Workmanship of Risk

As I recall it was at the Saltfork Craftsmen conference in 1999 when I heard Peter Ross suggest reading David Pye’s books on craftsmanship and design.  I took his advice and read them  both.

Recently I started thinking about those subjects again and decided to take another look at the books.

Pye was a skilled wood artist. He suggested that craftsmanship might mean “using any kind of technique or apparatus, in which the quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgement, dexterity and care which the maker exercises as he works.  The essential idea is that the quality of the result is continually at risk during the process of making;”

He designated the process of craftsmanship “the workmanship of risk.”  The contrasting idea is “workmanship of certainty.”  Quality machine manufacturing certainly has it’s place.  The wide availability of inexpensive standard machine screws and other hardware is an obvious example.  Hand-crafted can’t compete in that venue.

Pye goes on to discuss quality of workmanship and how finished work can vary from idealized designs and to discuss craftwork in terms of being free or regulated.  In all of this there is a lot of middle ground and the ends of the spectrum are essentially theoretical.

In my forging and other metalworking projects I am responsible for both the design and the forming - the craftsmanship.  I like working that way.  As I work through a project from design to finish work I think about the visual impression I’m targeting.  Every project involves modifying some parent metal stock using various tools.  It is often my intent to arrive at a finished piece in which it is not easy to determine what the parent stock was and what tools and techniques were used.  Some element of mystery seems to increase interest.

I was recently engaged in a conversation with some members of an art-craft co-op gallery regarding what types of work could be displayed.  I think one firm criteria was that skilled hand work would be obvious in the finished piece.  I think Pye would agree with that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pye_(furniture)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Nature-Art-Workmanship-David/dp/0713689315

http://www.amazon.com/The-Nature-Aesthetics-Design-David/dp/0713652861/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y/192-5497689-0151811

Pretty Side Down?

It occurred to me that over time there has been a change in my thinking about forming. This is something akin to the gestalt of seeing positive space or negative space.

It seems I used to think mostly about the forming process as how the work piece would have to move rather than how the radius of the tools would move the work. Today I spend more time thinking about how I want the surface too look - emphasizing the process marks or eliminating them.

The anvil is usually smoother and flatter than the hammer face. And too move metal quickly a short radius hammer such as a ball peen or rounding hammer is used. As the final form is approached a long radius forging hammer is useful if the chunky surface is to be worked to a smooth surface. Finishing the presentation face with a nearly flat planishing hammer can leave a very smooth surface.

I was taught that because the anvil face was the flattest and smoothest the surface toward the anvil was the “pretty face”. Today I often prefer more visible texture so the interesting side is up and the plain side is on the anvil face. Pretty side up.

The surface facets can be accentuated by hand sanding with 60 or finer grit sand paper or light filing and I do some of that but not much. Like with other surface accents of brass brushing or Guilder’s paste, I think a little goes a long way. I have spent a lot of time studying how I can use fire scaling followed by light tumbling to create the surface appearance I like best. I don't commonly use a wire brush to remove hot scale unless forge welding.

In the final analysis what shows in the work should be intentional so carefully picking the tools and making sure they are well dressed so they don’t leave unintentional marks is good craftsmanship.

Check out Care and Maintenance of a new or old anvil at:

http://www.blksmth.com/care_and_maintenance_of_anvils.htm

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Getting Discouraged

Kristopher Skelton operates Alchemy Forge. I think his primary interest is blademaking. I’ve never met him but have enjoyed reading his blog and viewing the website galleries.

In the blog I came across a second, or third, hand narrative which I feel has some wise advice as follows...

MONDAY, MAY 16, 2011

A reminder...

This was posted at Don Fogg's bladesmith forums by Alan Longmire, attributed to Ira Glass:

What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through. POSTED BY KRISTOPHER SKELTON

http://alchemyforgenet.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Being able to recognize good work and appreciate the beauty of fine craftsmanship and design is necessary yet not sufficient to producing such work. Practice, practice, practice is essential. Most things worthwhile are difficult to achieve and require dedication, discipline and persistence. I don’t think I have seen any masters who aren’t perfectionists.

For most of us the ideal is elusive and just beyond our grasp so each instantiation of our effort is a bit disappointing and we see how we might do better. Take a deep breath. Take another heat. Take another run at it.

Perhaps it was the word alchemy that set the environment for me to detect and connect the theme of striving and it reminded me of Goethe’s story, Faust. This tale is based on the medieval alchemist and magician Johann Faust, and in it Goethe concludes that man’s salvation lies in his striving and action. He observes that to err is human and as long as one is doing and striving, salvation is ultimately assured. In this metaphor success or satisfaction might better substitute for salvation.

http://www.new-wisdom.org/cultural_history2/6-romanticism/goethe.htm

http://www.persimmonforge.com/