In this book Pye attacks these very subjective topics and successfully isolates and defines them, leaving the reader with a new perspective on manual labor in their life, the life of others, the changes in labor in our country over the past 100 years and what those changes have done to our society in general.<\/p>\n I will agree with Mr. Pye and argue that we can afford to work by hand, benefiting the client, craftsman, and society with little or no extra cost.<\/p>\n What will we need? \u00a0This will require a designer willing to distill the client’s wishes down to their essence, a dedicated, skilled craftsman (they need not be different people) and a client that has physical and emotional requirements at least slightly above that of total pragmatism. \u00a0Or, in English, it means that you need a good designer who is actually working for the client instead of their own self indulgence, a capable craftsman who cares and a client who wants more than absolute basic functionality.<\/p>\n What will we get? \u00a0The client will get exactly what they want (and not more), and the craftsman and designers will get satisfaction from the meaningful work that they entered the trade for.<\/p>\n How will we do it? \u00a0The biggest key in this solution is communication between the designer, craftsman, and client. \u00a0Every client has hopes, dreams, and a budget, but not all clients honestly desire a complicated and\u00a0exorbitantly\u00a0expensive piece.<\/p>\n I believe a client’s program of use can be combined with their intended response (be it nostalgia, simplicity, honesty, durability, etc) to give them a piece that fits their needs and makes them feel like they were hoping. \u00a0If done well, the client will get what they need and at least the minimum they want at a price they can afford.<\/p>\n I can be more specific – there is a delicate balance in every piece between perfection and intention. \u00a0Intention alone is not enough to make a quality piece of furniture or architecture, but if every cut and surface of a piece is perfect, a lot of intention is lost and we are left with a piece that feels machine made and cold.<\/p>\n This coldness isolates the user from the craftsman, eliminating the first chance of the user has to create a bond with the piece. \u00a0There is a chance they will create a bond with the piece through use and their own memories, but if they don’t feel great about it right away, they might not keep it long enough to do so.<\/p>\n A simple edge treatment like a hand chamfer might be enough to make an otherwise sterile piece beautiful and meaningful to someone. \u00a0If that is all they can afford and all they need to be happy, why do more?<\/p>\n This ability to adjust direction and scope so quickly and effectively for each client and job is the reason I believe we can’t afford not to work by hand!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Working by hand. \u00a0Do you work by hand? \u00a0What does working by hand really mean? \u00a0Can we afford it anymore? My definition of working by hand is guiding a tool with your hand and eye. \u00a0To me this includes both … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/skoglundwoodwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/51eVm010G0L._SS500_-300x300.jpg\" "\\"51eVm010G0L._SS500_\\"")
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