A customer came into my shop with photos of a piece made by a well known woodworker.

The customer thought the price was too high for the original and asked if I could make one just like it for substantially less.

This presented a bit of a dilemma because, at the time, I needed the work and could have made good money undercutting the other guy. But my ethics overruled.

I declined the offer, but told the customer that I could make something similar, of my own design, at a price calculated from the final design. He wasn’t interested and left, presumably, looking for another woodworking willing to make a copy.

I lost that job but somehow felt better about myself. I think ...

D.D.