Citation: Daniel Konstanski, The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks: The Inside Story of a Design Icon (Unbound, 2022). — p. 74-75.

A key difference between minifigures and their predecessors are hands. While the clever dimensions of buildable figure hands allowed for all manner of accessories to be clutched, such a design would be too big for the much smaller minifigure. However, an important aspect of LEGO play was the ability to hold bars and one-module-width elements, so designers set out to maintain both capabilities. The answer ended up being a hand with two slightly curved sides extending out like claws. Their angles were set such that a single stud component could be clicked into place on the top while bars could be slid in between and held firmly by the protrusions. They were dubbed claw hands.

The 'claw hands' could grasp bars and hold bricks.