We stopped to buy trinkets in this unpreposessing shop in Riverton (the Paua shell capital of the world).  I’d done a bit of work with shells and wanted some broken bits to use. So I got talking to the owner who turned out to be a fascinating guy.  He was a fitter and turner who had got into the paua shell trade, and built up an extensive business in making shell.  He’d researched and refined his techniques endlessly to discover the best way of doing every part of the business – a true craftsman.  Now a one-man show, he used to employ 6 people in the store, and has managed 3 shell factories.

His approach to developing gadgets and finding out new techniques was close to mine – different fields, similar minds.  I spent a happy hour or so talking about shell polishing among the machines in the back of the shop, and came away with a few tips to use.