“On a recent trip to Taiwan, I purchased this bottle opener at the Taipei 101 building (technically still the tallest building in the world until the Burj Dubai opens),” writes John Sperling. “The functional part of the bottle opener is in the shape of Taiwan. It makes you wonder which other countries are suitable for everyday tasks like opening bottles.”Picture provided by Mr Sperling.
I guess the French “Hexagon” could be used as a wrench. ;-)
Comment by Stefan — March 30, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
I’m sure Saskatchewan has a myriad of uses.
Comment by brent — March 30, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
Texas has handholds everywhere.
Comment by Minivet — March 30, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
I’m fairly certain there are Texas shaped bottle openers. Hell, there are Texas shaped chips, potholders, stone pavers and anything else you can think of.
Comment by davidamwilensky — March 30, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
you can get a dc -shaped coffee table.
Comment by IMGoph — March 30, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
Stefan:
France is a pentagon. Not a hexagon. But maybe it’s time to invent the five sided wrench.
Comment by viktor — March 30, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
Uh-oh, did someone just say Taiwan was a “country”.
Chinese patriots to flood topic in 3, 2, 1…
Comment by Jack — March 30, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
[...] source: 262 – Made in Taiwan: Functional Geography « Strange Maps addthis_url = [...]
Pingback by Scanning The Horizon » Blog Archive » Made In Taiwan: Functional Geography — March 30, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
viktor, france is called l’hexagone because the border to spain is considered one edge, the coasts three others etc: see http://www.terrace.qld.edu.au/academic/lote/french/notredame/hexagone.gif for example :)
Comment by pascal — March 30, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
I look forward to the Italy-shaped boots.
Comment by Aaron Priven — March 30, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
@6:
They do: They’re used in vandal-proof installations or other tamper resistant places. I’ve seen them on municipal water meter covers…
Comment by Lurker — March 30, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
Is it just me, or does that kinda look like “Taipei lol”?
Comment by Will Devine — March 30, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
I once saw a Texas-shaped hot tub. (It was on display along the side of a highway…. in Texas, of course.) I think the panhandle was about big enough for one person, and so forth – I suppose two could cuddle in the Big Bend region……
Comment by Kirsten — March 30, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
At a Canada Day celebration up here in Vancouver, I was in charge of putting up a bunch of ribbons… And all our green ribbons were imprinted with the shape of Texas.
They still went up.
Comment by Andrew Wade — March 30, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
Albania is fairly Taiwanesque. So is New Jersey.
Comment by Choinski — March 30, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
salut
Comment by scamania — March 30, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
Every credit card ever made is shaped like Colorado or Wyoming. Tables and rugs also use the same Rocky Mountain theme. Not to mention television screens, napkins, Blackberry PDAs, etc.
Comment by web.serf — March 30, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
@17: Colorado and Wyoming’s northern borders are shorter than their southern ones: since the Earth is not flat, parallels of latitude are shorter towards the poles.
I for one would love to see a coffee table shaped like Indonesia.
Comment by mollymooly — March 30, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
@6: I agree with you that France looks like a pentagon it’s often nicknamed “L’Hexagone”.
Manhattan would also make a bottle opener (esp given the huge amount of touristy stuff bought each year here).
Comment by nathan — March 30, 2008 @ 11:37 pm
you could certainly open a bottle with california
Comment by jacob — March 30, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
Wisconsin mittens.
Comment by TheJay — March 31, 2008 @ 12:00 am
Yes, holds your key’s and opens your beer.
texas-shaped bottle opener
Comment by Bill Shirley — March 31, 2008 @ 3:26 am
Michigan Lower Peninsula, since it is in fact Mitten-shaped, is a natural mitten choice. Not to mention pot-holders and the like. But also a pretty good catch-all ash-tray/coin tray. Wasn’t there some guy on YouTube who can make the shapes of all fifty states using just his hands? [Alaska and Hawaii took some suspension of disbelief, naturally]
Comment by Michael Hancock — March 31, 2008 @ 4:35 am
I’ve seen Michigan mittens. Using both peninsulas on opposite sides of the glove.
The lower peninsula fits well. The upper peninsula requires some thinking, but you can make it work.
Comment by Don Hargraves — March 31, 2008 @ 4:39 am
Take your pick:
http://www.internationalgiftitems.com/magnetic_souvenirs.htm
or, if you prefer the big and obvious:
http://flickr.com/photos/christian_wilcox/2209715044/in/set-72157603768336849/
- but when it comes to making use of the shape of their state, Texans seem to be the champs, anyway:
http://magliery.com/Texas/shapes.html
http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/1995/francavi.htm
Comment by M. Kranz — March 31, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Mainland British Isles shoe horn.
Comment by Garfunkal — March 31, 2008 @ 8:38 am
CONGRATULATION from
blogrank.info for the hot post
Comment by frmad — March 31, 2008 @ 9:11 am
Aren’t there Florida Condoms yet?
Comment by bookburner — March 31, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
@Viktor, Nathan : Sorry boys, France is an hexagon. The traditional sides are approximately Lille-Strasbourg-Nice-Perpignan-Biarritz-Brest-Lille.
Of course, you can find an dodecagon if you wish, it’s a matter of convention. But a pentagon, no!
Comment by Krysztof von Murphy — March 31, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
I have a Michigan-shaped oven mitt at home, but can’t find it on the web. There’s an inferior one at http://www.bogartsgifts.com/product_info.php/products_id/167
Comment by natcase — March 31, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
[...] More at: strangemaps.wordpress.com [...]
Pingback by 262 - Made In Taiwan: Functional Geography « Tom Steel — March 31, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
Wax cheddar cheese packs in the shape of Vermont and Wisconsin are pretty common sights in those states (well, in Wisconsin they are common and I saw one in Vermont as well).
I have a giant cracker in the shape of Wisconsin (framed and under glass). It was created by an artist under the title “Ahh, Wisconsin!”
None of the above are practical or specific uses of the shape.
Comment by Floormaster — March 31, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
FYI,
http://www.amazon.com/Wisconsin-Cheddar-Cheese-twelve-pieces/dp/B000BIZUQU
Comment by Floormaster — March 31, 2008 @ 6:01 pm
The Vatican City State looks like one of those burrs because of all of the fortifications.
Comment by Lurker — March 31, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
Well, there’s a tool shapped like France in the book “Catalogue d’objets introuvables” http://www.amazon.com/Catalogue-dobjets-introuvables-Carelman/dp/2862745294
I’m trying to find a pdf version of it or something…
Comment by Manu — March 31, 2008 @ 11:30 pm
Nevermind, found the book and scanned it :)
I’ll mail it to you
Comment by Manu — March 31, 2008 @ 11:55 pm
Taiwan is a beautifaul place you all should visit there
Comment by paul — April 2, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
(23) Michael, Alaska is real easy with the fingers of one hand–A. right hand, make a fist, thumb on top, stick out pinky. Now you can find all the major hot spots along the Arctic melt-rush (Prudhoe, Barrow, Nome, Kotzebue, Bethel, Bristol Bay, Unalaska, Attu, etc.)
B. point your right hand as if making a gun (fist, index finger out, thumb up). Now flip over (the hand) so back of hand faces you. Good for hitching a snowmachine ride, I guess.
Comment by mpb — April 3, 2008 @ 3:07 am
My husband and I have created mittens with embroidered “maps” of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on your left palm and Lower Peninsula on your right palm. Check ‘em out at http://www.michiganmittens.com
Thanks!
Comment by Connie — April 3, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
[...] Functional geography Nifty. [...]
Pingback by Functional geography « The Funky Elephant — April 4, 2008 @ 8:58 am
If you are from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, you can use your hand to form a quick map – and people, in fact, do this.
As for France, given that the French themselves refer to their country as “L’Hexagone,” I think we should defer to their judgment on that one.
Comment by James M. — June 21, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
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Pingback by Taiwan Map Bottle Opener « Lionhug — August 25, 2008 @ 3:14 am
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Comment by Solomon — May 11, 2009 @ 8:50 am
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Comment by aspicco . — May 17, 2009 @ 6:38 am
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