Things That Carry Affection Forward - The Oak Sewing Box -

[Your attachment becomes someone else's]

There are reasons why we grow attached to the things we own.
Because they are easy to use. Because they feel good.
Because they are kind to society and to the planet.
Now, what happens when you add one more reason:
"because one day I want someone else to use it"?

I want my child to use it someday. I'd like to give it to a friend one day.
You look after it so that, even after it leaves your hands,
it will go on being used just the same in someone else's life.

Long-life products hold that kind of pleasure too - the joy that comes
after you have spent years nurturing them.
Sturdy materials that age beautifully, pieces you can maintain
and keep using, makers who take questions and repairs.
Using something like that with "someday, someone" in mind.
Doesn't it stir a different kind of attachment than before?

What we'd like to introduce today is
the [Oak Sewing Box] from Kurashiki Ishou Keikakushitsu.
It has a two-tier structure that carries over
the practicality of a traditional Scandinavian sewing box.
The upper tier opens out fully to the left and right,
so you can see the contents at a glance and find
even the smallest sewing tools with ease.
It opens and closes smoothly, and stands firm and steady
when open - Japanese craftsmanship you can feel in the hand.
Storage capacity is excellent as well, and the small
removable dividers are yet another sign of a maker
who wants you to keep using it for years to come.

Let's take a closer look at its practicality,
the craftsmanship, and the points that make it last.

An oil finish brings out the character of the wood,
so the grain differs from one part to the next -
and that is one of its charms.

Finger joints that give the box its strength
and form a beautiful pattern. Skilled hands at work.

The handle is a smooth, softly curved arch.
It makes you want to carry it carefully.

The heart of its practicality. Opening to both sides lets you
survey the contents at a glance and take things in and out easily.

The slots for the removable dividers are cut in a
mountain shape so the boards slide in easily.
A small detail that says a great deal.

Care for it with beeswax and you can enjoy
the colour, sheen and texture as they change little by little
over the years of use.

To keep it for a long time, you need to protect it from damp.
Rather than tucking it away, why not leave it on show?
It looks lovely enough that it never feels out of place.

The best care of all is simply using it.
Handling it day after day brings out the colour and sheen,
and parts that felt stiff at first begin to move smoothly.

[Imagining the day it passes into someone else's hands]

A sewing box is a tool you need in daily life,
and because this one is a pleasure to use, you keep it close for years.
The wood has deepened in colour and taken on a quiet sheen.
There may be a spot or two that has loosened and rattles a little,
but knowing you can send it in for repair,
you can carry on using it for a long time yet.

Even when it passes from your hands into someone else's,
this sewing box will surely settle into their life
and go on being loved just the same.
Because that future may be waiting for it,
you find yourself wanting to look after it all the more.
A small suggestion for a more considered way of living.