Living on three acres in rural Louisiana, there is always something to tend to. Which means I use tools. These tools are about as simple as you can get: shovel, rake, ax, hammer, hoe, saw. Simple doesn’t mean incapable, or frivolous. The opposite. These tools are works of genius. None of them have changed that much over the centuries, because their basic designs are nearly flawless. They’ve been used by people for thousands of years, and are still used, will always be used.
Great read, as always, Richard. Some of these perfect tools sometimes required ancestral skills that are difficult to acquire if they were not passed on by your elders. I have a scythe that I do not now how to use effectively. I remember seeing people using them in Alsace, when I was a kid. They carried the sharpening stone in their pocket. I know my dad has fooled with it (he is the one who bought it) but I use the modern, noisy weed-wacker. Apparently it is not as effective:
Richard, what a fun contemplation. Outside of roaming in bookstores, my other fascination is to meander through hardware stores. Picking up and handling a tool to find the perfect grip and balance. Always thinking of the smell and feel of dirt.
New book,Louisiana Dirt.
After French Dirt, editor wanted me to write Spanish Dirt!
Your garden in France prepared you well! I remember the passages about the hoe especially!
Wonderful tribute to the beauty of the commonplace! Meaningful work does indeed save us.
Great read, as always, Richard. Some of these perfect tools sometimes required ancestral skills that are difficult to acquire if they were not passed on by your elders. I have a scythe that I do not now how to use effectively. I remember seeing people using them in Alsace, when I was a kid. They carried the sharpening stone in their pocket. I know my dad has fooled with it (he is the one who bought it) but I use the modern, noisy weed-wacker. Apparently it is not as effective:
https://youtu.be/gsfIHiBB6xE
Thanks, Olivier. I always wanted to be able to use a scythe. Great motion. I wish I knew so much more about basic tools and repair!
Richard, what a fun contemplation. Outside of roaming in bookstores, my other fascination is to meander through hardware stores. Picking up and handling a tool to find the perfect grip and balance. Always thinking of the smell and feel of dirt.
Thank you for Colette--Break of Day now on my reading list. So much truth in this.
It was a mainstay when I wrote French Dirt. I quote her in the book several times.