What products do you own that improve over time? Everyone knows we buy stuff, use stuff, then replace stuff. Sometimes it’s due to wear and tear and the need for a replacement. Sometimes it is due to planned obsolescence- when a company literally plans for something to be obsolete to make you buy the newer stuff when it comes out. Since so many things get worse with use and age, my question is: what things get better?
Zisha is a type of porous clay teapot that absorbs the essence of tea after repeated use, improving with each steep.
My interest for the subject was realized while watching Objectified, the film that initially sparked my interest in the industrial design process. In it, one artist mentions that his father gave him a suitcase that actually gets better with time. Imagine that- better with time! My mind nearly exploded. I had to learn more.
To improve, of course, is a verb of relativity. Every product is in a continual process of deterioration- fast or slow. I asked Twitter, Facebook and did a little brainstorming myself to see if I could find what sorts of products age well. What I was about to find surprised me.
Taste
The process of aging cheese pre-dates recorded history. Some historians believe it began around 8000 BC with the domestication of sheep and goats.
The first category is about taste- in the most literal sense of the term. Common replies were beer, scotch, wine and cheese when polling social media outlets. The creation process of both alcohol and cheese require a certain delay of time for proper aging to take place before it’s good (or safe) enough to consume.
As for the kitchen, cast iron cookware develops a non-stick surface if properly used and seasoned over time. Like some teas (Pu’erh of note), Zisha teapots are one of the most intriguing cases of the Fine Wine factor I’ve come across. Pat Canella, creator of Teacast (an aptly named tea-related video podcast), commented that after steeping tea in certain teapots it is better to just remove the excess leaves rather than cleaning with abrasive soaps or detergents. Only wiping them with a soft cloth enables the teapot to develop a distinctive flavor profile from absorbing tea essence through its pores, cup after cup after cup.
Feel
To give jeans a worn in look, companies will often employ the use of sandblasting to soften the fabric.
The second category is about feel- things we wear. Boots, jeans & shoes are often more comfortable after a few weeks or months- that’snothing new. Who doesn’t like putting on an old pair of beat up jeans? Heck, they even sell them with holes nowadays. I won’t go into my opinion on that, but you get the idea: when clothing “learns” your particular body shape, it feels like it was made for you. And that gives the wearer both the physical and psychological satisfaction of ownership.
Performance
The last category captures what I originally had in mind: performance. These are products that improve in some way with active use. Furniture, fountain pens and computer keyboards all seem to wear in this particular way. Though getting used to a new product may be have something to do with it, ask any audiophile and he’ll tell you that headphones not only break in fit-wise but also, as with any good speaker, sound-wise the more they’re played. Improved performance with repeated use is undeniable.
Ever walk down the stairs of an old house? That wood handrail made in the early 19th century is bound to feel smoother than a new one. It’s the result of a hundred years of guiding hands up and down stairwells, mindlessly relied upon for stability. The same concept applies to sports equipment- better fitting ice skates and loose baseball mitts allow you to score the winning breakaway goal in overtime or throw a guy out who’s dashing for home, respectively.
Last Word
So be it taste, feel or performance, it’s safe to say that some products do get better with time. Maybe it’s a limited fountain of youth, but the product lifecycle certainly leaves room for that sweet spot in your everyday pair of jeans, those comfy boots in your closet or the old beat up couch in your den where you sip your favorite scotch.
Links of note:
The Story Of Stuff - a fun and informative video on the lifecycle of everyday things.
Teacast – video podcast about all things tea created by my brother, Pat.
Introduction to Zisha Teapots – an informative resource on the teapots mentioned.
