Then and Now

Some say absolutely no to machines. Others say if the 18th century guys had access to routers, darn right they would have used them! Most probably come down the middle somewhere. Why spend hours planing a board by hand when a machine can do it in minutes? But you really can’t recreate the delicate shaping and detail on period furniture without hand tools.

I started out with most of the standard machinery: jointer, planer, table saw, router, drill press. But I’ve spent a lot of time trying to master hand tools. In the end, they complement each other.

Is it really a big deal if a piece has, for example, machine-cut instead of hand-cut dovetails? Depends on how much the customer cares, and is willing to pay. But when I’m building for myself, doing traditional furniture, there’s only one way to go.

I actually prefer to say my furniture is “handcrafted.” By that I mean that there has to be a significant percentage made with hand tools, and it’s often one-of-a-kind. But that’s another way to start an argument!

This is how I sign my pieces. Yes, I have cats! signature 002

“As much as man controls the end product, there is no disadvantage in the use of modern machinery and there is no need for embarrassment.”

George Nakashima