Yesterday, the knifemaker's aunt finished sewing all 110 nail knife sheaths. Originally, this experiment was to see if customers preferred color over natural leather sheaths. However, a combination of events produce too many variables for a true collection of data. The independent variables (the size and shape of the sheath) stayed consistent. However, the dependent variable, which should have only been the color, became plural -- too many variables to make conclusions: the texture of the leather, the type of stitching, the stitch design, the color of the stitching. With all the dependent variables at once, there is no way to conclusively determine why a customer would buy one over another!
**sigh*
However, now with better understand of what needs to be done, a better experiment can be set up. The next go round the knifemaker's aunt will use the same thickness and texture (smooth) of the leather already being used. The sheath sewing vendor already used can be brought into the plan so those skills are consistent. In the end, it will be the same sheath as the natural-colored ones but in one color - teal/turquoise which seems to be a universally preferred color. The old girl has a roll of exactly the right leather in one of her studios back at home! **ugh!!*
