“The New Didgeridoo,” with Andy Graham
Andy Graham—musician, instrument maker, inventor, and patentholder—takes us on a brief but fascinating “tour of sound.” Graham’s enchantment with a centuries-old Aboriginal wind instrument, the didgeridoo, has yielded several new instrumental creations. His passion for experimentation shines through as he discusses the process behind his work; the joys of tinkering; and some of the highlights…
My Father’s Mallet
After graduating college, I finally got up the nerve to quit trying to be what everyone else wanted me to be: priest, professor, or professional. My Lit major brain was tired from working up essays on nothingness. Working with my hands, now this was real stuff… My father had done some woodworking once, so I…
Brian Callan Reclaims Ireland’s Fallen Trees—and its Tradition of Harp-making
Brian Callan is part of a slow, steady revival of traditional harp-making in the Emerald Isle. Most of his handmade harps are built from fallen trees—some of them ancient; each with a story to tell.
The Moral Lessons of a Fountain Pen
Back in the day—in this case, from the early 1900s to around 1950—if someone wanted to write anything down with permanence, they reached for a pen of the kind one rarely sees anymore. These were called fountain pens, and their highly refined nibs (that inch-long piece at the pen’s business end, which delivers ink in…
A Chiseled Education
My understanding of the chisel, a common tool at my workbench, grew until I thought I knew everything about it. Then a revelation occurred that changed both my use of the tool and my sense of how I learned. Consider the mighty wedge, one of the ancients’ most basic machines. Give me a wedge, and…
My First Design
Gary Rogowski, a master woodworker and furniture designer (and longtime Craftsmanship collaborator) reflects on how his first handmade bench came into being.
“Why Choose Handmade?” with Gary Rogowski
Master woodworker and furniture maker Gary Rogowski discusses the value of handmade work in this episode of “The Secrets of Mastery.” The founder of the Northwest Woodworking Studio, Rogowski is also the author of many books about woodworking and creativity in the digital age.
No Elves Here, but Plenty of Magic
Who’s behind the charming (and growing!) collection of intricately handcrafted fairy houses that suddenly began to appear along this quiet, suburban street? Our audio producer decided to find out…
Keeping the Beat: Custom-Made Conducting Batons
A good conductor can lead an orchestra with almost anything — even a chopstick. Leonard Bernstein was known to conduct a full symphony with just his eyebrows. Why, then, in this age of cheap manufacturing, are handmade, custom conducting batons still in demand?
