Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Former Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Shares His 12 Favorite Tools of the Trade
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
More than one device carried every day to measure thickness. He really is obsessed.
The Hermes tape measure is just a leather wrapped Stanley. You can get it for $10 on Amazon:
Powerlock Tape Rule, 1/4"" x 10ft, Plastic Case, Chrome, 1/16"" Graduation, Sold as 1 Each
Powerlock Tape Rule, 1/4"" x 10ft, Plastic Case, Chrome, 1/16"" Graduation, Sold as 1 Each
www.amazon.com
And it's ONLY in metric...what, no Measure App on his iPhone...oh wait, the iPhone wasn't on his list...
While some of the items are pretentious, IMHO, Snap-On tools are worth every penny. I have some that are older than I am that I inhereted from my dad, a master mechanic. Break one and Snap-On replaces it for free. My kids will get them at some point when they pry my cold dead fingers from them.
Are there less expensive high quality tools? Sure, I have plenty of Craftsman tools bought back in the Sears Made in USA days.
Quality tools last and in general are more satisfying to use. Does every weekend mechanic need to buy Snap-On? No, but if they can they will. I even look for them at yard sales.
![]()
Former Apple design chief Jony Ive, who still partners with Apple on products, has revealed his 12 must-have design tools for making, marking, measuring, and carrying with him every day.
![jony-ive-ipad-pro.jpeg]()
The list appears in a special issue of Financial Times' "How to Spend It" magazine (paywalled), of which Ive is guest editor, and the designer uses the opportunity to put the focus on his obsession with "making."
Ive doesn't offer any explanation for what makes the list or what specific products they helped him design, but in a separate piece in which Ive and fellow LoveFrom designer Marc Newson talk about the equipment in their Cotswolds workshop, he opines:
- Torque wrench — Snap-On adjustable torque wrench, £455
- Tonearm — Linn titanium Ekos SE tonearm, $5,645, basilaudio.com
- Hex Keys — Wiha colour-coded hex L-Key set, from $3.69
- Paper folder — Paper folder, hwebber.co.uk
- Measuring Tape — Hermès leather In The Pocket measuring tape, $530
- Loupe — Vintage brass folding magnifier by Leitz Wetzlar, from Ive’s personal collection
- Fountain pen — Vintage pen by Montegrappa, from Ive's personal collection
- Eraser — Graf Von Faber-Castell platinum-plated eraser, £100, jacksonsart.com
- Pencil case — Vintage leather pouch by Visvim, from Ive's personal collection
- Protractor — Mitutoyo 6in universal bevel protractor, £264
- Depth gauge — Starrett 440Z-3RL depth micrometer, $355
Weather station — Wempe Navigator II ship’s clock and weather station, $1,960
Later in the conversation, Ive recalls how Newson helped him through the challenges he faced working on the Apple Watch, and how he "really struggled" with the physical design.
Ive co-founded LoveFrom with Newson in 2019 after leaving his position at Apple. At the time, the tech giant said it would remain one of Ive's primary clients, but which Apple products he has helped to design since then is unknown. Apple said Ive was involved in the design of the colorful 24-inch iMac released in April, but it's not clear if that work occurred after Ive left the company.
It remains unclear how many employees work for LoveFrom, but Ive recruited at least four of his former Apple colleagues to work with him at the firm, including Wan Si, Chris Wilson, Patch Kessler, and Jeff Tiller.
Article Link: Former Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Shares His 12 Favorite Tools of the Trade
How does a Tonearm help with making, marking and measuring design?
I used to work at a Kinko's back when I was in college. That bone paper folder thing sounds corny, but some of the more hard core people swore by them. You fold the paper lightly by hand as you normally would, but then lay it down on something flat and run that folder stick across it and you get an insanely sharp and clean fold. Not something most people ever need, but it's a nice tool to have if you have to fold stuff manually a lot.
While I would never buy expensive as hell tools like this, I think a lot of people who are ******** on him forget that they too usually buy their favorite top of the line tools for their jobs. I splurge on my MacBook Pro every time I refresh it because it's my primary "tool of the trade".
People also forget how filthy rich Ive is so he can afford these splurges.
People also forget how filthy rich Ive is so he can afford these splurges.
The most pompous list I've ever seen in my life.
Thank you for this. I was trying to understand what exactly that thing did.
For a brief moment, I had visions of the butler who irons and folds the morning news so it is perfectly creased for reading...
FWIW
DLM
A tonearm? He carries a tonearm with him?
Here for the ratio...
Here for the ratio...
Jony Ive looking at that iPad the way my grandmother does.
The super wealthy live without regard of cost. If they like something, they just buy it. No questions, or second thoughts.
Remember, Jony's net worth is $700-800 million.
A $500 tape measure is like 5 cents to him.
Remember, Jony's net worth is $700-800 million.
A $500 tape measure is like 5 cents to him.
And the measuring tape is sold out. Damn, I’ll never be able to complete my collection now.
I do get it to a certain point, these are very important tools of the trade to him. Tools from Harbor Freight just aren’t the same. These bring a level of professionalism to the table that can’t be put in to words. With that said I’m sure there are many fine tape measures out there in the $299 bracket. ?
Finally, for some reason I get the feeling the tone arm is equivalent to the prosthetic leg Rocket needed in Guardians of the Galaxy.
I do get it to a certain point, these are very important tools of the trade to him. Tools from Harbor Freight just aren’t the same. These bring a level of professionalism to the table that can’t be put in to words. With that said I’m sure there are many fine tape measures out there in the $299 bracket. ?
Finally, for some reason I get the feeling the tone arm is equivalent to the prosthetic leg Rocket needed in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Non, non, non mon ami.The Hermes tape measure is just a leather wrapped Stanley. You can get it for $10 on Amazon:
Powerlock Tape Rule, 1/4"" x 10ft, Plastic Case, Chrome, 1/16"" Graduation, Sold as 1 Each
Powerlock Tape Rule, 1/4"" x 10ft, Plastic Case, Chrome, 1/16"" Graduation, Sold as 1 Eachwww.amazon.com
The Hermès is a metric version!
Should be measuring tapes for everyone...
What do he need hex keys for? Is there hex screws in Apple products?
They're excellent tools and manufactured in the United Sates. Their torque wrenches come from the factory calibrated with a Certificate of Calibration over a range of torque settings. And they can be sent back to the factory for periodic recalibration.
Would you expect him to purchase and use an off-brand measurement tool with a piece of paper in the box that says : "Passed by Fred" ?
Last edited: