The Story of Twisteezwire®

A family history

Sandy photo

Sandy Rabinowitz, owner
Witzend Workshop, LLC

One day when founders, Harold and Kiki Rabinowitz, went out looking for car parts in an auto junk yard.  On the ground piled high was a stack of discarded phone wire that happened to catch their eye, as well as their imagination. Colorful and pliable, they realized it would make a wonderful material for making art.

These two young artists, graduates from both Yale and Cooper Union, often kept an eye out for creative and inexpensive art supplies that they could use in children’s art classes. They had five kids of their own at that time and taught classes every weekend in their own home, a large, rambling stone house they built themselves in rural Bethany, Connecticut.

The wire they took turned out to be very popular for both children and adults as well. It was just plain fun to play with and create figures, objects and things. The Rabinowitz’ who were looking for a way to expand their income thought they could market the wire as an art material… and thus the Twisteez Wire business was born.

Harold and Kiki originally bought wire seconds from industrial suppliers, but as the demand for their wire grew they eventually had Twisteez Wire manufactured to be consistent in color and quality. They began promoting their Twisteez at conventions for art teachers, and vendors who were interested in their wire and included Twisteez wire in their catalogues.

Twisteezwire has continued to be a successful art supply in school catalogues and for art suppliers for over 55 years. Our wire has always been made in the USA. Twisteezwire passes strict safety tests; it is Phthalate free, BPA free, and RoHS compliant. Harold and Kiki also invented and patented a line of batik and wax melting encaustic tools, as well as the Candymelter.

Harold and Kiki named their company Rabinowitz Design Workshop and worked out of their home in in Bethany, Connecticut. Their six children all helped out in the business. Currently Sandy, the eldest, keeps the business running along with the help of her family.

Witzend Workshop, LLC is now our company name and it continues to be a family run business.

Sandy is also a master equestrian artist. Check out her amazing wire horse sculptures on her site: www.sandyrabinowitz.com.

 

 

 

Original Twisteez wire packaage and logo

Original Twisteez wire logo, circa 1960

Harold and Kiki early pic at Yale

Harold and Kiki, Twisteezwire creators

Rabinowitz family pic

Folding Twisteez boxes… a family affair. Photo circa 1968.

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