Two weeks ago we asked a simple question: which industrial component deserves more appreciation? The nominations poured in — heartfelt tributes to the parts and tools that keep plants running and never get thanked. We laughed, we nodded, we grabbed a grease gun in solidarity. Now it’s down to six finalists — and the winner of the YETI is up to you.
The Finalists
Finalist 1
The Pen Spring
Nominated by Isaac M.
“A paper clip has so many different uses… but the one people really overlook is a pen spring. A lot of our sliding components use a spring mechanism that is the exact size of a standard pen spring. I have dismembered and sacrificed many a pen to keep production rolling. At the end of the day, without pen springs to the rescue we would have experienced longer downtime and unhappy production teams. I owe a lot to my pens and wouldn't be where I am today without them!”
Finalist 2
The Terminal Block
Nominated by Clint
“It's the cheapest part in the plant that shuts down the most expensive machine. Or it's the cheapest part of the machine that keeps it going!”
Finalist 3
The Moon Knife
Nominated by Stuart P.
“It has all the curves, angles and pointy bits you never knew you needed until you had them. If Stanley and the Swiss Army had got together to create the ultimate knife, they'd have done it, then seen a moon knife and hung their heads in shame before retiring to be failed hermits in a cave in the Outer Hebrides.”
Finalist 4
The Plunger
Nominated by Alex
“Its only job is to clean up someone else's crap. It's always hidden away and never on display. If it wasn't there, it would be a bad day for everyone else.”
Finalist 5
The Toggle Switch
Nominated by Staci V.
“That tiny little toggle switch that controls the first and main machine in the production assembly line. Starts the shift, ends the shift, and controls any breaks in between. If it breaks or shorts out, all hell breaks loose… generally resulting in someone's development of PTSD. Sure there's an emergency stop for backup, but without the start switch, there's no production.”
Finalist 6
Bearings
Nominated by Emery — on behalf of the four of you who nominated bearings, the people's part
“These things are spinnin' round and round any time the machines are on, and when they've had all they can take and they leave the chat, production comes to a screeching halt. They don't threaten to unionize. Some of them work alone, others work in teams, but they never complain — as long as you feed them a little grease here and there, they'll keep on grinding even in the worst of environments.”
Cast Your Vote
One vote per person. Voting closes Friday, August 8. The winner takes the YETI; all six take our eternal respect.
Honourable Mentions
The shortlist was brutal. A standing ovation for:
The white paint pen — “We make approximately 25,000 hoses a year and I could never thank my markers enough.” (Russ F.)
The grease gun — “Neglected, never whines, moans, rumbles, squeals. Totally ignored and kept in the closet.” (Christopher)
Resilient seated gate valves — a genuinely moving tribute to the unsung hardware of municipal water systems. (Miguel S.)
Extra fasteners after reassembly — “Bonus parts for the bin of random parts you might actually use one day.” (Charlie)
Finalists were drawn from entries received by August 3. Later entries remain eligible for honourable-mention glory. One entry — “Nuts: without them the world would fall apart” — was regretfully disqualified when the judges noticed it was submitted by our own management. Nice try, David.
