The First Object: Handmade Chopsticks
Every shop needs a beginning. I wanted mine to begin with something I already use, already trust, and already understand through repetition.
This is the first product made for my shop. A pair of handmade chopsticks.
The idea of building a thoughtful webshop had been with me for many years. Even during my engineering days, my final year project touched on something similar. Life moved fast and survival took priority. The idea slipped into the background, though it was never forgotten.
Time brings certain things back, just when you are ready. Stories With Venky is one such return. This shop is not a new thought. It is an old one, finally given space to exist.
Why Chopsticks
I like using chopsticks. I like what they demand.
Every time I use them there is a strange familiarity, almost like holding a pair of small wands. They require intent rather than force. They slow eating down. They reward precision and control. These are the same qualities that matter in the mountains and on long journeys.
My first real encounter with chopsticks came in Cambodia. I tried to buy some, but they did not feel right in the hand. They were made from two pieces of wood joined with adhesive to create a designed finish.
A few days later, in Hanoi, Vietnam, I found a pair made from coconut wood at a roadside seller. Long, single piece, handmade sticks. I bought a 10 pair set of them. They were a bit expensive, and worth it.
I have used them for more than six years. They are still intact and still feel right. They stayed with me through all these years of change.
Materials
This first batch uses teak and bamboo.
Teak is dense and steady. It responds well to slow shaping and holds its form through regular use. The teak chopsticks in this batch are cut from solid reapers and shaped by hand.
Bamboo is light and balanced. The bamboo chopsticks are, finished carefully, and checked one by one. Bamboo offers a different feel and a different rhythm in the hand.
Both materials are chosen for how they behave in daily use.
How They Are Made
Each piece is cut, shaped, refined, and inspected by me.
The entire chopsticks section is handled by one person. I work with minimal tools: an angle grinder and a sanding tool. Each stick is made individually. They are similar in form, but not identical.
The shape and proportions are taken from the coconut wood chopsticks I bought in Vietnam. Circular in profile. The thicker end measures around seven to eight millimetres. The thinner end tapers to about three to four millimetres.
Use
They are meant to feel balanced.
Not heavy. Not fragile.
Use them daily. Wash them normally. Dry them properly.
Return to them without thinking.
The Small Beginning
This is the first object.
Stories With Venky will grow slowly and deliberately. Scale will follow demand. The process will remain unchanged.
I will continue to make and offer objects and products those I use myself. Objects that are essential, rare, or simply beautiful enough to earn a place through use.
Availability
The first batch is limited. Two variants are currently made:
- Teak
- Bamboo