“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.
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet."— Abraham Lincoln
Drivel Starved Nation:
This Thursday, I will host the final design review for the Chopstick Master—the production prototype is being hand delivered to Portland this week.
Never in my life did I ever expect to be responsible for a product that makes people so happy. Over the last 32 years, it seems all Bridge City has ever accomplished is the ability to piss people off because we don’t have “Made in China” prices. The irony is appropriate I suppose.
"Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, of course."— Lemony Snicket
Drivel Starved Nation!
Whenever I disappear from this totally awesome and worthless blog it usually means one of two things, either I am in trouble with my parole officer or I am busy with the muse – you do the math… Continue reading
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. — Alan Turing
Dear Drive Starved Nation:
I just discovered this video and thought it worth sharing. It’s about making. So don’t freak out when you don’t see any wood.
There is another version where he makes a similar project from wood, but it’s nowhere near as interesting as what he does here. It is particularly fascinating how he uses a three jawed chuck and the proper geometry to make a cube on a metal lathe. This is a perfect example of how math can be taught using a real, mind bending idea. I hope you like it-
-John
PS: His choice of music had me reaching for the mute key.
Inspiration is Everywhere – And how thankful we all are for it to be there!!
“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.” — Albert Einstein
Drivel Starved Nation;
I spent the month of February working on some new concepts and I finally finished the 2015 Fab 50 tool. Why the name “Fab 50”? Because each year we pick a design and fabricate 50 units and move on to something else the following year. This year’s version is something else…
"Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not the merits of who receives them."— Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind
Drivel Starved Nation!
Next week I begin my annual work retreat, and I can’t wait to see what the muse will deliver this trip. This will be my 14th year of holing up somewhere and do nothing but think about tools for two weeks. And as long as Megan Fox leaves me alone, it is incredibly productive… Continue reading
"If I had 60 minutes to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes defining it and 5 minutes solving it."— Albert Einstein
Drivel Starved Nation-
This I know about the DSN; you have too much time on your hands. You cannot possibly justify spending time on this Totally Awesome and Worthless Blog. And you love solving a mystery.
The rules to get your hands on this incredible gizmo/contraption/device/awesomeness for FREE are at the end of this post! But first some clues… Continue reading
"Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." — Swami Sivananda
Drivel Starved Nation;
I have been busy, so busy in fact I just remembered that the Drivel Starved Nation needs food more drivel so here ya go…
On the top of our request list is the CS-12v2 Combination Square and I am pleased to announce that we will open pre-orders in the next week or so. That said, I always wanted to make the 6″ version, so we will piggy back the 6″ and the 12″ runs and make both a brass and stainless steel versions of the 6″ combination square.
