I was thinking further on the previous post "temperment" and I thought about something I heard one of the Keno Brothers talk about a few years ago. I was visiting a famous auction house in NYC on business and saw one of them outside the auction room so I approached. I gave him the "i'm a big fan" thing and we just chatted. In the course of it I opined that an 18th century craftsman must have spent "forever" making those little dovetail joints that fit so perfectly and would hold up for 250 years yada yada.
He gave me a very interesting answer. He said "the comparative cost of labor was, in the end, fairly cheap. It was the quality that was expensive" - meaning anyone could make a rough dovetail to hold things together - but only the quality of the fit distinguished a functional piece from a work of art that was also a functional piece.
A true craftsman takes a function stance and refines it so it still works as good but has lasting result as well. perhaps another view of temperment?
He gave me a very interesting answer. He said "the comparative cost of labor was, in the end, fairly cheap. It was the quality that was expensive" - meaning anyone could make a rough dovetail to hold things together - but only the quality of the fit distinguished a functional piece from a work of art that was also a functional piece.
A true craftsman takes a function stance and refines it so it still works as good but has lasting result as well. perhaps another view of temperment?
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