Letter Opener
Letter Opener, Pine
LETTER OPENER
Prompt
Develop a form (from a wooden blank) using hand and power tools that is comfortable to hold during the process of opening a letter (ergonomics) and at the same time is effective (functional) at opening a sealed envelope and formally (sculpturally) communicates its purpose
Letter Opener, Cherry
process - research & inspiration
Along with other images I perused on Pinterest, one of my main inspirations for the shapes of my letter opener came from seeing a door handle that was on one of the slide presentations shown during our class trip to Bresslergroup in Philadelphia. This door handle was a redesign of a hotel room two-piece access card system (See images below).
process - sketching
In my mind, I envisioned the user applying his or thumb to the indented portion of the handle, with the rest of the hand wrapping around the remaining curvature. This shape would influence the design for my letter opener.
Multiple 2D exploration via sketches were used to flush out the final 3D design. I would go on to create two letter openers, one out of pine and the other made out of the provided cherry.
process - making
Handheld and power tools were used to create the 3D physical models. I found a scrap of RenShape (BM-70?) modeling foam and used it to prototype a first sketch model to the desired scale and shape.
A band saw was used to cut the rough shape of the letter opener in wood followed by the use of an air die grinder with a rotary burr attachment. Multiple sets of needle files and sandpaper were used to shape the final features of the two letter openers.
I created an eyelet for the letter opener made out of cherry wood that adds both functional feature and also a different aesthetic element. The letter opener can now be hung anywhere there is a hook or nail as long as the cut-out feature can fit over it.
learning and takeaways
It would become apparent how useful shaping of the 3D handheld object was by hand once I moved from sketching in 2D. Sculpting these features in CAD would have been a chore using surfacing techniques. This was a good lesson learned. Through the act of making, it would be determined that the letter opener is designed for the right handed user (though left handed users certainly can use it) with a large cavity or indentation for his or her thumb. Also, the angle of the blade prescribes the user to slice through the letter in an upward, diagonal motion (holding it with the left hand would prompt the user to slice it in a downward diagonal motion).
It was a good experience to work with both kinds of wood. I noticed that cherry was a bit more consistent in the material in all sorts of directions whereas the pine did not have the same isotropic feeling when shaping it (was easier to sand down in one direction vs another). A clear gel stain was applied to both the letter openers. The gel stain brought out the natural color of each type of wood nicely. Since I did the cherry wood letter opener last, I was able to iterate upon the design. The angle of the cutting edge was more defined and the length was slightly shaved down in this final cherry version as well. Experiencing the inherent qualities in the two different types of wood gave me an understanding of the need to balance functional features and shapes with the material as I delve deeper into craftsmanship.
