Info Click Icon
|
The Tip is 'Ask Before You Buy' I went to a department store for a pair of dress shoes recently. The clerk helped me with three different pairs that I tried on. 'The Big Secret' was on the forefront of my mind so I asked, "Are these shoes imports?" The salesman responded that they were in fact imported. "Do you have any Made In America shoes like these?" I asked. To my surprise he said, "We have a whole line of Made In USA shoes." I was able to purchase the same color and style with the Made In USA label. These Made in America shoes were less expensive, came with a better warranty and were more comfortable. It's amazing how often this simple Made in US question yields unexpected and often times pleasant results. I now ask this question regularly, whereas before I would not have thought to ask for a Made in America alternative. More often than not, I can find a Made in America product of higher quality and at the same, or slightly higher price. Asking the question is so simple and can make a positive impact, in both the short and long term. Try it sometime. If you are like me, you may be surprised with how many Made in US products are out there. You will love it when you realize you are making a difference that benefits many. With your help America will be ours again and that is a good thing. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Swaine Street Woodworking The Swaine Street collection started on a very small scale: creator Jana started by handmaking a few high-quality items that she felt her kitchen was missing. As a woodworker with a background in printmaking and cabinetry, Jana found that turning her skills to making the perfect cutting board was a good fit?so good, in fact, that friends and family, and pretty soon, other people in the community?began asking if Jana would be making more Swaine Street cutting boards. The Swaine Street collection of oils and waxes is carefully balanced to enhance the look and durability of Swaine Street products and the rest of your wooden kitchenwares, keeping them preserved and aging beautifully. Our balanced oil treatment prevents the boards from splitting, by penetrating deeply into the wood. The wax adds an extra layer of protection, and neither affects the food you prepare?it only makes cleanup easier, and brings out the natural grain of the wood even more vividly. Jana's philosophy, in the kitchen and as an artisan, is to reduce clutter: a few carefully chosen kitchen tools, made with care, can last a lifetime, only improving with age. There are many pieces in my kitchen?dishes and utensils I use every day?that have been in my family for generations, Jana says. That's what got me thinking about craftsmanship, long before I started making my own cutting boards. The history of these objects, these plates and spoons that were still so useful, but had years of past behind them?I wanted to make my cutting boards part of that tradition, build them out of rich wood that had natural variations, unique characteristics that would come out with age. Swaine Street Woodworking is about making objects that are useful and beautiful right now, and will be useful and beautiful fifty years from now. |
|