I understand George's point, especially with reference to having been a toolmaker. If a part passes all of its quality checks, it's considered to be a perfect part. A kayak is "perfect" if it passes his boat-bashing tests, regardless of sanding marks, book-matched strips, etc. If it is aesthetically pleasing as well, that is an added bonus.

But what Nick is referring to is what the Japanese call "Kaizen", which means "continuous improvement." He is applying kaizen philosophy to the artistic side, not so much to the engineering side, of kayak building.

Dean