The Mad Science and Master Craft of Handblown Lab Glass
With specialized training, professional glassblowers, like those of the West Berkeley co-op Adams & Chittenden, can also make scientific glass, turning out precise, customized tools for advancing research and discovery—tools that machine-made glass cannot match.
by JEFF GREENWALD
Granddaughters of the Clay: A Family Legacy of Pueblo Pottery
In honor of Native American Heritage month, a rare and deeply personal look inside the living tradition of Pueblo pottery—written by a descendant of one of the great matriarchs of clay.
photographed and curated by KITTY LEAKEN
written by ROSEMARY DIAZ
Woodworking vs. Perfection
Wood entices us with its natural beauty, usefulness, and endless variety. Yet, perhaps more than any other raw material, it defies the artisan's Sisyphean quest for perfection.
by GARY ROGOWSKI
The Espadrille: Spain’s Beloved, Timeless Shoe
The long march of espadrilles, from medieval Spanish peasantry to global shoe icon.
by JULIA SCHEERES
The Last Jacquard Silk Weavers
In Lyon, the silk-weaving capital of Europe for centuries, the rhythmic clatter of Jacquard Looms once emanated from about 30,000 workshops. Today, only three workshops still uphold this tradition.
written by ANNA RICHARDS
photographed by MICHELLE TUCCI
Explore the Magazine
The Craftsmanship Initiative is dedicated to reclaiming craftsmanship’s principles of excellence, beauty, and durability as a pathway to a more sustainable world. The flagship venture of the initiative, which operates as a non-profit, is Craftsmanship Magazine, a multimedia publication that focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest.
Measuring by Eye
Precision is more than a relative concept. One is not ‘sort of’ precise in furniture-making. Precision involves an attitude about the work; standards for making; and, in fact, a way of seeing the world. There are various metrics for what precision means. For a welder, being short by 1/32″ just means making a slightly wider…
by GARY ROGOWSKI
Calligraphy’s Hurdles
Picking up a longtime hobby, our publisher tries out some new calligraphy tools and techniques, only to find that mastering graceful script is harder—and messier—than it may appear.
by TODD OPPENHEIMER
A Man on an Unusual Mission: Bringing the Alphorn Back to France
In a former silk weaver’s workshop in Lyon, a carpenter and trained musician is breathing new life into the alphorn—an instrument that was on the brink of extinction in France.
written by ANNA RICHARDS
photographed by MICHELLE TUCCI
Fighting Fast Furniture Waste, One Reupholstered Sofa at a Time
Cindy Feinauer wants to talk about “fast furniture.” More than 9.5 million tons of furniture are thrown into U.S. landfills every year, according to the most recent data available from the EPA—equal to 80% of the new furnishings being manufactured.
by PAULINE BARTOLONE
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter
Craftsmanship is a reader-supported publication. To get our latest stories and other news in your inbox, please subscribe to our free Substack newsletter. While we continue to offer free articles regularly, upgrading to a paid subscription will help us publish new stories of mastery and excellence in craft without advertising, while also paying our contributors fair market rates.
Thank you for your support!
