An impressive display
At a woodworking show in the mid 80’s, I was able to watch a master Japanese joiner make a complex splice. He was working with 4″ square stock, laid out…
At a woodworking show in the mid 80's, I was able to watch a master Japanese joiner make a complex splice.
He was working with 4" square stock, laid out one half of the joint and passed it around for the audience to examine. Meanwhile, he laid out the other half of the joint.
While the audience looked at the second half, he cut the first. At no time did he have both pieces on the bench. But when he finished and causally knocked the two halves together, they fit perfectly!
Every now and then, I recall this experience and ponder the way our approach to woodworking has changed in the last century. Our artisan woodworkers were once every bit as skilled as this Japanese joiner. The furniture that was produced in America prior to the turn of the century (the last one, not this one) was world class and as fine as any ever produced.
I wonder how long it would take for us to regain those skills.
D.D.
David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.