Last Saturday Isabel and I made the trek to the Junction. One of our stops was Mjölk – a Scando-Japanese design store that sells lots of beautiful stuff you probably don’t need for a price you probably can’t afford.
The store riled me up in a strange way. There was something about seeing a simple bamboo strainer priced at $120 that would set any sane person off. But I calmed down when I saw this Hudsalve lip balm. The minimalist retro Scandinavian design and the backstory (it was developed for the Swedish Army in the 1950s) drew me to it. And since it was only $12 (a relative statement) I decided to grab one.
I’ve done a bit more reading up on the product’s story, and it seems to get more interesting and more interesting. Swiss Miss explains that the product was originally designed to prevent blisters on soldiers feet, but could also be used as a candle, a bike chain lubricant and a foodstuff. Seriously. The Swedish military suggest it can be fried and eaten if you’re starving in a snowy field somewhere.
I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I’m happy with the purchase.