What 35 Years Means...

[Marshal Will]

Have you ever wondered what your leather work will look like after years of use? I just got to find that out. Over 35 years ago I made a pencil holder for my wife's mother. My MIL died the other day and the pencil holder came back to me. All this time it has sat on the back corner of the kitchen counter, a couple feet from the stove. Here is what it looks like today. Sorry I don't have a before photo but this piece is amazing. It has had open pens pitched in it point down, been splattered by stove grease, been handled with dirty hands and who knows what else. There was a thick layer of pencil dust and paper clips in the bottom. All it did was pick up character.

[Hawg]

Sorry for your loss. That is an amazing piece.

[Captainkirk]

Wow! That held up great! You had talent way back when!
Sorry for the loss of your MIL, Marshal...

[Marshal Will]

Thanks, pards. Nothing holds up like good leather. It has a new coat of Skidmore's to breathe more life into it.

My MIL was in a lot of discomfort lately. All that's behind her, now.

[G Dog]

There is an expression that goes - “There is nothing finer than old wood, old leather and old friends”.

That may be true.  I’d add wine, whisky and guns but that’s just me.

[Marshal Will]

That's a good assessment, G Dog. I'd add whiskey and guns, too.

[Captainkirk]

You guys just spoke the magic words.

[Marshal Will]

Been thinkin' about the old wine, though. I have an old bottle of Italian Swiss Colony Chianti. In one of those straw wrapped bottles with the red plastic base. It's old.

Stock photo, no wine in the bottle:


There's no vintage year on the bottle but the brand hasn't been called Italian Swiss Colony since 1987 so it's at least that old and possibly 30 years more. Maybe some day I'll see if old wine does in fact fit the adage. Right now, I'm not brave enough to give it a go.

[G Dog]

It probably looks better than it will taste.  Wine will ‘age out’.  Chianti will go 6/8 years, maybe.  Just an Italian table wine and not real good even on its best day.  The corked bottle looks nice, I’d save it.

Probably red vinegar at this point.

Whisky on the other hand …
It could be as old as ol’ Nebokoodneezer and will just keep getting  better with age.  It is known.

[Marshal Will]

It probably looks better than it will taste.  Wine will ‘age out’.  Chianti will go 6/8 years, maybe.  Just an Italian table wine and not real good even on its best day.  The corked bottle looks nice, I’d save it.

Probably red vinegar at this point.

Whisky on the other hand …
It could be as old as ol’ Nebokoodneezer and will just keep getting  better with age.  It is known.

Yeah, I was thinking I might have some mighty good wine vinegar. I agree that chianti isn't great at its best. Had a friend who loved the stuff, though. Each to his own.

Yeah, whiskey does age well. I seldom drink but can tell a good one from BBQ starter.

[Captainkirk]

Hard to tell about aged whiskey. Nothing here lasts long enough to tell.