A chat with my niece about her school project made me look at my old tools differently

She came over last weekend to bind a poetry book for class and asked why I keep my first bone folder. I told her it's just a basic tool, but she said 'it's like your pencil, the first one you learned with.' That stuck with me. I've been so focused on getting new, fancy equipment that I forgot how much I learned with that simple piece of bone. It's been in my kit for 15 years. Anyone else have an old, simple tool they still use just because it feels right?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbychen1mo ago

Yeah, that putty knife thing @elizabethwhite said is so true. My first hammer is like that, the claw is all messed up but it just fits my hand.

elizabethwhite1mo ago

Oh man, that hits home... I still have the first crappy putty knife I ever bought. The handle is cracked and it's all bent out of shape, but I grab it for little jobs before I even look at the nice ones. It's like an old friend who knows all your bad habits... and still puts up with you.

the_sandra1mo ago

You ever get attached to a tool that's clearly past its prime, @abbychen? My granddad's old screwdriver with the chewed-up tip still lives in my junk drawer after 30 years. It's not the best tool for the job, but it reminds me why he always said "use what you've got handy.