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Our tools change us.

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Last night we were chatting about tools. Our talk was prompted by a podcast CW just listened to, where historian Tamim Ansary positions tools as not just things we can put away, but as a cumulative way we grow, change and interface with our surrounding environment.

Here's an exerpt from Ansary ...

Our tools are the extensions of our fingers, the extension of our eyes, the extension of our ears…there is a constant interaction between the evolution of our tools and what is coming at us from the environment…the process of changing to stay in sync with the changes that the environment is bringing, that our tools are forcing upon us and that we are - all of that - when you put all of that together, I think you have the human story.

It makes me think of Mcluhan readings from years ago.

Listen to Tamim Ansary

Along with Pen Type-C, Herring Blade is the other tool you'll find scattered around our house. We know we know...we have little kids and that is just about the most dangerous thing imaginable. But we love this thing and need it within arms reach at all times.

Herring Blade is so damn useful.

DIY utility blade made out of necessity using random scraps.

The image above wasn't really the inspiration for Herring Blade, but was made out of necessity back when CW was teaching at Pratt. Utility blades kept disappearing and the students needed them to work, so he started making them out of random stuff that was lying around. We came across it this morning and really just love everything about it.

HB. So useful. Really it is.