Some people personalize their stuff.
The old-time people did it a lot, but modern people do, too.
When, who, why?
I suppose it’s often people who have crafty skills who do this. Or who have a need to express themselves. Hence, folk art.
People don’t modify their stuff when it’s a commodity: when it’s not really theirs. When they plan to sell it on. When a change would hurt the thing’s cash value. Per se. It’s about money. Maybe it’s sometimes also about shyness. Or about respect for the product: it was made this way, so it should stay this way. The look they gave it is better than what I could do.
People like to modify their homes — usually in a surface way. Same with their cars — they’ll add stickers. Crafty folks then start coming on a bit stronger when it comes to clothes — they’ll change things, embroider on patches. Then we have body-changing, with hairdos, bodybuilding/starving, piercing, tats, and curve/wrinkle-fixing.
What I’m really thinking of here, though, is the oldtime habit that frontiersmen had in particular of carving on their guns and knives.
The mountainman and Indian reenactors of today likewise greatly enjoy personalizing the tools of their hobby — which they often use in the field as well. (Decorating canoes/kayaks was another common practice. Skis could be added to the list today.)
Didja know that some fokls think that you and I reading this blog and doing our own folk art really aren’t? We can’t do folk art because we’re not folk. I just don’t get that. It’s even part of power and identity politics and the cultural critique. I say screw that. Sorry! It’s about stuff like “if you know it’s folk then it’s not.” I disagree all around. I think that critique reflects back on THEM more than on us. When THEY — academics, or careerists of any type — do things it’s often for ulterior motives. So things often aren’t what they seem. Who cares!
(It kinda relates a bit to one of those Post-Apocalyptic Fake-Reality shows playing nonstop on the History Channel of late that I watched 20 minutes of. The academics being interviewed say that remaining social clusters will degrade to a power basis — that law will be based on coercion — which they thus imply is at the heart of today’s society as well. They resort to Maslow’s Theory of Needs — a backwards joke. People don’t first take care of survival then worry about meaning. Meaning always comes first. We can’t act without meaning. Its our essence — even a desperate person is acting from meaning first. When we lose (or confuse) our meanings, that’s when we die, lose freedom, become dysfunctional, need meds, become deluded, start working overtime for shoddy goods and imagery. In short: those shows say more about the cynical SHOW PRODUCERS than about how people behave when they’re living simply.)
What are today’s other corollaries? Let’s see what you think in the Comments below!
People often modify field gear that they use a lot — and that’s part of the whole point — if you use it, make it yours. I’m thinking of backpacks and bags which get extra features sewn on and modified. Think of bikes and motorcycles: often highly personalized. I suppose this interest contains a blend of practical function changes and artful personalization…sometimes both at the same time.
But I’m still stuck on guns and knives. I can see not fooling with a fancy gun. But I have several guns I use often which are farm-grade. I really like them. I often use them for makin’ meat. For doing good shootin’ — tight groups at long range. I have nicer guns but I often reach for the beaters when it’s time to hit the rough’n’ready trail. Heck, you can buy em for $70-100. So why not make em mine? Why not carve em up to tell a story or two? Or change their function? I could do some practice checkering then add some grip and fore-end texture of my own — maybe even of a cool design. I could cut one down into a shorter camp-gun and make a short scabbard-sheath with a socket for each of the 3 parts (ooh, a Savage M24 .22-over -0-ga would be sweet to personalize–pricier, tho, at $250). I suppose one would need confidence in carving or wood-burning skills. Of course the result would look amateurish, but that’s the whole point. Indians often added studs and rivets to their guns. Heck, I often don’t even have good slings on my fave guns, yet — sometimes just a strap or rope! A sling can be dressed up, and carved in, too.
Knife sheaths can be carved on, too.
I suppose people also do this when they have time…so there’s that…
If you’ve personalized or customized your stuff, post your details and pics below, please!
