Beautiful, Unique and Functional Letter Openers
Kaye and Roberta Miller are long-time woodworkers. They were drawn into the craft as a process of discovering the incredible beauty of wood hidden just below the surface, or sometimes deep inside. Beneath the bark and the cambium layer (or even within them) lies an incredible world of grain, figure, chatoyance, rippling, knots and tiny eyes, voids and fold-over’s. Kaye is a wood turner, while Roberta does most of the flat, shaped work. This is the process of revealing the richness and magic to be found often even in simple building materials.
BIRD SHAPED LETTER OPENER
At the zenith of their joint career, Roberta and Kaye sold at numerous important shops and galleries across Canada, and produced a line of beautifully-made items ranging from simple butter-and-cheese knives to large, turned pieces. Now, nearing retirement, they have chosen a reduced production schedule and a simpler life in Roberts Creek, on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
STILETTO SHAPED LETTER OPENER
Their signature letter openers are meticulously hand-made in a process involving some 15 distinct steps. The material is dyed, laminated hardwood. Each of the eleven veneers is dyed separately, to ensure good colour penetration. After drying, the veneers are impregnated with a resin, which stabilizes the colour and densifies the wood. When the letter openers– made one at a time—are finish-sanded, they are buffed to a high luster. This polished surface is the result of the resin in the wood, not of any finish coating, such as lacquer.
STILETTO SHAPED LETTER OPENER
These letter openers are durable, elegant, and available in many colour combinations to suit one’s taste and in different shapes to suit one’s hand. The “bird” shape has a broader, notched handle to make gripping it easier. The long, narrow shape—their “stiletto”—is suitable for a lighter grip, using just the thumb and two fingers. The model with a tear-drip handle has a solid, masculine feel to it, as it rests very nicely into the palm of one’s hand. Whichever shape you choose, you can be sure that it will open mail and earn an enduring place on your desk. www.sidestreetstudio.com
TEARDROP SHAPED LETTER OPENER
