From the Archives

J. L. Lawson & Co. Spinning Tops

Lawson Spinning Top pileI love spinning tops.  Their origins lost in antiquity they are a toy humanity has enjoyed for millennia.

If you’ve only ever played with cheap poorly balanced tops then likely you won’t understand the interest.  But watching a well crafted top spin, seemingly defying gravity for minutes at a time, spinning so smoothly it actually looks quite still, that holds a kind of natural wonder that is captivating.  Not unlike watching the wind in the trees, the movement of the ocean, or the dance of flame.

I have a beautiful spin tray from J.L. Lawson & Co. (pictured below) I keep on my office desk and sometimes I treat myself to a spin or two.  I find it meditative and the practice of spinning them absorbing and calming.  It often helps me to clear up some writer’s block, take a breath before a stressful call, or remind myself that life should be a game we play not a chore we work at.

I have a few J.L. Lawson & Co. tops as well as the tray I mentioned, and each piece is expertly crafted with obvious care and attention built to last lifetimes.  They work in small batches, and many items are quite limited, but I highly recommend you check in on their stock occasionally to find some real gems.

Lawson Spinning Tray

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