Replies

1. 
   philip | Jul 23, 2005 03:40am | #1

   Thanks Charles-very interesting reading-should add grist to the mill.

2. 
   robert1 | Jul 23, 2005 03:41am | #2

   Interesting article, thank you!

3. 
   jazzdogg | Jul 23, 2005 07:16am | #3

   Patrick Edwards is a terrific guy - very talented, and very nice. He runs the American School of French Marquetry here in San Diego.

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask youself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   VomSorb | Jul 23, 2005 02:55pm | #4

   I've been to his school...

   I think the David Pye stuff in the article is really nothing short of genius when you think about it.

   Edited 7/23/2005 7:58 am ET by cstan

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jul 23, 2005 05:59pm | #5

   "I've ben to his school..."

   Cstan,

   I haven't had the pleasure. Please tell us more. What's the experience like? How's the school? How's Patrick as an instructor? Do you feel as though you got your money's worth? Are you now a confirmed user of Old Brown Glue? Have you built a "donkey" of your own?

    

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask youself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   VomSorb | Jul 23, 2005 06:53pm | #9

   Worth every penny.  Intense, rewarding.  I could easily run out of adjectives.

   I've used hide glue for years and always keep some of Patrick's 'ready mix' around.

   I've done marquetry for a very long time so I already had a complete set up. 

    

   Edited 7/23/2005 11:57 am ET by cstan

2. 
   KeithNewton | Jul 23, 2005 06:23pm | #8

   Good read, but I don't follow why you think it would only be of interest to the hand- tool guys, unless you are talking about those of us that use any tool at hand even if it is connected to the grid.Also if you missed it the back button at the bottom links to a list of other articles.

4. 
   LeeGrindinger | Jul 23, 2005 06:01pm | #6

   This brings up an interesting discussion. Assuming that studio furniture is no better in quality than well run and well conceived production pieces what role do studio furniture makers have in today's world?

   I'm not talking about crap, there is some top drawer production work being done in great factories and to say that all production furniture is of lesser quality is wrong. Hand cut dovetails are no better than machine made ones, scribe lines do not add value to a piece, factories have actually raised the bar for the studio furniture makers.

   Are we to simply fill the niche for one off work?

   Is it an art? Is it worth the additional money as art?

   What role does a studio furniture maker have in today's world and tomorrow's world?

   Lee

   P.S. Patrick has a cabin not far from here, I'm hoping he'll take his vacation a couple of days early and join us for MontanaFest. This would be a great campfire discussion.

   MontanaFest
1. 
   jazzdogg | Jul 23, 2005 06:12pm | #7

   I remember reading excerpts of Pye's writing for one of my furniture design classes and, although it was apparent Pye had given the matter considerable thought, found many of his arguments a little thin - I don't recall having an uncontrollable urge to run out and buy a copy of his book.

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask youself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

2. 
   VomSorb | Jul 23, 2005 07:00pm | #10

   Well, there are certainly no factories producing what Patrick makes.

   I think if you look at the very, very high-end studio furnituremakers then your questions answer themselves.  People want what factories cannot make - work that requires intense skill and usually hand skills.

3. 
   AlbionWood | Jul 23, 2005 10:26pm | #11

   Lee, I agree completely that this is a great subject for campfire discussions. There is a lot to examine here.It's pretty clear from the next-to-last paragraph of the article, that the market for the kind of work Edwards admires is restricted to those who are both wealthy, and educated about period furniture. That's probably a pretty small market; it would restrict the pool of professionals who could serve that market, to a pretty small number. I'd like to see some explicit recognition of this, and admission of the fact that it has always been this way. Even in the time for which Edwards evinces such nostalgia, the furniture that he admires was produced for a very limited clientele at the top of the social stratum. There was, undoubtedly, a lot of really crappy furniture made in 18th century America, but hardly any of it has survived to endure our ridicule.There's nothing wrong with elitism, as long as it is forthright and open. Some recognition should be given to the fact that the ordinary consumers - heck, even the working poor - have a greater choice of affordable furniture than at any time in history. At the same time, we still have a small number of extraordinarily talented craftsmen making pieces as good as anything ever made. Not only that, but an increasng number of amateur woodworkers are rediscovering the old ways, taking workshops, and establishing a whole new tradition. Sounds to me like a pretty good situation.
   "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net

1. 
   VomSorb | Jul 24, 2005 09:52am | #12

   It's pretty clear from the next-to-last paragraph of the article, that the market for the kind of work Edwards admires is restricted to those who are both wealthy, and educated about period furniture.

   True and it's good to remember that custom furniture for the masses was an idea that never got a lot of traction.  As long as custom makers can add 2+2 I wouldn't expect things to change a whole lot.