Take a look around you. What’s the most valued possession you see? Guitar? Computer? A nice pair of designer shoes? And what do they all have in common? Chances are, they could all be easily replaced if you lost or broke them, as long as you have the money to do it.

But do you also own a favorite coffee cup, maybe with a chip in the rim, or a handle that you superglued back on? Or perhaps your leather bike saddle has worn itself to fit you perfectly, despite the fact that you had to lace its sagging sides together several summers ago? Something irreplaceable, something better because of its scars and faults.

Which of these is more valuable to you?

Repairing has obvious environmental benefits, and in theory it means that you can afford to spend more on the original item, getting something better for less, in the long run. This fits the modern trend for simplifying our lives, decluttering our homes, and trying to buy fewer physical goods.

But it’s not so easy to do, because most products aren’t designed to be mended. I spoke to Jake Bronstein of Flint and Tinder—maker of the famous 10-Year Hoodie—and he points out that most companies design their goods to be “so cheap they can be replaced completely and still come out ahead financially.” Flint and Tinder, on the other hand, is “saying they’re so well made we’ll mend them free of charge.”





Repair is usually low on the feature list. Take the modern smartphone, designed to last only until your contract is up in two years time. It’s glued together, and each generation sees yet more discrete—and replaceable—parts shrunken onto the main circuit board in order to squeeze more battery into the case.

If you offer a 10-year warranty, you’re not only designing something to last. You have to make it easy to repair. Especially if, like Flint and Tinder, or Minnesota-based bag and case maker Pad & Quill, you’re promising to repair it yourself.