"If I ever go to China, I'm going to find a piano and play "Chopsticks"--only not with my fingers... I'll be using two forks."— Jarod Kintz
Drivel Starved Nation-
It looks like the BCTW field trip to China is resonating with the DSN. I will post complete details next week regarding the itinerary. I also think we may limit this to 30 or so for logistical reasons.
Hey! We received the first shipment of the CSMv2s at the end of December. This is such a fun tool to use!
Here is a real-time tutorial on how it is used — you can tell I had 4 cups of coffee the morning we shot this–oh well… Continue reading
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow. Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”— Mark Twain
Drivel Starved Nation!
I got so fed up with the voluminous holiday email blasts in December, we spared you and kept our antsy fingers off our keyboards until today. How cool is that?
First, the Portland Weather Report: As some of you may know, I am an Iowa son, and no stranger to snow. In fact, it is one of the reasons I wanted to move to Portland. No snow shoveling here.
Continue reading
"Life is like a dogsled team. If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes." — Lewis Grizzard
Drivel Starved Nation-
I have much to share with this report, so drop whatever it is you are doing and feast on this delicious bowl of drivel!
"Of all the possible utensils that could have been invented to eat rice with, how did TWO STICKS win out?"— Unknown
Drivel Starved Nation-
Today we have some cool things to share.
A while back, I shared how the grids for my sculpture “Fog of War” were made and you can see the pics here.
It is much harder to do accurate work in small scale but it can be made easier with an approach that yields consistent results. In the case of the grids mentioned above, the components all had to be the exact same thickness. This was surprisingly easy because all of our small planes accept depth skids which makes thickness planing thin stock a breeze. Without depth skids, there would be no Chopstick Master.
Drivel Starved Nation!
Last fall when I was in China, I was able to witness the introduction of a new type of dust collector (Pat. Pending) to the international market. The makers, Harvey Works, the same folks that make our innovative Chopstick Master™ unveiled a new dust collector concept that was 5 years in the making — it is called the Gyro Air™.
I ordered one immediately and here is why; Continue reading
Dear Drivel Starved Nation-
I have been crazy busy the past two months. I went to China to finalize version 2 of the Chopstick Master and I am pleased to announce that when this version hits the streets this fall, it will sell for $195 buckaroos. That by-the-way, is $50 LESS than our HP-8 with depth skids ALONE. This is a screaming cool value. And our pledge to you; even though this is made in China, the quality is as good—or better—than what you have come to expect from Bridge City over the past 33 years.
Three weeks ago we attended a media event in NYC regarding the Chopstick Master v2 and I will share the results of that jaunt as they come in. A couple of fashionistas made chopsticks for their… hair!
Drivel Starved Nation-
I created this blog as a space where I can act like an idiot, insult our customers, shamelessly plug new product ideas, embarrass my grown children, create mayhem for the staff here, and occasionally share information that is actually interesting. That said, I sadly announce that we have some good news to share. Continue reading
“Though I can and sometimes do use chopsticks, I much prefer using my hands to pee.” — Jarod Kintz
Drivel Starved Nation!
I am back from my third trip to Asia in the last six months and this was the best trip yet — I have lots of news to share.
I stopped by the factory producing the Chopstick Master and watched as the very first units were being boxed. This was so cool to see. Production right now is constrained to 1,000 units per month, but will dramatically increase at the first of the year. Here’s a pic; Continue reading
"Creativity isn’t about wild talent as much as it’s about productivity. To find new ideas that work, you need to try a lot that don’t. It’s a pure numbers game." — Robert Sutton
Drivel Starved Nation;
Sunday I leave for China, my third visit in the last six months. I must say, the experiences and friendships I have accumulated are lasting and incredibly rewarding. This may be the most fun six months of my BCTW business life. To think it took 32 years to have this much fun doesn’t say much for me does it? Oh well. Continue reading
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” — George Bernard Shaw
Dear Drivel Starved Nation;
The first production prototype came in last Thursday and I thought I would share with you a sneak peek. As mentioned, this item will be made completely in China and I think you will be thrilled with the quality.
Before we move on to the pictures, I want to thank all who commented on the logo – all my teachers in my life and my deceased parents would be pleased to learn that I do indeed listen.