television commercials to raise awareness of the product at a time when there was an enthusiasm for home improvements and DIY.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Workmate Mark 2 workbench (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Workbench, Workmate Mark 2, designed by Ron Hickman and manufactured by Black & Decker, plywood, aluminium and plastic, ca. 1973 |
| Physical description | A rectractable workbench with a plywood bench top and die cast aluminium legs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Historical significance: Winner of the Council of Industrial Design's Design Centre Award in 1973. |
| Summary | The Black & Decker Workmate Mark 2 combined vice and workbench was the first of the Workmates to use aluminium castings, and included a double-height feature so that it could be used as a sawhorse and workbench. Ron Hickman was a do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiast. Following a project where he damaged a chair he had used to support a piece of wood he was sawing, he set about designing a multi-functional workbench and sawhorse to prevent further damage to his furniture. He initially set up his own design company, Mate Tools, to make the benches above a barn in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, before agreeing a licence with Black & Decker in the early 1970s to exploit the home and international market. The product's success was due in part to the key role played by television commercials to raise awareness of the product at a time when there was an enthusiasm for home improvements and DIY. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.469-1973 |
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| Record created | April 28, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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