One of my exciting tasks last weekend was to break down a bunch of boxes, separate out the recyclable packing materials from the trash, and get everything into bags and bundles that the city will pick up. Cardboard boxes can be pretty sharp, so wearing work gloves was a must. However, trying to use other tools and supplies — like scissors and packing tape — with gloves on was quite a challenge.

For instance, the scissor handles were too small to easily fit my fingers through, so cutting off a piece of tape was an exercise in patience. I already have just about the thinnest gloves you can get, which made me wonder: why doesn’t anyone market scissors, tape and other work supplies that are optimized for gloved usage? Surely a lot of folks use those tools with work gloves on, so it seems logical to offer slightly bigger scissors and so on to accomodate this use case.

Granted, it’s possible these versions already exist, but are only sold through specialized channels. But in a world where we as consumers are often overwhelmed by the littany of variations for even the most basic product, I’m just a little bit surprised that glove-friendly work supplies aren’t easier to come by.