Unlock Timeless Elegance with This Old-School Tool!
July 18, 2024
Source: Reddit
I can still recall a time when we used to sit in front of our grandparents’ workshop and watch the locally made furniture in awe. The smell of new wood, the repetitively monotonous sound of the sander and the art of putting on the finish was all part of it. Of all the tools there was always one that resembled a comb in a way and always got our attention. It was not known to many that this ordinary tool called wood graining comb is the key to giving life to ordinary plane surfaces and make it look like wood.
It is fascinating how someone came up with the wood graining comb. This is a compact and rather basic device, which is intended for the creation of wooden spatter effects on surfaces. If you are refinishing an old piece or want to add a distressed look to a new piece the wood graining comb is your friend. To make the wood grain imitation, this comb is drawn through a medium that is wet, for example, paint or glaze. This is a method that has been in existence for many years and epitomizes people’s inherent longing for aesthetics and originality in their homes.
Earlier, wood was used in most household products ranging from furniture to floorings. But not all people could afford the expensive quality wood and this is where the wood graining comb came in handy. They made elegance affordable for people to get the veneer of expensive wood at a fraction of the price. This tool was mostcommonly used in the 19th and early 20th centuries when people paid much attention to the quality of their homes and their appearance, especially of the interior.
Wood graining comb is not just a tool to imitate some sort of manufactured wood grain, it is an art form that is a part of cultural evolution. When times were difficult, which is often the case during a depression, people had to be more inventive. Folks had to make do with what they found available and hence, tools such as the wood graining comb became a sign of creativity.
While reflecting on these tools and techniques it’s like talking with a friend who shares the same fondness for the aesthetics of the past. For instance, the wood graining comb was a piece of art in itself; it was fine and light and the workmanship that went into creating something as simple as this was amazing; every scratch, every groove, and every pattern was deliberate.
Sitting down to think about the past practices in the contemporary society can be very inspiring at the present time. The wood graining comb is not just a brush that helps to create an effect on furniture; it is much more – it is a link to the times when people paid attention to the quality of work and spent time on it. It takes me back to observing a dear one working, the scent of polish encountered in the environment and the satisfaction of giving new look to a flat surface with ornaments.
Thus, we celebrate these tools as well as the craftmanship that goes along with them as we adapt these traditions to the contemporary world. Therefore, the next time you are holding a wood graining comb, it should remind you of those happy moments and the elegance of handmade products.