Look at this little beauty I bought for myself last week. My birthday was coming up and it was in it's original box in my favourite op-shop. I mainly bought it for cutting our bread - it cuts even, slim slices rather than the door-stoppers we can often hack off. Hopefully it will make the bread go further or at least give me the illusion that it is going further.
I generally don't buy stuff and especially not gadgets but I simply just couldn't go past such an solid, metal, hand-powered machine.
You can hardly call that a gadget.
Made in Waihi, New Zealand you know.
I love the weight of it; the firmness of the handle.
I love the weight of it; the firmness of the handle.
The bonus being that the blade, much like a skill-saw blade, reminds me of my dear dad.
As you can see there are lots of criteria a purchase needs to pass before I buy it. I'm happy with that - excessive consumerism is sickening and the story of where most gadgets come from these days is down right inhumane and causes environmental death.Around here we like hand-powered tools.
Recently we have discovered the effectiveness of the machete. Our scythe is temporarily out of use because of a blade that needs attention so we have turned to using the simple machete.
The hillside we have begun transforming into garden is steep and covered in waist-high grass.
The machete means that we only cut what we can mange to transform into garden bed; we don't waste time trimming grass that will be left to just grow back.
We can all work together because the quiet of a hand tool doesn't destroy the stillness, maintenance is a simple steel and the purchase price was a sweet $20.
A fossil fuel free landscape so far.
Oh and for those of you who have followed the story of the lyttel hearts, I thought you may like to know that His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has been visiting Christchurch over the last couple of days, was given a heart which he wore at the public address.
What a privilege indeed.
How blessed we were to have him visit and to be in his presence.
As he said, "we are all brothers and sisters and when a brother or sister is sad or broken, you go to them and share their sadness."
Deep gratitude.
Thanks for posting that video - very sobering. I haven't watched it with before. Have you seen the Story of Stuff?
ReplyDeleteI always get a buzz when I find old things that were manufactured in NZ - such a rarity!
The full documentary is even more sobering. We managed to find it in our local vid shop. Yes "story of stuff" is great and there are now a few more to that story. Not so gloomy as "Manufactured Landscapes" and a great introduction to the story of our consumerism.
ReplyDeletewhat an amazing thing to be near the Dalai Lama as you were... I will be checking out the links you offered.
ReplyDeleteand...yes! great buy! how unique and fun!