QUALITY & QUANTITY

Craftsmen and craftswomen of old were restricted in that, with basic hand tools it took time, effort and skill to produce quality products that would stand the test of time. They didn’t have fancy mechanical or electrical tools to speed up production, so they had to rely on skills and experience, diligently learned from mentors, practiced, and honed over time to produce wares that were robust, practical, and beautiful. Their wares were the products of skills embodied through hard work over time, and they lasted and grew in value.

When technology began to develop, it made production quicker—no more hand drilling, planing or polishing, electric tools took the effort out of the task, but the time-honoured skills were still respected and maintained, because they held the history, knowledge, intuitions, and wisdom of the craftspeople.