06/09/2026
Ben’s dad, Mark, gave him these recently.
They belonged to Ben’s grandfather, Bobby Blencowe. An old pocket knife in its leather pouch, alongside a 1911 rule book from the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners.
A pretty special little piece of family history.
Mark isn’t a builder, but he’s spent his life working with his hands, from sheet metal work and window furnishings to now working at Bunnings, and he’s always been the kind of bloke who’ll have a go and work something out.
That practical, hands-on attitude runs pretty strongly through our family.
We love old things like this, not because we think everything was better back then, but because there’s something special about things that were made with purpose, looked after and passed down.
Building is a bit the same.
We couldn’t, and probably shouldn’t, build every part of a modern home the way it was done 100 years ago. Materials, methods and costs have all changed.
For us, doing things properly today means knowing where quality really matters, where modern systems make sense, and where spending more will actually add value.
Not overcomplicating things.
Not choosing purely on price.
Just making considered decisions, working with good people and building something worth looking after.
Pretty special for Ben to now have something that belonged to Bobby, passed down through Mark.
Thanks, Pop. 🤎
