I'm taking a slight detour from the usual here as I'm feeling a bit philosophical today. If I get this out of my system, I can get back to making sawdust!
I needed to break down a large shipping box, so I reached for my trusty utility knife. This time I noticed it's familiar heft, shape, and feel and began pondering the meaning of longevity and quality.
You see, I unwrapped that brand new utility knife in 1985, when I was stocking shelves at a lumber yard while finishing up my B.S. in Mechainical Enginering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It struck me that I've had this tool for over 25 years! How admirable that this simple tool could function unwaveringly for so many years, decades even.
This, I think, is part of what draws me to building custom furniture. With care, a well-built piece of furniture can last hundreds of years; thousands of antique pieces are found in homes and stores around the world. This simple idea drives my passion for meticulously building furniture of the highest quality.
In stark contrast, I once had a customer contact me about building a "quick and cheap" armoire. Those are always red-flag words for me. He told me he did not mind if he left it in his old apartment when he moved. I politely told him that "I don't build furniture people leave behind." I simply was not interested in the job.
All this from a humble utility knife. What do you think?
Now, if you'll excuse me, maybe I'll take my utility knife and cut up some boxes just for old times' sake.
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