The quiet hum of a router has replaced the scrape of my hand plane.

I began my career smoothing wood with hand planes, each stroke needing care. Our shop made cabinets slowly, with every joint fitted by eye and hand. Today, routers and jigs let us produce pieces in a fraction of the time. I think about how my old boss taught me to tune tools, a daily ritual. Now, with disposable blades, that skill is not as common. The work is faster and more exact, but it lacks that handmade touch. Still, I adapt because the trade keeps moving forward.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_xena2d ago

Yeah, "the heart of craftsmanship shifts" is right. My version of adapting is spending ten minutes trying to figure out why my track saw won't turn on, only to realize I never plugged it in. The old guys would have just sighed and gone back to their perfectly sharpened hand tools.

bettyperry2d ago

It's sad how some skills get lost, but ADAPTING is key to survival. The heart of craftsmanship shifts but doesn't disappear.