Craftsmanship
  • The Initiative
    • Overview
    • 2018 Programs
  • Video/Audio
    • Audio Stories
    • Video
  • THE MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
    • Topics
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • About
    • Team
    • Contributors
    • Partners
    • Ask Us
    • Contact Us
    • Donate
  • Join

Detroit

Spring 2016

The Shinola Polish

In the 1960s, Shinola, the venerable American shoe-polish company that became famous for a World War II soldier’s crack, “You don’t know shit from Shinola,” shut its doors. The move was a fitting bookend to the golden age of American manufacturing. Then, in 2011, a Texas developer revived the name as a maker of watches, leather goods, and retro bicycles in the broken heart of downtown Detroit, where, the company says, “American is Made.” Is making things in America again that easy?

BY Laura Fraser
Spring 2016

The Search For The Perfect Leather Bag

Boutiques selling hip shoulder bags seem to be all the rage these days. Some look rustic enough to take into the woods, some more suited to the streets of Manhattan. With all these offerings, how does an eager consumer judge quality? Herewith, a visit with four contrasting American leathercrafting shops. And a little story about Marv Obenauf, a former firefighter turned master artisan of leather dressings.

BY Todd Oppenheimer
Meet Marv Obenauf, who makes of some of the world's finest leather dressings.

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Americans shower their loved ones w flowers + chocolates for #ValentinesDay but the Welsh like to do things differently to show they care. In #Wales, #lovespoons are a labor of love + symbol of togetherness + unlike flowers and chocolates,...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    The act of sitting at his workbench day in, day out, diligently perfecting his craft, brings #woodworker + master furniture maker #GaryRogowski a level of satisfaction no #computer ever could.
    Read “A Woodworker’s Tale” on purpose, craft, + lessons learned
    ...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Research shows that over 50% of us are unhappy at work. In our latest story, "Could Co-ops Solve Economic #Inequality?”, we explore why #workers who belong to #coops identify more strongly with their work than those in traditional #workplaces. Read...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    The employees at @enMONDRAGON, both men and women have #payequality for the same work—which is not the case almost anywhere else, including the U.S. How? The workers are part of a #cooperative where the employees have the same power as...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Blending thousand-year-old desert crop varieties with water-saving approaches, @Ferhat9282468 modest, arid plot offers a glimpse of how we could sustain ourselves in an era of chronic #drought and increasing #climate chaos Read, "Food Shift" here 👉 https://t.co/iSUHGfdzun

  • Craftsmanship Org
    In our latest story, “Could Co-ops Solve Economic Inequality?” our author, Robert Lovato, visits Spain’s Basque country to see whether the world’s largest worker-owned #cooperative—@enMONDRAGON—can offer useful lessons for the U.S., and beyond. 👉 https://t.co/E3u2vq8dZ5

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Can you believe that the future of work may have been predicted by an #artist/artisan/poet 150 years ago! So says @Vitolae in a fascinating take on the future of work and the lessons we can learn from the #ArtsandCrafts movement....

  • Craftsmanship Org
    As motorcycles continue to add more electronic components - some riders are being pulled to vintage bikes instead. We explored what makes the 1970’s Japanese models so special. Read the full article here 👉 https://t.co/XJcPB6BXT0 #OHanlonMotorcycles https://t.co/R7KhDocqDN

  • Craftsmanship Org
    On a small island near #Venice, the fine art of hand-sewn #lace somehow remains alive. In “Women Who Embroider the Air,” we visited with the master #craftswomen of Burano to learn their history and the prospects for their future.
    Click...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Can you turn craft into a high impact career and a whole lot of creative #socialchange? In a new article below from @Daily_Good: Tracy L.Barnett explores how craft and activism can come together to create an international movement called #Craftivism.
    ...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    Owen Edwards wasn’t searching for the perfect #spoon when he found it. So perfect in fact, that he had to sneak it out of the restaurant in his pocket.
    Have you found your version of the perfect spoon?
    Read about...

  • Craftsmanship Org
    The Japanese word “Ikigai” translates to “the meaning of life.” Many people struggle to know exactly what their purpose is, which is why it’s important to never stop exploring. #Ikigai #craftsmanship #goexplore
    https://t.co/URqICVVc0k

  • Craftsmanship Org
    In Venice, Italy, a city built for endless walking, a determined young woman named Daniela Ghezzo has mastered the rare art of simultaneously beautifying and comforting the human foot.
    https://t.co/5ZaTXbxcmg #bespokeshoes #AtelierSegalin #italianshoes
logo

Get in Touch

[email protected]
490 2nd Street #200
San Francisco, CA 94107
Legal
© 2018 The Craftsmanship Initiative

Recent Articles

  • “The Future Is Handmade”
  • Could Co-Ops Solve Income Inequality?
  • The Wizard of Old Wheels

Subscribe

Subscribe to our Newsletter. No charge.
Subscribe

Donate

Donate to The Craftsmanship Initiative Today!
Donate