Objects of Use

I have never written a review before for services or items received. I feel compelled to encourage patronage of this store. It is the epitome of «shop small» because it offers products from small companies. These long-​established names can sometimes trigger a sense of nostalgia. However, in this rare case nostalgia and keen craftsmanship join together and create a memorable shopping experience.

Objects of Use is one of the most interesting stores in Oxford. They specialize in unique, high-​quality goods for home, office, kitchen, garden, grooming, and children with designs that are minimal and clean.
As examples, they sell balloon cars and different types of whistles; they sell Japanese gardening boots; they sell razors, chisels, and knives; and they sell carbon-​steel and cast-​iron cookware, among many other things. My partner is a marine biologist, and I bought her a Kujira Sperm Whale knife, which blacksmith Toru Yamashita made with no points so kids can safely sharpen pencils.
The store itself is also minimal and clean; the staff, very helpful. I missed it a few times when I first started exploring Oxford because I went down Market Street to duck into The Covered Market. Objects of Use is just a bit past the Market Street entrances of The Covered Market if one approaches from Cornmarket Street.
This is the only location, which surprised me, as a number of stores, restaurants, and cafes in Oxford are satellites of larger enterprises in London. This really is a type of store one would expect to find in London or New York, and yet the only one is right here in Oxford.