The latest issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine features a profile I wrote on Marco Terenzi, a young Michigan woodworker and toolmaker who specializes in making small – really small – stuff.
I got to spend a day with Marco in his shop, which he has had since he was 9, and get a close look at his work. Marco happens to be an incredibly quotable person, so the interview was fun, and learning how he got into this line of work was quite a tale (think: soldering iron and pen turning).
The article is in the February 2016 issue, which you can purchase here. Or spend a few extra dollars and get a year’s subscription to the magazine here.
Below are some extra photos from my visit with Marco that I didn’t have room for in the article.
Chris and John at Lost Art Press have shown the grace to lend me spot here on the blog, so allow me to introduce myself:
My name is Henrik Lützen, and I’m a MA-student in English Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. This spring I’m writing my thesis on the current craft revival, and why more people are drawn to hand tool woodworking especially. Oh, and I’m a knuckle-dragging hand tool neanderthal myself.
For this project I have a working thesis that the craft movement (among other things) is a response to three issues with contemporary society, which I have labeled:
Surface: That we need the perfect imperfection of a handmade surface to better relate to them, and that we appreciate seeing signs of both the item’s production and its maker in the surface (think of Krenov, Pye, Yanagi)
Community: That the crafts allows us to engage in three dialogues: With the past (through learning the traditional ways), with the present (online communities, courses, tool meets etc.) and with the future (through making heirlooms and through preserving tradition).
Practice: That the uncertainty of outcome and investment of effort inherent to hand tool woodworking shapes our experience of the world in a number of ways:
– We can transform a material = That is, we can influence the world.
– Wood or other materials have their own limitations and possibilities = That is, we live not in (digital) fantasy, but in material reality.
– Through persistence, effort and close observation, we may improve our skills = That is, our effort enhances our value to the world and matters to the world.
Some of you will possibly/probably hear echoes of Matthew Crawford or a certain anarchist book in this.
My point is that hand tool working is a deliberate alternative to the mainstream, and that it gives more sustainable and creatively fulfilling lives.
The real elephant in the room is, does the hand tool woodworking community have lessons for society as a whole? How do we use natural and human resources and fulfill our aspirations to be creative? This is something I hope to be able to explore further.
Now, such a thesis doesn’t exist in a vacuum: While I could just sample forums, this is the LAP blog: Home to the top tier hand tool aficionados, the anarchistic and the outspoken. So I need your help: I want to hear your own reasons for working with hand tools – in your own words.
Topics could include:
– What drew you to hand tool woodworking – and why do you do it?
– Do you consider sustainability with your work? Making furniture that lasts, reclaiming timber, using lasting, safe finishes?
– What do you feel you learn about yourself through craftsmanship?
– Have you considered doing this as a job – or a part-time job? And for those of you who have already, what led you to this path less trodden?
– Have you thought about the future of craft – or the value of craftsmanship to the world?
But these are only suggestions, if you have other ideas, write them down. Post them in the comment field or email them to me directly at this address henrik1224@gmail.com.
This is valuable stuff, and I will treat it as such:
You won’t be reduced to quantitative numbers (NO: X respondents expressed Y) – but I will anonymize your responses.
This won’t be published, but anyone can read an online copy of the (100+ pages) thesis when it is complete.
So share your thoughts and opinions with me. In return, I promise to give my very best effort.
Warning: My wife often comments that I dress like a foreign exchange student. That I have no sense of color or clue about how pieces of clothing are supposed to coordinate with one another.
That said, I love my Le Labourer work jacket. It is one of the few pieces of clothing I own that fits me well. I have long arms but I am not stout enough for a typical XL shirt. This is cut long enough in the arms and I’m not swimming in the thing.
Made in France, the workmanship is impeccable. The moleskin is lightweight, breathes and moves easily while I’m working at the bench. Nothing pinches or restrains me from reaching, sawing, planing or chiseling.
It’s so comfortable that it has become my new bathrobe. I wear it while editing, cooking, reading, whatever.
I’ve had this one for 18 months now and am considering buying another one just in case I lose this one. (I can’t imagine it ever wearing out.)
It’s $120, but worth way more than that.
In the United States, you can buy them from Hand-Eye Supply. I bought mine in England from The Shopkeeper Store before they were available here.
When my family asks me what I want for Christmas, my response is: What I want is for you to buy me nothing.
They listen. Sort of. This year I might receive a couple of interesting beers and some underwear to replace the elastic rags I pull on each morning.
But this year, I did purchase one gift for myself, the “Hands” DVD by David and Sally Shaw-Smith. This remarkable collection of 37 films shot during the 1970s and 1980s capture many of the disappearing traditional crafts in Ireland.
Each short movie focuses on a particular craft, from building Regency furniture to carriage making to stone cutting to leatherwork. If you work with your hands, you will be captivated by the stories, the filming and the people who are trying their best to keep these skills from vanishing.
The DVD set is sold by the good folks at Benchcrafted, and I’ve caught glimpses of it at the different shows during the last few years, including Handworks. I once had a set of the DVDs, but they have disappeared into my basement. So I purchased a replacement set this year. Yes, it’s a pricey set, but I know that you and your family will enjoy these films.
Trevor Green of Trevor’s Workshop interviewed me last month as part of his continuing series of podcasts on woodworking magazines and interviews with makers. The 30-minute interview is here. But be sure to check out some of the other interviews here – Christian Becksvoort, Darrell Peart and Mario Rodriguez, to name a few.
Trevor and I talked about woodworking (of course) but also the future of woodworking publishing (is there one?), and whether or not I’m forcing my children to become woodworkers. It was a fun interview, so thanks to Trevor for arranging it.
When my family asks me what I want for Christmas, my response is: What I want is for you to buy me nothing.