Accessibility, Skill, and Price – Or “The Most Money Doesn’t Mean the Most Skill”
I was checking out wood rasps for my bookbinding adventures and I noticed something – bookbinding is a lot cheaper to start with than when I started almost 20 years ago! There’s even full sets that includes pressers, needles, awls, strings, a thimble of questionable material, curved needles, straight needles and book cloth. All it is missing is the paper and decorative cloth and that’s it. There are even extra tools that are coming into existence, such as book spine spacers and things like that. I’m used to using pencils as spacers, it’s nice that there are other, better options.
Bookbinding is getting a lot more accessible than what it was. I originally had to purchase all of that separate from each other, which did eventually add up. Now, it can be procured for almost 20 bucks. That’s a good thing, in terms of accessibility. Granted the average presser I have seen presses from the corners and not from the center (which can potentially make for an uneven press and the boards could bend) but still it’s something more than what was available when I was 19-20.
For me, accessiblity is very important. It should not take a bunch of money to start bookbinding. In its most stripped down form, it really just takes some folded paper, thread and a needle and you’re done. No one should be made to feel that they have to dump a bunch of money to get started. This isn’t a field where the person with the most money is the most successful. It’s more fair than that and relies on something people who think money is everything usually lack but just about anyone can procure: skill. Skill is the most of what matters here. And that takes time.
I noticed this trend also in fountain pens and in writing groups that are crammed packed with newbies – they think dropping a lot of dollar equals skill. Which is remarkably stupid if you think about it for a second because poor people are pretty capable at a lot (they have to, no money to motor boat on). You can have the nicest material but that doesn’t mean you’ll be a better writer, it just means you’re a very good fat pig to bleed fiscally. Because writing is a skill. You can get that from just reading a very wide (and diverse) array of books and actually pay attention to how the story is told as well as the fact it isn’t (and shouldn’t) be the same everywhere. Constantly I would hear from people “What computer do I need to write with?” Any with a functional keyboard and screen with a notepad or wordpad function on it, bare minimum. “What fountain pen should I get?” The kind that actually lets you write, there are $5 fountain pens and $9 bottles on ink that should last you years. I write excessively and I have yet to exhaust a single bottle. Not even of the smaller ones. I haven’t even bought new ink in months because I genuinely don’t need it. I’m more likely to buy an ink bottle because it has an interesting bottle design with some fancy color, not because I need it. A fountain pen is from the era of when things were built to last so you most likely won’t need to upgrade a fountain pen unless you significantly destroy it. One is all you really need. You can have a $1000 fountain pen, supplied with a $60 small bottle of ink or a $3000 computer with all the bells and whistles that even NASA or NIST doesn’t have – and still come out a super sh#tty writer. I know because I’ve seen them. AI could write better than them, completely abject at storytelling – but they’re wonderful ATMs every time they talk to a sales rep for something.
Remember, this is all a skill. Just about anyone can learn a skill. It’s not like money where you can spend something and, poof, it’s there. And when you’re beginning a skill, cheaper is usually better because A) you’re not even that sure you’re going to stick with this, why sink so much money on something that could be a one time thing B) you need to learn the skillset, you’ll eventually note what needs to be upgraded and what doesn’t C) not everything in life needs to have a hefty price tag, stop being around greedy people and you’ll notice that.
Things are different from how they were 20 years ago. The internet made a lot of info more accessible so people who were usually barred can learn and learn for free. If you’re paying for it, there’s probably a money-sucker in the mix, especially if you’re paying a lot. For me, accessibility is important. Part of making things accessible is to make sure those who are not always financially well-off are not gated off. Money isn’t an equalizer.
Some things are probably going to cost something, like a computer (or you can visit a library, where the computers are free) or a paper and pen (or you can just nab a pen from the post office and paper from flyers, napkins, from work when the boss isn’t around*), or bookbinding supplies, but it shouldn’t sink you fiscally. Spending more doesn’t usually mean the skill is somehow better. Not everything should be purchased at crater low prices because you don’t want to get materials that are a deficit to your skill procurement but at least be sensible in what you get.
It’s nice to see that I don’t have to spend myself ultra broke just to have a plain hobby.
*If they’re paying you so little that you can’t afford to buy paper or treating you poorly, it’s their problem that you’re yoinking it. If they didn’t want that to happen, they should probably pay their employees better and treat them better also. Kindness costs nothing and better paid employees are happier.
