The Practicality Of Aesthetics

It is a well-known fact among gun collectors that a fine gun from years ago is more likely to come down to us in good condition than a cheap gun from the same era.

- Terry Wieland

This is not an absolute rule. Some fine guns do fall into the wrong hands, and some inexpensive guns luck their way through a succession of owners who actually care about them. But generally, if a gun starts out as an aristocrat, it will still be one a century later.

There are several possible reasons, but the one that interests me is the question of aesthetics, and how an aesthetically pleasing gun is better looked after. It’s not just money. If something is pleasing to the eye, we tend to try to keep it that way. If it’s a pleasure to hold, we treat it tenderly. If we like to run our hands over it, we will try to avoid scrapes and gouges.

The word “aesthetic” comes from the Greek language and pertains to that which is perceptible to the senses. In recent centuries, it has come to mean “beauty,” and generations of German and English philosophers have wrangled over this narrowing of its meaning. Originally, however, it pertained to all the senses: sight, sound, fingertips and, in the case of objects the Practicality of aesthetics that were handled and used, just how well they lent themselves to that.