An ideal tool makes creating all the better.
Approx. 1000 words; five minutes read time
I've been on an organizing kick lately, getting The Lab (my shop) in order. It's a small space, and optimizing it requires judicious selection of what to retain and what to discard. Tool choice is paramount - from hammers to chop saws, I put a lot of thought into what I buy, keep, and use. If something is going to take up space in the limited real estate of my life, it needs to be worth its three dimensions.
Learning to pick and employ the right tool for the job is an essential skill in making. Sometimes the situation calls for a screwdriver and other times a hammer. But never, ever shall the two switch. Using the wrong tool invites mistakes, and worse, it's an excellent way to get hurt. The proper tool makes a difficult job easier and safer. And having quality tools increases both the efficacy of what we do and the joy of doing it.
***
Tools, from excellent to terrible, fall loosely into three categories: ideal, workable, and gimmicks.
Ideal tools - now that's a statement. The word "ideal" conjures up images of Plato's Forms. There is no such thing as a perfect anything, but ideal tools approach perfection for the user. It's a subjective set of qualities. A tool doesn't have to be the best of the best to be ideal. It need only fulfill the needs and wants of the user.
Subjectivity aside, most ideal tools hold three qualities in common: good design, solid build, and fit for purpose. In this way, these tools are well thought out and well-executed. And they feel good when used.
I have a handful of tools in my collection that I would say are truly ideal. For example, I very much enjoy using my Xcelite flush cutters and pliers. These are precision quality instruments marketed under various names (I believe the parent company is Apex Tool Group; they are often co-branded Weller, another Apex company). Both the cutters and pliers are smooth, exact, and dependable. I also love the mint green color of the rubberized grips.
Workable tools will do the job when a job needs doing, although something is just not right about them. I include junk and cheap tools here, but sometimes an instrument can be made fine but still feel "off" to the user. Be it unbalanced or otherwise ergonomically compromised, workable tools don't conjure that same feeling of joy as an ideal tool. And the worst of the lot can be dangerous - a loose hammerhead can fly off, and a weak screwdriver can break under force, creating a stabbing hazard.
My current chop saw, a big-box hardware store brand, I would say is workable. I bought it in a pinch as I needed a new one but couldn't afford a better quality saw at the time. Now that I have it, I use it often, and it's safe - but I don't like it. The saw's blade guard is loosely attached and rattles. And its adjustments feel sloppy; I often have to triple-check settings before I cut. Most unfortunate, it's bulky. Better saws are usually more robust in a smaller package - qualities I want and need, given my limited workspace.
I’m not totally dismissing workable tools. In fact, most of my tools I would say are in this category. They get the job done, as I said, and I am thankful to have them. In a perfect world I’d swap most out for better quality replacements, but I don’t have the dough. Besides, tools I only use occasionally need not be ideal, if they do what they are supposed to do. Having them also helps me appreciate the truly great tools in my kit.
Gimmicks are those one-off, often cheaply made contraptions espoused as making life better, but all they do is take up space. These include anything advertised between midnight and five AM on TV. Overly specialized tools, as well as "do-it-all" devices, fall into this category. I saw one of these last Saturday at a local hardware store; it was a giant hammer-sized multitool marketed under a famous home-improvement specialist's name. The thing seemed to have it all, but how do you use a screwdriver when it's attached to a full-size claw hammer?
I don't like gimmicks. At all. They feel like an insult to intelligence. If it requires a 90 minute paid advertisement to sell, it's probably not worth the metal it's made from. Over the years, gimmicky contraptions have made their way into my life, usually as well-meaning gifts. But these invariably find a new home quickly (the recycle bin or thrift store).
Please don't confuse my critique of gimmicks with an aversion to innovation. The latter is something that genuinely revolutionizes how we do things. Innovation is the foundation of technical progress and something I admire and strive to emulate. But gimmicks are not innovation. They are junk with one purpose and one purpose only - making its inventor and distributors money. Don't buy or gift gimmicks. Discerning friends will thank you.
Ideal tools are the opposite of gimmicks - they don’t need a sales pitch to justify their utility. It's as if they were pre-ordained to exist from the get-go.
***
In New York City, a couple of decades ago, I went to the Museum of Modern Art's then-new exhibit on "Good Design." There, the curators had displayed various tools, products, and innovations that manifested near-perfect form and function. I recall seeing an Eames Chair, a Zippo Lighter, and even a Korean War-Era Willys Jeep. All these objects were purpose-built and did their jobs exceedingly well. My Xcelite cutters were not on display, but they would have been right at home among these other icons of good design. Oddly enough, I didn't see that claw-hammer-multitool either.
***
Ideal tools help make creating the joy it should be. 'Ideal" is subjective, but when a user finds something that works, the connection is almost magic. Here, tool and hand come together as one, freeing the maker to create. Sure, inspiration can rise above the limits of inadequate tools, or even no tools at all. But the right tool can make all the difference. When you find one that is ideal for you, hang on to it with all your might. Your hands will thank you, and your creations will shine.
Until next time. Science. Fiction. Create.
JRC