Crafstmanship

 

On the subject of craftsmanship, Athene English does what craftsmen have always done – look closely to those who’ve gone before

As a word, ‘craft’ comes from the Old English cræft: “power, strength, might.” It’s assumed that its usage moved to its current form through acquiring a sense of “mental power” – where ideas in the mind forge skills in the hand. As in crafts so in the word itself, its meaning having attached itself to various other thoughts: crafty – an adjective describing guile and ingenuity; to craft, crafted, a verb to describe manufacture by hand with skill, integrity and perhaps love; and a noun to describe, respectfully, a vehicle: craft, aircraft, spacecraft (generally those which need skill to make and operate). However, these days the word has come crashing down the value chain – For example I can’t think of two more depressing words than ‘craft shop’

To me, craftsmanship is, still, just this: the expression of clear thought and intelligence in things made largely by hand. A buckle made from a material that never feels cold on the skin; a fishing basket whose wicker construction keeps fish fresh; a lacing arrangement that allows for tightening and instant release with just two reciprocal movements; a pair of hand made scissors, whose form is just an expression of an elegant thought. In the shop, I hope you’ll find all manner of this sort of craftsmanship; where ingenuity of thought meets integrity in its making