Question Of The Week... ( 2016 Week 31 )

A master is a person that can do any tasked in the field he is working, at the highest level and produce an almost, if not, flawless product. Was told a long time ago " the difference between a good knife maker and just a knife maker is how well he hides is mistakes and strives to not repeat them". Only time, practice and not settling makes a master. The masters I know always push the limits of their ability in order to improve and learn.
 
Tclem said:
A true master would have to be named TONY. My advice to anyone, espically someone named HENRY, would be to obtain greatness and be a master would be to change your name to TONY
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So there is Henry Kissinger, Henry Ford and Henry Winkler just off the top of my head. For Tony all I got was, Tony Soprano from the ol'noggin. Not sure your theory holds water big guy...
:sofa:
 
Don Ratcliff said:
So there is Henry Kissinger, Henry Ford and Henry Winkler just off the top of my head. For Tony all I got was, Tony Soprano from the ol'noggin. Not sure your theory holds water big guy...
:sofa:
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Tony Blair, Tony Danza, Tony Bennett, Tony Hawk, Tony Dorsett. Do I need to go on? Tony
 
Don Ratcliff said:
So there is Henry Kissinger, Henry Ford and Henry Winkler just off the top of my head. For Tony all I got was, Tony Soprano from the ol'noggin. Not sure your theory holds water big guy...
:sofa:
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But a certain Henry from North Carolina brings down all the others you named. Big guy
 
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  • #32
robert flynt said:
A master is a person that can do any tasked in the field he is working, at the highest level and produce an almost, if not, flawless product. Was told a long time ago " the difference between a good knife maker and just a knife maker is how well he hides is mistakes and strives to not repeat them". Only time, practice and not settling makes a master. The masters I know always push the limits of their ability in order to improve and learn.
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Thank you Robert. That is a great answer.
 
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  • #33
David Hill said:
Guess my thinking is a little different-- tried to word this so it applied to other materials-- not just wood.
A master at anything should be able to adjust on the fly to nuances in the materials or specs to obtain whatever the desired product will be. If one is just making a product to the required specs, disregarding variables that change-- then that person would just be an automaton. Being able to accept unexpected changes and still finish with with the desired product is the sign of a master. So a master to me is one who is able to combine art/resourcefullness into whatever his area of expertise might be.
That being said, to work (= practice, practice, practice) toward being a Master one needs to have an excellent idea of what his/her tools can do and yet still be able to learn/appreciate or incorporate "new" techniques to improve whatever it is they make.
Shouldn't have to think so hard on a Sunday....
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Very well said...I like this answer. Thanks David.

And sorry about makin ya think so hard on a Sunday...:lol2:
 
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  • #34
Tclem said:
Everybody is forgetting Henry Hawthorne. Ahhhhhhh
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Are they? Are they really? Some things are better left unsaid....:sarcastic:
 
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  • #36
Touche'!
 
ripjack13 said:
In your own words, what makes a Master woodworker, Master knife maker, Master box maker, or Master craftsman?
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Lot of good responses above, however everyone seems to left out...

Attention to Detail - A true master at any craft will pay great attention to detail. Even the tiniest of details. This will of course, over time become second nature in all he does, and he may well not even think about it while doing so.

Beyond that, and having been touched on above...

Being a Visionary - The ability to see projects in one's mind, know where you want it to go, before planning.

Adaptability - Being able to adjust when things don't go as planned.

Experience / Knowledge / Practice of Craft - Adaptability and at least to some extent being a visionary, is typically gained through experience and practice of the craft. The knowledge gained in said practice is instrumental in aspects above. While attention to detail can be and often is a personal trait, the experience to see every little detail is instrumental in fulfilling that aspect of one's personality.


ripjack13 said:
What advice would you give to the novice or amateur woodworker aspiring towards such an achievement?
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No one, since the beginning of time, has ever been born a true master at his craft. One may be born with all the ability in the world, they may be visionary, they may pay attention to detail, they may be knowledgeable of a craft, but without a great deal of practice of that craft, no one has ever attained master status.

Practice, ask questions, learn from your mistakes, repeat... A true master never stops learning.
 
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  • #38
Good points Rocky. Good post.
 
Most of the masters I have met were quite unaware of it. Their quest was to be better one project at a time. Never quite satisfied with newest project-always seeing room for improvement. Once you feel you have mastered something, the joy of the quest is gone. And probably any possibility of improvement.....
 
Real masters don't call themselves masters because they are always trying to do better. If someone describes himself as a master he is not a real master.
 
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