The thing that I love about handmade wooden home goods is their warmth, unique character, and how they can be crafted to fit the user. When it comes to tools and their handles, this customized fit is what makes these items so personal.
I made the above screwdriver handle after measuring the width of my hand and the circumference of my grip. I transferred those measurements into a design drawing and then into a block of walnut. The resulting tool fits my hand and is easy to use.
An interesting tool handle project I recently worked on was to make a wooden handle for a hair cutting razor that would replace its factory supplied plastic one.
This is a folding razor where the handle is held on a diagonal between the first and second fingers of the user’s dominant hand.
This is a challenging area to accommodate because of the small space and minimal padding on the finger bones. Also, with the handle held at a diagonal, the edges have to be rounded over to feel comfortable. The hairstylist who asked me to make this holds her razor for hours a day and if it doesn’t fit smoothly in her hand, it’s not going to be useful for her.
Another personal item where ergonomics is an important factor is in eating spoons. Several areas of the spoon are important for a comfortable feel.
With spoons, I aim to make the neck of the handle fit the pinch of the finger grip and the back wide to rest on top of the hand for additional support. Most critically, the front of the bowl needs to be thin enough to fit comfortably in the user’s mouth. When carving, I often pinch this area between my fingertips to gauge thickness and then thin it out by removing material from the underside of the bowl.
These tool handles and spoons can take a lot of careful measuring in the design process and a lot of adjusting in the fabrication. In the end, the attention to these details is worth it to make an item that will be unique and personal.
Coming up next month, look for new plant hangers featuring my wooden beads from my collaborator Macramé By Monday. If you would like to own the above spoon, reach out! It’s available! Happy Fall everyone, I’ll write more next month.