Why To Make Things

A collection for Paul Kirwin based on this prompt: “I’m a retired custom woodworker. I find community in the writings of others that have found satisfaction and comfort and value in the crafting of things. I’m not looking for ‘How-To Make Things’ books but more like ‘Why To Make Things’ books”

Alex Dobrenko

It is as if there were a natural law which ordained that to achieve this end, to refine the curve of a piece of furniture, or a ship’s keel, or the fuselage of an airplane, until gradually it partakes of the elementary purity of the curve of the human breast or shoulder, there must be experimentation of several generations of craftsmen.

Naomi Klein • Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

The point of these lines is clear. In the old days, craftsmen did not cut corners. They worked carefully, and they took care with every aspect of their work. Every part of the product was considered, and each was designed and made to be exactly as it should be. These craftsmen did not relax their thoughtful self-discipline even with respect to... See more

Harry Frankfurt • On Bullshit

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry: Secrets of an Ancient Woodworking Craft

Azby Brown

We live in an era where a motivated 12-year-old can learn the basics of timber framing, semiconductor design, or how to bake bread that would rival world-class bakeries. They can master nearly any mechanical system or any number of programming or artistic vocations, even if no mentor lives nearby. The limit is no longer some teacher or institution

Simon Sarris • School Is Not Enough

Why We Need More Omakase Creators

Luke Burgis read.lukeburgis.com

I’m frequently reaching for tools as there’s always something to repair, update, or make in this old house. It’s surprising how much of a difference it makes to simply reach for it rather than squat down and rummage through a bin or drawer.

Christopher Butler • Periodical 17 – Optimization

Extending the metaphor of carpentry, it’s first necessary to be able to saw wood neatly and to drive nails. Later you can bevel the edges or add elegant finials, if that’s your taste. But you can never forget that you are practicing a craft that’s based on certain principles.