It wasn’t much more than a hundred years ago that the automobile didn’t even exist. People rode to church in horse drawn buggies, and bundled up at night with wool blankets in front of a hardwood fire.
When someone bought leather shoes, they were real leather, not an imitation mass-produced vinyl impostor with a fake leather grain print.
Furniture was much the same. Built from solid wood, and precise joints, the furniture was hand crafted to last a lifetime. Even today, It is not uncommon to go into an antiques store and find a classic work desk, or a night table built a hundred years ago, and still just as strong as the day it was made. Try and do that with today’s mass produced furniture with imitation textures, and cheap paint jobs.
People, in the 30’s, often purchased things to last them for a lifetime. No one purchased an expensive item thinking ‘well, we will just replace it in a couple of years’. Higher-end products were thought through in design, and there seemed to be more room for artistry and craftsmanship.
Even ancient buildings had so much character. Businesses incorporated arches and design accents to trim and doorways. City halls had columns and character, and layers upon layers of molding. Churches incorporated all of the artisans they could find, and built structures with gorgeous arches, swooping supports, and buttresses. Carvings of religious scenes which must have taken thousands of hours to procure splash across walls of old Catholic churches everywhere.
I remember one time, when visiting the Montreal Jazz festival with my wife, we decided to go into an old Anglican church off of Rue St Laurent. There was something about the architecture in this building that gave you no choice but to be voluntarily pensive. The quietness, and solitude of the church made a lasting impact. A great place to reflect, and think about your life. Today, most mega churches have massive video screens, rock concert quality sound systems, and painted drywall and plush carpets. I prefer the creaky old church when I want some time to think.
Today I received a hammock for Father’s day from my wife and kids. It is one of those classic hammocks; you know, the ones with the weaved cotton ropes, the stained wood separators, and neatly knitted detailing. It is made in India, and is simple, but beautiful. It isn’t perfect as far as craftsmanship goes. The holes through the wood where the rope weaves through have some chips, and some of the cotton threading is frayed. It is made from cotton rope, wood, iron, and no synthetic materials. It is classic, handcrafted, and although not perfect, that’s what makes it perfect.
How many times today, do we get suckered into the ‘Walmart junk’ that we buy, because ‘oh, it is such a great deal!’, only to find the thing breaks, or doesn’t perform like we hoped it would.
I used to buy cheap shoes, because it was at a stage in my life, when I really couldn’t afford expensive shoes. I am sure most of us have been there. It was just the ‘norm’ that every four months I would head down to the store and pick up a new pair. Then one time I designed to ‘splurge’ and buy an expensive pair of Doc Martens shoes for $175.00. I felt sick for spending that much, but I really liked the shoes. Guess what? I had those shoes for no less than 3 years. That’s 900% more life than out of a cheap pair of shoes. Hmmm… it started to sink in.
I am looking to buy a Volvo. Most likely it will be either a Cross Country, or an S60. What I like about the Volvos, and many other higher-end cars, is that they use natural materials. Volvos have interior accents made from real aluminum, and real burl, rather than synthetic knock-offs. It makes a difference. My father-in-law has a Dodge Dakota truck. It is only a couple of years old, and has this cheap, woodgrain dash accent that in my opinion looks terrible. They tried to make it look authentic, but – sorry guys – you just made it look cheap.
There is just something about natural materials that cannot be duplicated or copied. God’s artistry far surpasses anything that we can try and recreate. Besides, everything we try to duplicate is influenced by nature anyways He has a way of creating beauty out of chaos. Of creating artwork from randomness in grain patterns in wood. In intoxicating you with the aromas of natural leather, or surprising you with the pallet of colour that comes from a cut of natural granite. Colours that could never randomly come together by chance. Nature is truly astounding.
And this is where it comes down to my business. Yes I realize you can buy a humidor, mass produced in Asia for $75.00. And, yes, I pay nearly that much for my premium hardware alone. But my quest at Vanderburgh Humidors is to create unique, individual pieces of artwork, made from noble materials, like natural stone, solid wood, hand crafted glass, and full grain leather. The more authentic, the better.
I don’t want to make my humidors on computer controlled precision machines. I want you to be proud, and surprised by the intricate accuracy of a hand-cut joint, and a hand polished finish. To be astonished by the beauty of real natural products, not synthetic knock-offs. To bring back the age-old art of hand-craftsmanship.
Will you be able to see a minor flaw? Probably, if you look hard enough. They are indeed made by hand, and the raw materials are not synthetic. But that is specifically what makes them perfect.
Vanderburgh Humidors. Artistically made with unique, natural materials.
