Steel, Wood, Alloy, and Polymer

Even before the formation of the United States as we know it today, Americans and the other peoples that lived throughout the continent depended on a variety of tools to survive.  One of those tools helped shape the very nature of our country that we experience and live in today. These early tools were always handcrafted one at a time out the finest oak, maple, and walnut wrapped around a finely tuned piece of hammer-forged steel. Each one carefully fitted, tested and then engraved with some of the most exquisite and intricate designs.  With advances in modern machining and technology, these pivotal tools have transformed into engineered mechanical marvels.  They are constructed with advanced polymers, aluminum alloys, blended steels and involving numerous small parts, each moving and interacting with each other to perform the task at hand.  Utilizing these tools causes emotional, physical, and psychological reactions in its user regardless of whether it is a young child’s first time or a seasoned operator.

Touching and utilizing a potentially harmful tool for the first time floods the user with many sensations that span all of the human senses.  When someone first lays eyes on the combination of steel, wood, or polymer it spurs their mind to fantasize and make assumptions of what attributes it may contain. As soon as they touch and pick it up, the metal feels cold, heavy and slightly awkward because of its length. Upon close examination of this steel tool, it has several strong odors of various oils and grease followed by a sweet but acrid smell.  Once the user begins to operate it, harsh waves of sound and air pressure build up and are released in every direction. Other people in the area immediately hear and experience similar effects. For the operator each harsh sound and acrid smell is preceded by a sharp feeling of recoil throughout his or her body. Each of these tools is designed to operate in a variety of conditions continuously with predictable results; it is this reliability that has caused millions of people to attach strong emotional feelings to these important objects.

For the uninitiated or uneducated, these steel tools elicit very strong and usually adverse emotions.  These emotions range from fear of the unknown, a natural sense of danger to even hatred and terror.  On the other end of the spectrum they range from excitement, respect, a rush of adrenaline, and awe.  These two dichotomies of reactions lead to many misconceptions that illustrate the other in a negative light.  Only through the passing of knowledge, experience, and a sense of personal responsibility will this emotional gap begin to close. For those individuals who are open-minded and receptive to teaching, begin to shift their emotional associations to joy and excitement even though coupled with an appropriate amount of respect.  Emotional and physical stressors are usually strongly associated with an individual’s psychological thought-process and well-being.

Stressors, both emotional and physical, impact how we interact with the environment.  For some the acrid smells and oils, coupled with the sharp sounds elicit a favorable biological response of endorphins and adrenaline which they find calming and euphoric.  However, these same biological responses cause some to experience anxiety, nervousness and adverse physical reactions.  These different experiences relate directly to the varied psychological reactions that each operator associates with these actions. 

     Utilizing these tools causes emotional, physical, and psychological reactions in its user regardless of whether it is a young child or a seasoned operator.  The combination of these emotional, physical, and psychological reactions provides an avenue for someone to have numerous types of experiences not limited by their own previous exposure.  Tools made out of steel, wood, alloys, and polymers have been critical in forming and shaping the nation that we live in today.  It is by these tools that will remain a strong and united people.