tools

back to prehistoric times when tools were used for the first time. by inventing them,
humans were able to accomplish tasks their bodies could not, leading to the most
important evolutionary breakthrough for mankind.

use and makeshift

from cutting and guiding to measuring, shaping, fastening and moving tools, new
functions came into play. time and again, either by design or coincidence, one tool
could substitute many others by being versatile enough to be used to multiple ends.
This is how the humble wooden mallet became an invaluable implement throughout history.

originally used for shaping stone and wood, it really came into its own when paired with the more recent metal chisel.

naturally, it came to be the tool of preference not only for masons and woodworkers, but also for artists all around the world. their methods of molding, building or carving are used to the present day.

the rawhide mallet was the jeweller’s first pick. like the hammer, it brings things
precisely into place, ‘alluding to psyche’s daimonic creative center’. like other
primordial implements, it can evoke the force of violent impulse as well as of
imagination and directed will. its size and form can vary, thus creating different
experiences for the craftsman, who gets to use every feature as a tool in itself, as
opposed to the more limited specialized tools.

today, fully aware of how raw necessity led towards remarkable ingenuity and
efficiency, we should become more invested in working with basic tools without taking them for granted.

in a society that overfeeds empty symbolic gestures, I feel that creative manual work can encourage a different, healthier perspective towards one’s action for change.