tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post7599797995323091690..comments2023-11-05T06:16:56.961-05:00Comments on the Carpentry Way: Comment Reply -ToscanoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-31561993494330235242009-09-11T14:12:48.573-04:002009-09-11T14:12:48.573-04:00Hi Toscano,
thanks for your comment once again. Y...Hi Toscano,<br /><br />thanks for your comment once again. Your point about speed is a good one, and as you mention, is very much an ideal in Japanese carpentry. As I have mentioned in previous posts, in such things as the Japanese carpentry exams, the most difficult aspect is the speed to which the test must be completed, far more so than the technical difficulty of the exam. <br /><br />In order to be able to work fast, one must have thoroughly internalized the skills so they are absolutely second nature. However, when one moves into areas of a project that are of a prototyping nature, or when there is benefit to be gained from slowing down a little bit, and say precious materials are employed, well, it seems it is worth it to me to take an extra step sometimes.<br /><br />Most Japanese workers that I have observed do not necessarily work fast, however they definitely do work long hours and do their tasks very steadily and with attentiveness. When there is a time pressure on the work, it is more normal to extend the working hours than to speed up the rate of work. <br /><br />And it depends upon the work too - routine tasks like ripping piece of wood with a saw, planing it to square and to dimension, cutting basic mortises and tenons - this work is such a normal part of the process that a competent worker should be quick about such things.<br /><br />As for Sam Maloof and his methods, well, I would be at some variance with the choices he made to build his pieces, beautiful as they may be. One point to be made about his pieces was that he made a relatively narrow range, and made the pieces again and again, year after year, with slight improvements here and there from time to time. Anybody who does the same thing over and over, and therefore can employ set jigs and machine set-ups, a predictable type of material, established work procedure, and so forth, will inevitably be quicker and more efficient at what they do. This is the basis of division of labor after all.<br /><br />There's a sweet spot somewhere, a different point in all likelihood for different people, in which the work is done quickly, expeditiously, and yet quality does not suffer. Dawdling wastes the customer's money obviously, and few patrons are likely going to want to knowingly support that, but going so fast that the work is slipshod is unacceptable as well. I'd take the slow and good over the quick and dirty any day, in most things.<br /><br />Everything should be able to be done better with repetition. This lantern, for instance, given the design and prototyping, has taken a fair while for me to make. If I were to make another one, I'm sure I could knock the time down by at least a third. And if I had 10 to build, by 60 or 70% faster or more. The first try takes the longest. The same is true in manufacturing at large - developing a prototype anything, like a new car model, can take months or even years and then once the production details are finalized, the items can be made relatively quickly in most cases. <br /><br />Thanks so much for the discussion Toscano - I hope your new teaching gig goes well for you. <br /><br /><br />~ChrisAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-49539295601075836482009-09-11T13:32:35.393-04:002009-09-11T13:32:35.393-04:00Chris,
First of all, apologies for the somewhat l...Chris,<br /><br />First of all, apologies for the somewhat late response to your post. I have just started a new teaching job and preparing lectures and dealing with administrative issues was particularly crazy this week. Thankfully, the weekend is here and I have some time to write and possibly even continue on a project I've been working on for almost a year now. How's that for expediency? :D<br /><br />My original comment was prompted by something I remember (hopefully correctly) reading in Toshio Odate's book on Japanese tools. If memory serves, he talked about the speed that was necessary for a craftsman to acquire in order to finish commissioned projects at a rate that made it practical for both him and the client. I should point out that he did not suggest that this speed should or did come at the cost of the quality of the work. On the contrary, my interpretation was that experience affords a kind of muscle memory, so to speak, an intimacy with the craft and the tools that allowed the work to be fast and accurate at once. It reminds me of some videos I have seen of Japanese blacksmiths who appear to work at superhuman speed, while producing work of exceptional quality. I can only put this down to an implicit knowledge and understanding of the subject, methods, and tools involved. I am also reminded of such things as the carpentry tests that Japanese apprentices take to become accredited (perhaps my terminology leaves something to be desired here, but I think you know what I am referring to), where accuracy as well as speed are required and rewarded.<br /><br />It is this kind of expediency I was referring to in my comment. I am highly appreciative of the effort to produce work that is as high quality as is possible given the means and experience and agree with you that, in that sense, time is of secondary importance. As you and others have mentioned, however, this attitude is not always shared by everyone. Not that it has to, or that this should be of much consequence. Perhaps not unless one relies on patron support, though. It's this kind of balance that I wanted to hear your comments on.<br /><br />The late Sam Maloof also, on a few occasions, appears to have talked about this need for developing methods that expedited the process without sacrificing quality.<br /><br />cheers,<br />-toscanoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-29768311904673888752009-09-09T12:27:59.348-04:002009-09-09T12:27:59.348-04:00Bravo! I know only too well of what you speak.Bravo! I know only too well of what you speak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-50514576302884405472009-09-07T10:11:40.207-04:002009-09-07T10:11:40.207-04:00Had to chuckle at the comment gregore' made, t...Had to chuckle at the comment gregore' made, that in regards to our work, "sometimes though it gets noticed long after we are gone". <br /><br />Here's the thing - it's a fact that dead artists seem to make a lot more money than the living ones. Why this is, I could only speculate (and I won't)<br /><br />It's not an insurmountable problem - what you need to do, with cooperation from your S.O. and kids, is fake your own death (best to not have any insurance policies to deal with, as the insurance companies seem to take a dim view of such things as faked deaths), then come back in disguise as your 'long lost identical twin brother' you know, the one with the curly red hair and a mustache. Then, you can represent your now famous (and apparently dead) 'brothers' work, for fantastic money. Perhaps you could even re-marry your wife, once a suitable 'mourning period was over'. The great thing is that you could always be 'finding' new pieces from time to time - the story would be easy enough to come up with: "just came across this one in the attic, it must have been a rare early prototype, made during the pre-2005 period of my brother's existential angst", etc, etc.<br /><br />Just kidding I guess. If you're going to be an artist though, the way to make money is to be dead. Surely they must have a class in arts schools, first year, about such an established fact? I wonder what Van Gogh would think if he came back from the grave to see what his pieces are fetching these days?<br /><br />Okay, I'm on with the next post, I've had my bit of fun here for today. Thanks for the comments gentlemen, and you're always welcome to add more.<br /><br />~ChrisAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-48833687305014056962009-09-07T03:45:16.034-04:002009-09-07T03:45:16.034-04:00Chris.
thank you for your well-considered response...Chris.<br />thank you for your well-considered response. I just wanted to write a quick note to say that today is a crazy day at work and I will have a chance to give some time to it tomorrow.<br /><br />thanks!<br />-toscanoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-56196590510314280812009-09-06T19:26:13.688-04:002009-09-06T19:26:13.688-04:00i could not agree more with all that you have ment...i could not agree more with all that you have mentioned in this post , though i could not have said it half so well. in my line of work goldsmithing , i work for some very high end clients and "some" are able to see the difference , other are not . when i make pieces for my own collection i do the very best work possible with out thoughts of the time frame involved. at times i have worked on pieces for 5 or more years (part time ) only to start all over again as my skill had grown since the start 5 years prior . i am sure that in time you find the patrons willing to pay for your level of work. good work will always get noticed . sometimes though it gets noticed long after we are gone. <br /><br /><br />gregore'gregore'http://www.gregorejoailliers.comnoreply@blogger.com