Backscratcher
A hand tool for relieving itches in hard-to-reach places.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
A backscratcher, also called a scratch-back, is a handheld implement designed to relieve itches in spots that are hard to reach with one’s own fingers, most often on the back. While humans invented this tool early on, other primates have also been seen using similar devices.
**Composition and variation**
These tools are typically long, thin, and rod-shaped, with a grip on one end and a rake-like scratching surface—often shaped like a human hand—on the other. Other common designs mimic horse hooves, claws, or are telescoping to extend further down the back. Modern backscratchers are usually made from plastic, bamboo, or metal, but historical examples have been crafted from wood, whalebone, tortoiseshell, horn, cane, ivory, baleen, and even narwhal tusks, the latter being a status symbol that turned an itch-relieving tool into a display of wealth (an instance of conspicuous consumption). Lengths range from 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm), and they are a common household item. Retractable versions also exist.
**History**
Backscratchers are a case of simultaneous invention, with separate cultures independently creating the same device. The Inuit carved theirs from whale teeth. In ancient China, farmers sometimes used backscratchers to check livestock for fleas and ticks. More recently, in the 18th and 19th centuries, they served as rakes to maintain the enormous powdered hair wigs worn by the upper class.
Historically, backscratchers were often ornate and worn as accessories hanging from the waist. Elaborate examples were silver-mounted or, rarely, topped with an ivory hand carved with rings on its fingers. The scratching end might also be a rake or a bird’s talon. While the hand could represent either a left or right hand, Chinese versions usually featured a right hand. A 16th-century example from Bidar, India, was made using the bidri technique—a zinc-copper alloy inlaid with silver—and featured a makara (a Hindu mythological sea monster) on its hilt.
Among the Chiricahua, young men in training and women undergoing puberty rituals traditionally used a ceremonial wooden scratcher made from a fruit-bearing tree, rather than scratching with their fingernails. It was said that young men who failed to use the scratcher would develop overly soft skin.
**Primate use**
Primates have also been observed using backscratchers. In 2010, scientists studying chimpanzee
- also_known_as
- scratch-back
- typical_length
- 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm)
- common_materials
- plastic, bamboo, metal
- historical_materials
- wood, whalebone, tortoiseshell, horn, cane, ivory, baleen, narwhal tusks
- invention_type
- simultaneous invention (multiple discovery)
Lore & Background
Backscratchers are an example of simultaneous invention, where separate cultures have invented the same device independent of each other. The Inuit carved backscratchers from whale teeth. In ancient China, Chinese farmers occasionally used backscratchers as a tool to check livestock for fleas and ticks. In recent history backscratchers were employed as a type of rake to keep the huge 'heads' of powdered hair, worn by the upper-class in the 18th and 19th centuries, in order.
In the past, backscratchers were often highly decorated, and hung from the waist as accessories, with the more elaborate examples being silver-mounted, or in rare instances, capped by an ivory carved hand with rings on its fingers. The scratching hand was sometimes replaced by a rake or a bird's talon. Generally, the hand could represent either a left or right hand, but the Chinese variety usually bore a right hand. In one example from Bidar, India in the 16th century, an ornate backscratcher has been made using a technique called bidri, using a zinc-copper alloy inlaid with silver, depicting a makara (a sea-monster in Hindu myth) on its hilt.
Although not specifically used for only back scratching, young Chiricahua men in training and women going through a puberty ritual traditionally had to use a ceremonial wooden scratcher made from a fruit-bearing tree instead of scratching with their fingernails or hands. Young men who did not use the scratcher for scratching were reported to develop skin that was too soft.
Reader's Guide
The backscratcher, though a simple tool, illustrates several aspects of human culture and adaptation. Its independent invention across disparate cultures—from the Inuit to ancient China—demonstrates a common human response to a universal physical need. The tool's evolution into a status symbol, as seen in examples made from narwhal tusks or decorated with silver and ivory, shows how even utilitarian objects can become markers of wealth and conspicuous consumption. The backscratcher also provides a rare documented instance of tool use in non-human primates: chimpanzees in the Sonso community of Uganda, many disabled by snares, were observed using woody vines to scratch their backs. This observation blurs the line between human and animal tool use and highlights the backscratcher's role as a basic adaptive technology. Its continued presence as a common household item, in forms ranging from simple plastic rods to telescoping models, underscores its enduring practicality.
Did You Know?
- Backscratchers vary in length between 12 and 24 inches (30 and 61 cm).
- In ancient China, farmers occasionally used backscratchers to check livestock for fleas and ticks.
- In 2010, scientists discovered chimpanzees in Uganda using rudimentary backscratchers made from woody vines.
- Some historical backscratchers were made from narwhal tusks, affording the status of using a supposed unicorn horn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a backscratcher?
A backscratcher is a handheld tool designed to scratch itchy areas that are difficult to reach with your own fingers, particularly along the back. It is also commonly referred to as a scratch-back.
Who invented the backscratcher?
The backscratcher is classified as a simultaneous invention, meaning multiple cultures independently arrived at the concept rather than a single credited inventor. Even other primates have been observed using similar scratching implements in the wild.
What does a backscratcher look like?
Most backscratchers are long, thin rods—typically 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm)—with a grip at one end and a rake-like scratching head at the other. The scratching end often resembles a human hand, a horse's hoof, or animal claws, and some modern versions telescope out for extra reach.
What materials are backscratchers made from?
Modern backscratchers are usually crafted from plastic, bamboo, or metal. Historically, makers relied on materials such as wood, whalebone, tortoiseshell, horn, cane, ivory, baleen, and even narwhal tusks.
Why is the backscratcher considered a notable invention?
Its significance lies in solving a universal human problem—reaching an itch on the back—using nothing more than a simple elongated tool. The fact that it emerged independently across multiple cultures and even appears in primate behavior underscores how naturally the design fits a basic physical need.
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