Spoons

My grandfather was a cabinetmaker who owned many special tools. He had multiple saws with teeth of various sizes - each for a specific job, along with dozens of drill bits, wood rasps, chisels and planes, and at least a half dozen hammers of various shapes and sizes.

As an air-conditioning man, my dad had all the tools typically owned by a plumber or a mechanic, or a sheet-metal worker, and all the tools a well-equipped electrician would have in his box.  And, of course, the gauges, hoses, etc. necessary to measure and add Freon to the A-C units.  Over the years, he  built or remodeled several of our houses, so he also had a full set of carpenter’s tools – not as many as Pop, but enough.

One thing that I inherited from these men was my belief in the necessity of always having and using the right tool for the job. 

Work is always easier and faster, and the results almost consistently better when you have the correct tool in your hand.  You may get that frozen nut loose with vice-grips, a crescent wrench, or even a set of water-pump pliers, but you stand a good chance of rounding off the nut, making the job even harder the next time. You’ll will leave damage that wouldn’t be there if you had used a box-end wrench or a six-point socket.

Using the right tool for the job was ingrained in me from the time I could walk. 

It’s gospel. 

It’s how I live my life.

But….

Sometimes….

Even I have to admit that I take it too far….

The spoons pictured above are from two of several sets of stainless steel flatware we have acquired over the years.  They share the same kitchen drawer, and they may look pretty much the same, but they are not. 

The one on the right is 5/16 of an inch shorter, but made of thicker metal.  It weighs just over 7 grams more than the spoon the left.

Whenever I eat a bowl of ice cream, I always search through the drawer for the spoon on the right – but if I’m opening a cup of yoghurt, I’ll avoid that spoon and dig out one like the spoon on the left.

It’s consistent – I always do it that way.  I do it without thinking, and only recently realized that I do it every time.

I can’t really explain it except to say that it just feels right, and there’s real joy in using the right tool for the job.