Knex are construction toys invented by Joel Glickman. The are direct rivals with fellow building toy, Legos.
Glickman originally created Knex while he was attending a wedding. While there he began to connect straws to other straws to see what he could build. Upon talking with his brother, Bob, the two formed the Knex company. The would later launch the first Knex set in 1993
After being turned down by Hasbro, Mattel, Lego, and Tyco, the brothers turned to Toys R’ Us. The company then told the brothers that they should sell their product directly.
Knex is made up of several parts which can be used to build and construct into various shapes and objects. A Knex set usually includes plastic rods, connectors, gears, wheels, and other components such as pulleys. In time, gears and motors were also included in certain sets. The sets often come in a wide variety of models, machines, and architectural structures.
The toy is similar to that of Tinnkertoy except for the fact that Knex is geared towards older builders. In addition to that, Knex is also heavily used in the classroom, which has led to the company creating educational sets.
Knex remains a huge seller amongst children today, and have even created sets containing licensed brands such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Mario Kart, and even the Beatles.
Knex Pieces
Rods
Connectors
Gears
Wheels
Pulleys
Gears
Motors
Cranks
Panels
Spacers
Bricks
Roller coaster pieces
Flex-Rods
Photos
Via graysage.com
Videos
Featured image via Rockin’ Deals