Thread: "Hand crafted" semantics?

I don't think "hand crafted" implies no machinery or power tools. I think it is intended to differentiate from mass-produced items. There may be some purists around who use no power tools but unless they cut the tree down with an axe, milled it into planks with an adze and a bow saw and cart it home on their shoulder, it would be pretty hard to say that no machinery was used at all.

I think it means whatever you want it to. If you were selling something as "hand made" there would be an expectation that it is a one-off or from a limited run and that it wasn't assembled by semi-skilled factory workers from parts cut out by CNC machinery.

It means the machine marks aren't obvious.

..they've all been sanded, planed or scraper'd out by hand

Originally Posted by AlexS

It means the machine marks aren't obvious.

wot he said

Originally Posted by silentC

I think it means whatever you want it to. If you were selling something as "hand made" there would be an expectation that it is a one-off or from a limited run and that it wasn't assembled by semi-skilled factory workers from parts cut out by CNC machinery.

semi skilled workers still use their hands

ian

I've often thought about this topic and I ask myself what would chippendale of used in his day. The answer, is the tools that are available with the given technology of the time and it would be stupid for him not to do so. Chippendale was a craftsman producing one item at a time to order. It follows that hand crafted is not mass-produced as in a factory but produced by an individual using skills in the use of tools to produce what could be said, a unique item and that the production of a similar item by the same person will still be unique in that there will be minor variation that a mass-produced item would not have. Also I think in terms of wood, hand crafted would include hand finished in some way.

Thanks for all the great discussion and viewpoints. You have confirmed for me that it does not need to be an idealistic view and I agree completely that unless you cut the tree down yourself etc it is a bit hard to argue for a literal definition.

I can make up some branding irons for my work and not feel that I am stepping one someones toes if I do use the saw bench/router etc. The work in the near future btw will be one off commission pieces that would definitely fall into the above categories.

Thanks all.

Not production line I guess, but hard to draw the line. We all do a production line of sorts depending what we are doing. If we're making six dining chairs we will do all the same components for all the chairs at once because it saves st up time. But we do make all the components ourselves and assemble them ourselves. We don't use one guy to make the legs, one guy to make the seat, etc.

I think an important differentiator would be that it is finished by hand...nicely. That is, sanding until we're happy with it, oiling or polishing or whatever until we're happy with it, sanded back and done again if we're not. The alternative is whatever sanding the production line gives it then shove it all through a spray booth.

I would also addd, that Chippendale would of had access to a water wheel driven saw at the very least. This serves to under score the fact that only the power system and compactness has changed along with new inventions. The priciple of hand crafted as suggested by others does not change.

Originally Posted by Rookie

Not production line I guess, but hard to draw the line. We all do a production line of sorts depending what we are doing. If we're making six dining chairs we will do all the same components for all the chairs at once because it saves st up time. But we do make all the components ourselves and assemble them ourselves. We don't use one guy to make the legs, one guy to make the seat, etc.

even if you do use a different guys for the legs, rails and seat the final chair would still be hand crafted

just many hands, rather than 2

I think an important differentiator would be that it is finished by hand...nicely. That is, sanding until we're happy with it, oiling or polishing or whatever until we're happy with it, sanded back and done again if we're not. The alternative is whatever sanding the production line gives it then shove it all through a spray booth.

why should bunging the hand shaped cabriole legs for a table through the spray booth suddenly render them no longer hand made?


ian

There is no single answer to this question, Hand crafted means something different to everybody who uses it.
For example for our friend Derek in WA it probably means only using hand tools for all processes after the milled timber arrives in his workshop.
For me it means that all machining tasks whether it is a hand plane or a power jointer is guided by a human hand as are all stages of assembly and finishing.
For some it means only that a hand was used to take your cash when you bought it.
Unfortunately the latter definition is the most common and becoming more so.

The term "hand made" is a bit like the term "Full Cream Milk" for some it means just that for others it means "Low quality Milk with added Melamine"


Ross

Originally Posted by Different

The term "hand made" is a bit like the term "Full Cream Milk" for some it means just that for others it means "Low quality Milk with added Melamine"
Ross

Not sure if its been long enough for that to be funny yet....

Originally Posted by Robomanic

Not sure if its been long enough for that to be funny yet....

I thought it gave the analogy some impact ... and I found it mildly amusing... but then again I'm a heartless b@st@rd.

I tend to agree though, that handmade has many different meanings to many different people. For me it means something that was created with substantial human input and a distinct lack of mass production.

Anything up to the point where a hand pushes the start button!?

Cheers