Mutsumi Hashi

Traditionally-crafted Japanese chopsticks symbolize sharing meals with loved ones

Handmade by artisans in the Ehime Prefecture, Oey’s Mutsumi Hashi chopsticks are beautifully linked together with Mizuhiki, a Japanese paper twine made from water, glue and silk. Traditionally tied onto gifts, the ancient Mizuhiki artform symbolizes a heart-to-heart connection. Oey reinterprets this folklore by wrapping the cord-like Mizuhiki strings around the bamboo chopsticks, conveying the sentiment that you should enjoy the meal with a loved …

The Looftlighter

Start your next fire with a 1000°F electric wand

Sick of grilled chicken tasting like lighter fluid, theater director Richard Looft made his first prototype by using a reversed vacuum to blow air onto a toaster filled with charcoal. When he saw that the coal was ready to use in just a few minutes, the concept for the Looftlighter was born. The resulting curling-iron-shaped device produces 1000°F electric heat to ignite anything from charcoal …

Modern Picnic Essentials

Take dinner outdoors with handmade cutlery cases, dead-stock fabric blankets and reusable sandwich bags

While nothing beats a vintage picnic set for the kitsch value, when we head to the park to eat, we more often find ourselves tucking an old tablecloth into a tote and rifling through last night’s takeout bag for plastic cutlery. Below we highlight a few ways to class up your outdoor dining supplies with some favorite finds from Etsy. Sewn Natural sews vintage fabrics …