Jim Meig wrote this article in Popular Mechanics – 4 Things I Learned From my Dad

1. Screws Are Better Than Nails

I agree but we also know that screws aren’t the nicest solution for our cases so I chose the type of barbed nails which bite once they are driven in and which are as tight as screws.

2. Never Throw Out Wood

For me this means never throw away ANYTHING until it is absolutely useless to us. We save wood, leather, cardboard and frequently scavenge whatever we can find that other people are throwing or giving away. It’s often that the last little scrap of that really cool leather becomes just the right part to complete a case.

3. Build Everything to Last

Is there any other way? When I go to buy something I am looking at how long I expect to be able to use it. I actually expect everything I buy to last forever with moderate use and for years with heavy use. So when I build cases I build them with the same level of durability that I would expect if I were the customer.

4. Make It Plumb and Level

This one is the one that irritates me when I look at products. I am forever harping on this with my staff. UNLESS deliberately made to be that way I expect to see all parts centered and properly aligned to each other.

Nature is random, humans are habitual. If it’s in our control to make it line up right then we should. Precision shows care.

…. I have had many leather cases over the years – I can't even remember them all – and was never really happy with any of them except for a little 1×2 case made by Marc Turcasso. Yeah, I'm pretty picky. But I recently received a 3×4 case John built to my specs – lots of design freedom with John – and I am extremely happy with it in all respects. It's a relief to finally have my "lifetime case" to go along with my 28 year old "lifetime cue". To those who think "built in China" means lower quality, I have no comment except to say that it's not true with JB Cases.   – Rich Klein