mel jacobson on wed 9 dec 09
i think i started this with my take on quilts, etc.
i have nothing in this race, no horse at all. i do what i do, find
my own pride in what i do and how i do it. others make what they
want, get what they get..up to them.
but,
here is a metaphor.
my brother found a 1952 `silver arrow` chris craft boat at an auction.
total wreck. he paid 260 bucks for it.
he and i hauled it home, he put it in his small heated garage.
started to re/build. slow process as he took it all apart, made
templates and made it all new. all new ribs, one at a time. lay out
big sheets of paper and make a pattern. keep all the patterns. code
everything.
we rebuilt the engine...ford `interceptor` v8. we rebuilt the trannie.
made it all new. jim made the seats all new...rented a big sewing machine.
all the decking was made. all the hardware was polished and re/finished.
he painted that boat about twelve times. it became a new boat. hand made.
it took three years. he did everything himself, or with my help*. took ph=
otos
of each step. we took it to local shows...and people were
stunned. first place
in every show.
* if you are younger by two years you are always the kid. the kid cannot
do detail work, he can use sandpaper and lift heavy objects.
so...we went out to new york, finger lakes national woodie show.
he took first price/best in show.
the second place boat was a rich guy from new york. we talked to him.
he had a small cabin cruiser/1939. he had a guy rebuild the engine
and trannie.
he hired a guy to remake the seats, he had a guy take off the old
varnish. he had all
the chrome re/done at a factory. he ordered factory paint/varnish, hired a=
guy
to prep and spray it. it looked like new...but, might as well have
come from a factory.
he did nothing but write checks. slippery slope. was it hand re/done? no=
.
well, yes, but by professionals in each field.
but, it does not matter? he got a boat, and a ribbon. the new concept,
take what you can get, pay for it if need be. pride of craftsmanship...? s=
crew
that.
well, jim is proud, he has the photo album to prove his work. sharlene mad=
e
a book for him with hand calligraphic headings and captions. even the judg=
es
were stunned. `man, did you do
everything?` `yes`. `amamzing`. yes, old world
craft, hand done, help from his brother now and then.
the boat's photo is the center fold of the new book `greatest boats ever:
chris craft`. we even took photos of the boat, in the water with
his daughter
on the deck in a swim suit. son driving...summer day, blue sky.
that same pix/ad ran in a `look` magazine summer 1952.
if he had that boat in an auction today...about $80,000.
he gave it to his daughter and son in law. they adore it. it now lives
in columbus, ohio...they tour the great lakes in that boat.
the two jacobson boys like to make things..from scratch. we build and make
most anything. jim also makes model airplanes that fly with radio control.
he won the nationals with his `wake island/ wild cat`. it was one of the
few planes ever to win without one demerit. 100 percent perfect.
he has cancer now, and is slowed, but he goes to his wonderful studio/garag=
e
and works on a plane every day..at least two hours. he is fighting to
keep going. we both built studios in our yard.
i know i am old world. i make my own special clay, make my own pots, make
my own glazes, make all my own kilns. i do it because i want to. it is no=
t
noble, it is a need. it becomes a personal pride thing. it is just
for me, i don't
really care who else does whatever. up to them.
i have built three houses. i like building houses. just won't work
for others.
i work for me.
my new sorta son/in/law is a professional mechanic. `mel, let me fix
that car, no, opps
he already has it fixed.` been doing that since my first ford in
1950. who could
afford a mechanic? if we wanted the car, we fixed it. we learned fast.
the water softener timer was screeeeching on monday morning.
scope'd that out, took off the control head. went to
`applicance/parts/ repair` at noon,
they sent me across the street to `water control inc`. they sold me
a new control
head for 100 bucks. installed it. back to normal. a new water
softener is now
1000 bucks. `water control` has all the parts for a new one...about
450 bucks if
you assemble your own. (how hard would that be?) just like making
your own computer.
gail says i am
more than ready to do it all now. but, don't need a new one yet. but will
do it all next time. i just installed a new power system in this
computer. and
while i was at it...took everything apart, cleaned the mobo, put it all bac=
k
and it works just fine. better than ever. like new. gail built
this one. and, she
is my life time tech support...but then, i listen to her, ask questions and=
do
the fix myself. she is my teacher. (just sent her a nice box with pots. m=
akes
her happy.)
so, craftsmanship is in the eye of the beholder. we do know that technolog=
y
drives many people, and then because they use it...there is a
tendency to adjust the slope of craft to include whatever they happen
to be using at the time. and, i don't argue, up to them.
so, it is like sharlene just said: `if a person uses stencils, it sure is =
not
hand made calligraphy.` if one cuts a quill, grinds ink, and writes on
vellum, well, that is hand craft. if you pick a font on your computer and
print a story with it...it is not hand writing. not hard to
determine. but, there
are pieces showing up in calligraphy shows that are just that...fonts from =
a
computer. now, that is crazy. but, they will whine like made if
they are rejected.
`you god damn elitist bastards are throwing my work out.`
yes, vince...we do understand your love of hand made. your stance is corre=
ct,
but others do not listen very often. the world is changing fast. technolo=
gy
drives the boat. the sense of hand craft is fading fast.
but, we all train our customers to understand what we do. it is still up t=
o
them.
that chicken cooky jar stills sells for $125, at a fancy china shop in edin=
a.
made in mexico from a mold by the thousands. cost of production...about
.25 cents. do they care? not a bit. it still says...`handmade`.
they can't keep em in stock.
like all value systems, it is up to you. people will start to defend
tiger...`hell,
he only has 12 girl friends, leave him alone, what is wrong with that?` he =
has
the money to pay for them.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
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