I would like to write a blog about the manufacturing that PINT thinks about. I will update it from time to time.
I also wrote about PINT , but I plan to write in detail here and there, divided by theme. The content is like I'm talking to craftsmen, partners and friends who make PINTs together, and customers I met at events. Currently, we are basically selling on the web, so there are not many opportunities to meet customers, so it is one of the clues to know what kind of perspective and thoughts we have in creating PINT products and shops. I wish I could be. It's as long as it's ever been, so I hope you'll read it if you're interested. This time, which is the first time, from the root part of PINT. So here is the first theme.
"Making modern folk tools"
This is why I started PINT. I would like to tell you how I came up with this idea.
It's a rough flow, but things circulate when there are producers, sellers, and users. Once upon a time, there was a time when creator = user. For example, farmers do farm work from spring to autumn, and in the winter, when farming is off-season, they make their own tools using rice straw and other materials that can be gathered around the house. When I go to local production areas, I like to visit folk museums. It is called "folk implement". There are also daily necessities such as bowls. It's a real wooden bowl with no decoration, but I feel that such things are quiet, strong, and very beautiful. A non-decorative form that was conceived as a tool for everyday use. And the material has changed in a good way by continuing to use it for many years. It may be that the power of human hands dwells in being touched and used.
Now, there are many things, but I thought that there were not many things like this. With the development of the web and distribution, it is an era where you can search for and buy countless products, but there are not many things you want. The encounters are increasing, but strangely, I can't meet something that comes to me. From a marketing point of view, in a saturated market, competition for ``niche'', ``differentiation'', and ``innovation'', and the division of labor in production resulted in the inevitable result of ``design as a designer's job''. Seen from the side, we continued to create things with the aim of "how easy it is to sell in the current market."
Of course, I think there are many good ones among them, but in my personal experience, there weren't many that fit. I think there are too many and it's hard to meet.
Up until now, I have worked at a general merchandise trading company, and have seen the flow of goods and trends in the industry. I don't think that the current situation is the result of structural problems, including the trends of the times, and that there is no problem with the people involved, but I wasn't very excited. There are many new positive signs, especially these days, but I wanted to try a different approach to manufacturing and distribution from the mainstream.
The most fundamental difference between the past and the present is whether it is user first or seller first. In the past, it was completely user-first because it was only for my own use. There is no other than the first. It's not for display or for sale, it's just something that's easy to use and you want to use. Now, due to the distribution structure, we can't get started unless we sell, so we can't get rid of the seller-first aspect. It is a shortcut for producers to make what sellers want, and sellers want to purchase products that are easy to sell. As for the users, myself included, it is impossible to make things with our own hands, so we choose from what the sellers offer. Naturally, when this happens, “sales” has to be the goal. Especially, the closer you get to the mass market, the more rationally you move, the stronger this tendency becomes. As a result, it may be said that the number of similar products for distribution continued to increase.
The reason why I created PINT was that I wanted to create something from the user's point of view, rather than aiming to sell it to the market. Ignoring the market and distribution in a good way, I make things with only what I want to use as a user, the characteristics of the material, and the manufacturing method that makes the most of it. I thought that by doing so, we could create “things” that have become invisible in modern distribution.
It is, so to speak, "modern folk implements". I want to make this
This "modern folk implement" made by PINT has such a character.
1) Tools that can be used every day and can be used for a long time in the current era
2) It is the user who thinks about things. Lifestyle professionals = us ordinary people
3) Made by skilled craftsmen
Let's take a closer look at each one.
1) Tools that can be used every day and can be used for a long time in the current era.
First, the point of the current era. The history of Japan is interesting, and while inheriting culture from the continent, it has a geographical environment of being an island nation stuck in the Far East, and has developed its own unique culture over the years. Beginning with the Meiji Restoration and especially after the war, we have imported foreign culture. From kimono to Western clothes, he has a greedy appetite for food that goes beyond Western-style cuisine to the point where he wants to conquer food from all over the world. The house has changed from a Japanese house to a mix of flooring and Japanese-style rooms. The earthen floor has disappeared, but we take off our shoes at the entrance before entering the house. Even though it is imported, there are some things that cannot be compromised, and the phenomenon of mixing and localizing in a Japanese style occurs. I think this chaotic state is one of the interesting charms. Another example is Japanese houses where floor life and table life coexist. I would like to think about tools in the present age while grasping each of these real things vaguely.
Also, what PINT makes is literally a folk tool, rather than a miscellaneous item, it is a tool. Since we make tools for daily life, it is important that the number of appearances is large.
Plus, it can be used for a long time. In terms of marketing, consumables and products with seasonal replacement demand are the strongest, but that depends largely on the convenience of the makers and sellers. As an individual, I simply feel good, so I want to use good things for a long time. In order to use it for a long time, it must be a material that does not deteriorate. A material that can be used for a long time, can be maintained, and grows well with use. It's a natural material, not plastic. Wood, lacquer, linen, indigo, plants, earth, and iron. Natural materials are amazing (although they are disliked because they are not stable in distribution). That's why PINT sticks to natural materials. It doesn't deteriorate every time you use it, so it feels good every time you use it. And if you use it and take care of it from time to time, the texture will improve and it will age beautifully. It's fun every time I use it. If it's something like this, I think I'd like it.
2) It is the user who thinks about things. Lifestyle professionals = us ordinary people.
Folk implements are made by us who are professionals in life, not designers or buyers.
If it is a tool that is used in everyday life, it is a shortcut for people who live every day to think about it. In 1), I wrote about the styles of the last few decades, but more recently, lifestyles have become more diverse and personalized. Unlike in the past, the three sacred treasures will not be sold to the whole nation, nor will there be an era in which ``this year is trending in ○○ style,'' nor will there be an absolute charisma. I make a living by mixing. Then, we tend to ask, "Is custom-made the best?" Instead of diversifying and bundling everything together, we create something that continues to be used, transcending personal style and gender in a positive way.
However, if you just think “I wish I had this” in my daily life, it will only lead to the creation of convenient goods. At PINT, in the " Everyone's Tool " project, we are working on product planning after thoroughly studying materials and manufacturing methods and sharing them. We'll talk more about "Everyone's Items" in another installment.
3) Made by skilled craftsmen.
In fact, it's not like the old days where all the nation's creators are working together, so we entrust the production to craftsmen. They are dependable craftsmen who visited the production area directly, have solid skills, and got on with PINT's thoughts. I would like to create high-quality products that are fun and comfortable to use.
Craftsmen who are familiar with the natural materials mentioned in 1) make them using traditional methods. The long-lasting manufacturing method is a crystallization of wisdom that has been constantly updated by people in the past over generations. In order to make the most of the materials, we ask the craftsmen to think together and produce.
While thinking about these things, I will make "modern folk tools". I am making things at my own pace without being suitable for the miscellaneous goods industry or the so-called market. Of course, it is premised on selling, but the main distribution is through the web and events, where you can meet users one-on-one.
It's been 5 years since I started PINT. We are doing product planning at this pace, so the progress is slow, but when I look at the item lineup, I think the outline has become clear. There are several new product projects underway this year as well, and I would like to proceed while organizing my thoughts in this way.
It's been a long time, but thank you for reading.
This time, I tried to carefully write down the roots of the manufacturing that PINT is aiming for. Next time, I would like to focus on manufacturing more specifically.
PINT Nakaji
I also wrote about PINT , but I plan to write in detail here and there, divided by theme. The content is like I'm talking to craftsmen, partners and friends who make PINTs together, and customers I met at events. Currently, we are basically selling on the web, so there are not many opportunities to meet customers, so it is one of the clues to know what kind of perspective and thoughts we have in creating PINT products and shops. I wish I could be. It's as long as it's ever been, so I hope you'll read it if you're interested. This time, which is the first time, from the root part of PINT. So here is the first theme.
"Making modern folk tools"
This is why I started PINT. I would like to tell you how I came up with this idea.
It's a rough flow, but things circulate when there are producers, sellers, and users. Once upon a time, there was a time when creator = user. For example, farmers do farm work from spring to autumn, and in the winter, when farming is off-season, they make their own tools using rice straw and other materials that can be gathered around the house. When I go to local production areas, I like to visit folk museums. It is called "folk implement". There are also daily necessities such as bowls. It's a real wooden bowl with no decoration, but I feel that such things are quiet, strong, and very beautiful. A non-decorative form that was conceived as a tool for everyday use. And the material has changed in a good way by continuing to use it for many years. It may be that the power of human hands dwells in being touched and used.
Now, there are many things, but I thought that there were not many things like this. With the development of the web and distribution, it is an era where you can search for and buy countless products, but there are not many things you want. The encounters are increasing, but strangely, I can't meet something that comes to me. From a marketing point of view, in a saturated market, competition for ``niche'', ``differentiation'', and ``innovation'', and the division of labor in production resulted in the inevitable result of ``design as a designer's job''. Seen from the side, we continued to create things with the aim of "how easy it is to sell in the current market."
Of course, I think there are many good ones among them, but in my personal experience, there weren't many that fit. I think there are too many and it's hard to meet.
Up until now, I have worked at a general merchandise trading company, and have seen the flow of goods and trends in the industry. I don't think that the current situation is the result of structural problems, including the trends of the times, and that there is no problem with the people involved, but I wasn't very excited. There are many new positive signs, especially these days, but I wanted to try a different approach to manufacturing and distribution from the mainstream.
The most fundamental difference between the past and the present is whether it is user first or seller first. In the past, it was completely user-first because it was only for my own use. There is no other than the first. It's not for display or for sale, it's just something that's easy to use and you want to use. Now, due to the distribution structure, we can't get started unless we sell, so we can't get rid of the seller-first aspect. It is a shortcut for producers to make what sellers want, and sellers want to purchase products that are easy to sell. As for the users, myself included, it is impossible to make things with our own hands, so we choose from what the sellers offer. Naturally, when this happens, “sales” has to be the goal. Especially, the closer you get to the mass market, the more rationally you move, the stronger this tendency becomes. As a result, it may be said that the number of similar products for distribution continued to increase.
The reason why I created PINT was that I wanted to create something from the user's point of view, rather than aiming to sell it to the market. Ignoring the market and distribution in a good way, I make things with only what I want to use as a user, the characteristics of the material, and the manufacturing method that makes the most of it. I thought that by doing so, we could create “things” that have become invisible in modern distribution.
It is, so to speak, "modern folk implements". I want to make this
This "modern folk implement" made by PINT has such a character.
1) Tools that can be used every day and can be used for a long time in the current era
2) It is the user who thinks about things. Lifestyle professionals = us ordinary people
3) Made by skilled craftsmen
Let's take a closer look at each one.
1) Tools that can be used every day and can be used for a long time in the current era.
First, the point of the current era. The history of Japan is interesting, and while inheriting culture from the continent, it has a geographical environment of being an island nation stuck in the Far East, and has developed its own unique culture over the years. Beginning with the Meiji Restoration and especially after the war, we have imported foreign culture. From kimono to Western clothes, he has a greedy appetite for food that goes beyond Western-style cuisine to the point where he wants to conquer food from all over the world. The house has changed from a Japanese house to a mix of flooring and Japanese-style rooms. The earthen floor has disappeared, but we take off our shoes at the entrance before entering the house. Even though it is imported, there are some things that cannot be compromised, and the phenomenon of mixing and localizing in a Japanese style occurs. I think this chaotic state is one of the interesting charms. Another example is Japanese houses where floor life and table life coexist. I would like to think about tools in the present age while grasping each of these real things vaguely.
Also, what PINT makes is literally a folk tool, rather than a miscellaneous item, it is a tool. Since we make tools for daily life, it is important that the number of appearances is large.
Plus, it can be used for a long time. In terms of marketing, consumables and products with seasonal replacement demand are the strongest, but that depends largely on the convenience of the makers and sellers. As an individual, I simply feel good, so I want to use good things for a long time. In order to use it for a long time, it must be a material that does not deteriorate. A material that can be used for a long time, can be maintained, and grows well with use. It's a natural material, not plastic. Wood, lacquer, linen, indigo, plants, earth, and iron. Natural materials are amazing (although they are disliked because they are not stable in distribution). That's why PINT sticks to natural materials. It doesn't deteriorate every time you use it, so it feels good every time you use it. And if you use it and take care of it from time to time, the texture will improve and it will age beautifully. It's fun every time I use it. If it's something like this, I think I'd like it.
2) It is the user who thinks about things. Lifestyle professionals = us ordinary people.
Folk implements are made by us who are professionals in life, not designers or buyers.
If it is a tool that is used in everyday life, it is a shortcut for people who live every day to think about it. In 1), I wrote about the styles of the last few decades, but more recently, lifestyles have become more diverse and personalized. Unlike in the past, the three sacred treasures will not be sold to the whole nation, nor will there be an era in which ``this year is trending in ○○ style,'' nor will there be an absolute charisma. I make a living by mixing. Then, we tend to ask, "Is custom-made the best?" Instead of diversifying and bundling everything together, we create something that continues to be used, transcending personal style and gender in a positive way.
However, if you just think “I wish I had this” in my daily life, it will only lead to the creation of convenient goods. At PINT, in the " Everyone's Tool " project, we are working on product planning after thoroughly studying materials and manufacturing methods and sharing them. We'll talk more about "Everyone's Items" in another installment.
3) Made by skilled craftsmen.
In fact, it's not like the old days where all the nation's creators are working together, so we entrust the production to craftsmen. They are dependable craftsmen who visited the production area directly, have solid skills, and got on with PINT's thoughts. I would like to create high-quality products that are fun and comfortable to use.
Craftsmen who are familiar with the natural materials mentioned in 1) make them using traditional methods. The long-lasting manufacturing method is a crystallization of wisdom that has been constantly updated by people in the past over generations. In order to make the most of the materials, we ask the craftsmen to think together and produce.
While thinking about these things, I will make "modern folk tools". I am making things at my own pace without being suitable for the miscellaneous goods industry or the so-called market. Of course, it is premised on selling, but the main distribution is through the web and events, where you can meet users one-on-one.
It's been 5 years since I started PINT. We are doing product planning at this pace, so the progress is slow, but when I look at the item lineup, I think the outline has become clear. There are several new product projects underway this year as well, and I would like to proceed while organizing my thoughts in this way.
It's been a long time, but thank you for reading.
This time, I tried to carefully write down the roots of the manufacturing that PINT is aiming for. Next time, I would like to focus on manufacturing more specifically.
PINT Nakaji