One of the most versatile tools and fasteners is the humble hose clamp, invented in 1921 and marketed as the Jubilee Clip. Besides their intended uses in plumbing and automotive, they can be used to fix an exhaust, fasten parts on a bike, and make DIY camera parts. I’ve used them in prototyping: for instance, quickly holding together parts for a rainwater pump.
Who knew that hose clamps were such big business? Not one, but two reports recently came out on this growing segment: “Global Hose Clamps Market Size, Trends, Forecasts, Market Research Report 2015″ and “Global Hose Clamps Industry Report 2015”. They both make for exciting reading, through of course, not as gratifying as the masterwork, “The 2009-2014 Outlook for Wood Toilet Seats in Greater China”.