Microplane

Microplane is a tool brand and registered trademark associated with Grace Manufacturing Inc., a manufacturer of photo-etched steel tools. Its products are designed around a finely cut, sharp working surface that removes material efficiently. The brand is best known in kitchens for graters and zesters used on foods including citrus peel, hard cheese, spices such as nutmeg, and other ingredients. It also retains its original connection to woodworking and material-shaping tools, including wood rasps and shaving disks. The concept originated when brothers Richard Grace and Jeff Grace were attempting to develop a rasp for wood carving. According to the brand's historical account, the project produced a new type of tool rather than merely refining a conventional rasp. The invention dates to 1991, and the Microplane name came into use in the mid-1990s. The technology's fine, photo-etched surface enabled a cutting action that differed from the punched or perforated surfaces common in many traditional graters and rasps. Microplane initially served woodworking applications. Its rasps and shaving disks were intended for removing and shaping wood, and these products remain part of the brand's range. The same surface technology later became closely associated with culinary preparation. Kitchen graters based on the Microplane design became useful for producing fine shavings and zest, making the brand visible beyond specialist woodworking and tool users. The brand therefore spans two related use cases: precision removal of material in craft and workshop applications, and fine grating in food preparation. Its positioning rests on sharpness, controlled material removal, and the versatility of photo-etched steel rather than on a broad consumer-goods portfolio. Public reference material identifies Grace Manufacturing Inc. as the company behind the trademark and describes both the culinary and woodworking applications, but does not provide enough information here to establish detailed ownership history, executive leadership, financial performance, manufacturing locations, or market-by-market operations.

Microplane's history is tied to Grace Manufacturing Inc. and to the development of photo-etched steel tools. Brothers Richard Grace and Jeff Grace began with a woodworking objective: they wanted to create a rasp suitable for wood carving. Their work led to a new tool design whose surface could remove material through finely formed cutting edges rather than relying only on the conventional perforated construction used in many rasps and graters. The invention is dated to 1991 in the available reference material. Although the initial application was woodworking, the design later became associated with the Microplane name, which emerged in the mid-1990s. The early product family included wood rasps and shaving disks, and these remain part of the brand's identity. This original workshop orientation distinguishes Microplane from brands created primarily for culinary use. The technology subsequently moved into food preparation. Microplane kitchen graters apply the same general principle of a sharp, finely engineered surface to ingredients such as cheese, nutmeg, and citrus peel. In use, the tool produces fine shavings or zest and can be used for grating, grinding, or similar preparation tasks. The culinary line broadened recognition of the trademark while preserving its connection to material-removal tools. The available sources describe Microplane as a registered trademark of Grace Manufacturing Inc., which makes photo-etched steel tools for grating, grinding, sanding, and related applications. They do not establish a complete corporate chronology, detailed geographic expansion, leadership succession, sales history, or current manufacturing footprint. Consequently, the documented history is strongest on the invention's origins, the transition from woodworking tools to kitchen graters, and the continuing dual use of the technology.

1. 1995Microplane name comes into use

   The available history places the adoption of the Microplane name in the mid-1990s, following the invention's initial development.

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2. 1991Photo-etched tool invention developed

   Richard Grace and Jeff Grace developed the tool concept while trying to create a wood-carving rasp.

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3. Expansion into kitchen graters

   The photo-etched surface technology was applied to culinary tools, including graters and citrus zesters, alongside the continuing woodworking range.

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Precision photo-etched steel tools for fine grating, zesting, grinding, sanding, and wood shaping.

• Kitchen gratersKitchen tools

  Microplane kitchen graters use a finely formed photo-etched steel surface to shave or grate ingredients. They are used for foods such as hard cheese and nutmeg and are also suitable for producing fine citrus zest. The product category is the brand's most visible culinary application of technology that originated in woodworking tools.

• Citrus zestersKitchen tools

  Microplane zesters are designed to remove the outer peel of citrus fruit in fine shavings. Their sharp photo-etched surfaces support controlled preparation of lemon, lime, orange, and similar zest, while also reflecting the broader grating function of the brand's culinary tools.

• Wood raspsWoodworking tools1991

  Wood rasps represent Microplane's original application. They are intended for shaping and removing material from wood, including in carving and other woodworking tasks. The rasps use the brand's photo-etched steel construction and remain part of the product range.

• Shaving disksWoodworking tools

  Microplane shaving disks are workshop tools associated with the brand's early woodworking range. They are used for removing material and shaping wood, extending the photo-etched tool concept beyond handheld rasps and into disk-shaped formats.

1. Microplane