We at M&T have long been inspired by the work of David Pye. His arguments and distinctions on the nature of craftsmanship are both clear and controversial. But why are these thoughts on the essence of skill and of tools, encapsulated in his classic The Nature and Art of Workmanship, such hot-button topics among woodworkers and artisans? What gets everyone so fired up about this book? If you don’t know, you should probably read it for yourself. Many folks have strong opinions about Pye’s concepts of “the workmanship of risk” and “the workmanship of certainty,” but often those opinions are based upon an inaccurate understanding of what his book actually says. This confusion is what I attempted to dispel in...
We've been on a bit of a John Ruskin kick lately. In Issue Ten, we printed an excerpt from his classic work, The Stones of Venice, in which he extols the virtues of free workmanship. The opening spread of that article (titled "Savageness") might be my favorite ever. As I wrote in the introduction to that excerpt, Ruskin's impact on the world would be hard to overstate. As a brilliant thinker, social critic, and art scholar, Ruskin's ideas shaped cultural reforms in England, India, France, and many other places. I managed to track down a beautiful, complete set of The Stones of Venice on eBay for less than $50. This is an 1886 edition, published by George Allen. Allen was an early pupil and friend...
“On the spur of the moment, we normally act out what has been nurtured in our daily practices as they have been shaped by the norms of our time. When we sit in our easy chair and contemplate what to do, we are firmly enmeshed in the framework of technology with our labor behind us and the blessings of our labor about us, the diversions and enrichments of consumption. This arrangement has had our lifelong allegiance, and we know it to have the approval and support of our fellows. It would take superhuman strength to stand up to this order ever and again. If we are to challenge the rule of technology, we can do so only through the practice...
“I would have quickly gone bankrupt as an 18th-century cabinetmaker.” Such was my thinking throughout this project, as I tallied my hours. My goal was to finish this piece, worth a day’s wages, in a day’s time, and I might have just barely squeezed under the 24-hour mark. Clearly, a maker specializing in candlestands would be fighting an uphill battle. This, however, was the key to the success of the rural entrepreneur: diversification. Owning a basic mastery of hand skills, many forms, from stands to chairs to hayforks, could be produced. A day’s turning might produce stuff for several Windsor chairs, candlestands, and perhaps a table. A day of felling and splitting might supply stock for barrels and twigs for...
We now have in our store a brand-new poster featuring the exquisite 1906 Aline Lamy painting featured on the inside covers of Issue Ten. We scanned this from an antique postcard I purchased a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with the painting and have been waiting for the right moment to use it. Mike and I have tried to research the context of the painting but found very little. The postcard has Cyrillic text which can be translated into English “Paris. Salon. Declaration of a strike.” So, it seems our busy Parisian craftsman is depicted hearing news of yet another labor strike. Lamy was born in France in 1862 and later on in her life moved to...
We are still reeling after the crazy launch of our Boxed Set waitlist last week. As soon as we announced the opening, emails started pouring in to sign up. Thank you all so much. We are making progress on batch number one and will be contacting the first folks on the list when it is 100% complete. Today, Mike and I assembled the first few boxes of this batch. We cut and chopped the pins, fitted the bottoms, and put the glue to them. Working in 9"-wide, 1/2"-thick white pine makes seating dovetails a bit trickier. This material is so flexible that just because one tail is tight, doesn’t at all mean the others are. The best (and easiest) way...
Joshua and I have been working on pine boxes this week. As you might have heard, we’re producing a commemorative set of Issues One through Ten to celebrate the magazine reaching this milestone. This collection will come in handmade wooden boxes, which we’ve been building in the shop. Batch production is a great way to hone particular skills (as we discussed in the podcast the other day), but it’s also a good place to dust off a few jigged tools to work on those repetitive operations. I pulled out the old Millers Falls miter box to cut all our stock to length. The basic concept of the miter box has been around for a very long time, but the adjustable...
This is the announcement Mike and I have been anticipating for several years. This morning, we opened slots for a waitlist to purchase our Issues 1-10 Boxed Set. The list has already been filling fast, so act now if you want in. These boxes are handmade (i.e. without machinery) by Mike and me in the Mortise & Tenon woodshop with antique and shop-made tools. The boxes are constructed of fore-planed eastern white pine with through dovetails on top, rabbets and vintage cut nails on bottom, and a beveled back panel slid into a groove. This is the authentic pre-industrial workmanship we’ve been promoting in M&T. The stock has characteristic fore-plane tracks, periodic tear-out, and layout lines all over. If you’re looking for cold and pristine studio furniture perfection, you will not find it here. This...
Mortise & Tenon Magazine · 25 – The Value of Batch Production In this podcast episode, Mike and Joshua discuss the value of batch production as they reflect on their recent experience building Boxed Sets for Issues 1-10. They talk about some of the tradeoffs of working on multiples but primarily focus on the positive benefits that a woodworker gains in the experience. They also provide numerous tips derived from their experience working on this project. Lastly, they discuss the diverging views of John Ruskin and David Pye on the issues of division of labor, enjoyment in work, and the value of the workman as being the designer. They talk about how these two men agreed on several important...
“Visit any shop that has been around for a while and you’ll see lots of patterns hung up here and there. Whether made of wood, cardboard, or plywood, each tells a story of the furniture built in that shop. Naturally, I have many patterns hanging in my shop, used in all phases of construction from generating pleasing shapes, to cutting joinery, and more. They are critical to every phase of how I design and make furniture. They are simple and quick-to-make tools that help me work efficiently and accurately (i.e. better).
