Showerthought: I was at a fabric market in Bangkok and saw a tailor using old rice sacks for a jacket lining.

Jake Walker · 2026-03-15T19:45:09.775114+00:00

It was a tiny stall, and the guy was piecing together these printed plastic bags with a straight stitch. That got me thinking about using 'found' materials versus buying new, purpose-made textiles. Do you think using unconventional materials is a clever design choice or just a gimmick that won't last?

abbyk106mo ago

Saw a friend make a wallet from old tire inner tubes once. Thing lasted longer than any store-bought one he ever had.

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king.lisa5mo ago

That tire wallet @abbyk10 mentioned is a novelty, not a real product. Most people don't want to carry around trash, even if it's durable. It's a fun art project that gets old fast.

8

spencer_ellis6mo ago

Man, that's actually pretty smart... reminds me of what @abbyk10 said about the tire wallet. If it works and it's tough, it's not a gimmick, it's just good sense. Some of that stuff outlasts the fancy new things anyway.

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