In the early days of the relaunch, having just gotten Best Made back from Duluth Trading, a parcel arrived in my PO box. The contents included a “Trail Rule.” A small 6-inch hand-carved ruler, signed by T. Matthews, fashioned from sycamore and thoughtfully inscribed with a Muir quote and a disclaimer: “Note: inches hand-drawn from memory and edges are not straight.” I have kept the Trail Rule above my desk ever since. It keeps me straight. Today marks Best Made's 17th year in business. And I wanted to take this opportunity to thank T. Matthews (wherever they may be) for their generous gift. Every day at Best Made, we're passing between two pines, into unchartered territory. And so I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for being here on this beautiful and unexpected journey, and for all your support throughout.
We've come a long way, and there's so much to come. Here is to 17 more. Stay sharp and all my best, PB-S
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