When I was in graduate school, I took up pool. I played every day for five years, at least one hour a day and often as many as three or four. In my second year,

When I was in graduate school, I took up pool. I played every day for five years, at least one hour a day and often as many as three or four. In my second year, friends gave me a pool cue. Most pool halls provide cues, of course, and most of those cues are fine. (Other than truly warped ones which are rare and easy to spot, it's mostly a matter of finding one in a size and weight that suits you.) The nicer cue didn't make me a better player in any direct sense. However, it was (and is) a joy to handle. It has obvious craftsmanship: the weight and balance is just so; it swings easily in my hands. I look forward to using it, and I care for it very well. So, indirectly, it probably contributed to the improvement of my game. tl;dr A well-made tool can bring its own reward. Tools you want to work with and care for encourage good habits and practice. These things are not nothing. Programming is not merely a mental activity of juggling abstractions.