Get a Grip

June 17, 2026By Marla Aaron

Hello!

We hope this finds you and yours well, ready for summer and all of its joys.

We want to talk to you about knurling. More specifically, we're writing about knurling because we've applied it to the closure of our first-ever Chubby Medium Lock in Sterling Silver! (and a Pulley Chain in Silver to go with it because you demanded it).

Shop Knurled Chubby Medium Lock in Silver

We'll just come right out and say it: nobody should care this much about knurling. Yet here we are. Walk with us...

Knurling is grip. And having a good grip on things is, well, a good thing. It is technically a manufacturing process where a machine called a lathe cuts little ridges into metal to create texture for grip. Once you become attuned to the beauty of knurling—the satisfying tactile quality of something that wants to help your fingers feel strong—you'll start seeing (or feeling) it everywhere. On weights, box cutters, tools, camera lenses, flashlights, and other objects designed to be held tightly. You see where this is going...

Years ago, after we had received a custom request for a knurled Lock, Marla added knurling to the closure of a Lock as a company gift. Many of you noticed it being worn by the team and we received many questions about it. Let's cut to the beauty of knurling. It's decorative and functional—which, honestly, is our favorite kind of thing—it was inevitable we’d end up here eventually. The first piece we ever released with knurling was the Baby DNA Lock closure, though we barely mentioned it because it was such a tiny little detail. But now, with our first sterling silver Chubby Medium Lock, we’ve gone all in and thrown a whole lot of knurling onto the closure. It feels good. It works better. It looks beautiful. Truly, what more could we ask from jewelry?

Unofficially, this Lock is a lobbying effort. Marla's plea to the beauty industry. Why is it easier to get a grip on a socket wrench than mascara? Let's embrace knurling across industries! I could use it on a number of kitchen tools. How about a knurled wooden spoon?

But before we disappear entirely down that rabbit hole, we should talk about the Pulley Chain in Sterling Silver—we love this chain as a daily workhorse, and we hope you will too. In fact, we suspect you will, because we made it for a very simple reason: you asked us to. And we love giving you what you want.

We love this chain as a daily workhorse (bracelet length, necklace length) and we hope you will too. In fact, we suspect you will, because we made it for a very simple reason: you asked us to. And we love giving you what you want.

Shop the Pulley Chain in Sterling Silver

And because this weekend is Father's Day, we'd like to acknowledge the people likely to appreciate a newsletter about industrial texturing.

The fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, father figures, tinkerers, fixers, explainers, and anyone who has ever said, "Come here, let me show you how this works."

These are for you.

Happy Father's Day.

Now go get a grip.

And if you know anyone in the beauty industry, please forward them this email. Or don't.

Remember, jewelry's only job is to bring joy to people.

That's why we make it.

Warmest,

Everyone at MAJ