This Ain't That

Introduction:

Anybody who possesses a creative flare knows that working with your hands, yields an exceptional amount of satisfaction and accomplishment. Constructing a product that is tapered by your identity, is only bound by the limits of the imagination. Whether it be a musician transferring sounds onto a music sheet, or a pottery maker shaping clay into the perfect vase, everybody has a canvas where they can uniquely express themselves. Two products will never be the same and this is alright. This is the joy of creating something from hand.

However, today we face a rapid growth in machine and factory built products, put forth by companies who do not concern themselves with the quality, but only the profit. This business model lacks massive amounts of creativity and dilutes the market for makers and creatives. This article will highlight the differences between handcrafted and crafted, in order to assuage you to look beyond the physical and analyze the overlooked features of a project that truly express creativity, precision, and imagination.

What Is My Canvas?

For myself, I seek creativity in woodworking. My canvas is wood and being able to work with something so organic and learn about something so natural is an amazing and addictive feeling. I have been a woodworker for almost 2 years now, and 3 years ago I thought pine, maple and oak were the only species of wood on the market.

I was completely wrong.

There is an immersive hidden, wooden world with species cultivated from places all around the globe. Each species has their own unique characteristics and vibrant colors which makes the learning process much more challenging, yet rewarding. This learning phase takes time but it is all part of the process to become a more advanced maker.

By learning about your canvas, you will arm yourself with hidden details about your work that provide you with a sense of pride, confidence, and elation towards your work.

The Canvas of Today:

With big box stores in so much abundance, it is very easy for a consumer to purchase a piece of furniture that was mass produced by some unknown factory in China. Although this may seem beneficial, customers are buying into a product that has not been given any attention or thought. The piece lacks a soul, as well as, a true maker.

The canvas of a product such as this, would most likely consist of cheap particle board, hidden behind a face of plastic wood. The appearance is all Fugazi and any maker would know that products such as these lack a sense of warmth, comfort and strength in a home.

Crafted vs Handcrafted:

As a maker, I look for a variety of features that serve as indicators for a well constructed and cared for product.

In the images below, we can clearly deduce that one table that has been given massive quantities of attention, while the other table has been produced in massive quantities,

Image 1 Image 2

The features that I most commonly look for consist of material, joinery, and precision.

Image 1:

Image 1 clearly emits a feel of comfort and warmth.

This product was made from solid cherry, with 12 side spindles, two drawers, and a custom inlay on the table top. Each drawer is held together with precise dovetail joinery and placed on wooden drawer slides, fitted with antique hardware.

The dovetails on the drawers add an element of complexity to the build, and ensures that the drawer face will not loosen or shift overtime.

The wooden slides establish a stable track for the drawers to ride on, while simultaneously creating an impression of intricacy and utility.

Lastly, the custom inlay on the table top is what truly distinguishes this to be a one of a kind piece. By adding a leaf orientation into this project creates a satisfying sense of incongruity in the cherry top and becomes a target of attention for the consumer.

This woodworking project perfectly combines utility with elegance and further persuades the user that the project was built by an experienced individual who is known to create special designs with aesthetic features.

Image 2:

Image 2 is much more different

Although the project may look appealing through the guise of an advertisement, we must delve deeper, as in all of life, in order to find out the hidden secrets and unseen features of the object.

According the item's description, the frame of the project is made from pine wood. In the woodworking world, pine is known to be quite cheap, with an unappealing grain pattern and brief lifespan. Not only was pine used in this project, but it was also painted, rather than stained. Doing so conceals the wood grain, that so many consumers desire, and the organic element of the product disappears behind a facade of cheap paint.

The drawers are painted as well. Constructed out of cheap melamine, the drawers are fitted with metal slides and simple butt joints.

Butt joints require no special shaping and only involves drilling 2 screws into both pieces of wood.

Metal slides are used to open and close the drawers, and although they serve their purpose, the clash between the dull paint and shiny metal, create an instant eye sore for the user.

By analyzing this project, we can deduce that the artistry of a factory made product cannot be compared to aptitude of a craftsman. The cheap material and lack of precision forces us to assume that this product will have a short lifespan, therefore, constantly encouraging consumers to repurchase other items and generate profit.

Conclusion:

As in all of life, one must simply look beyond the physical and fully examine all the features of an object, in order to properly determine the quality and integrity of a piece. A consumer cannot receive a better project than one that has been done by hand. The craftsmanship expressed in a handmade item possesses a unique personality that breaks the bounds of homogeneity.

As Albert Einstein once stated, "Creativity is Imagination having fun.' Anybody who works with their hands know that imagination serves as a secure tentpole for the success of a unique product.

We are human beings and it is in our nature to be creative. I strongly encourage my readers to act on their interests and find a worthwhile canvas to turn your small hobby into a lifelong passion. Although the learning process can be quite intimidating, no thought is too grand and no idea is too eccentric with imagination as our guide.

Good Luck!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope to see you on the next one!