"Hands" is a fondly remembered Irish television program that ran from 1977 until the early 80's and showcased some of the country's finest craftsmen and women.
The man that they purchase the spindle wood from is my Grandfather - John. P. O' Reilly of Gortnacleigh - what a treat to see him again on a technology that would no doubt have amazed him!
I'm tired of saying this but I'll say it again, in all,our busy lives today what satisfaction do any of us get out of life compared to these men. Absolute craftsmen. Well done sirs.
With respect - I get plenty of satisfaction from living my life well and thoughtfully, and working hard at - and perfecting - my craft. There are just as many true artists today as there ever were. And just as many lazy workers making shoddy goods …. but they didn’t make lovely films about them. Please search out a fine woodworker near you!
There's still a few of us out there who still make marquetry in the traditional way. I was taught by an old timer. He descibed how when he was young, they didn't even have electricity and the machines were belt driven.. I now go all over the world teaching and have a strong feeling to pass on what I've learned over the years.. Modern laser cutters can't replace creativity. I can sit down with some tracing paper and draw the most complex of designs freehand. A machine can't do that.. I hope?
A machine can't and will never do it. It might look the same but it wasn't hand crafted. A machine can never hand craft. Hand made everything will trump machine made anything forever.
I think a machine ( AI or robot ) will eventually be able to do this. In fact I think computer controlled CNC machine ( once human programmed ) do marquetry now. BUT although in the future results will be absolutely perfect, it's the tiny imperfections that the human hand produce that will still be desirable. Even though these imperfections often can't be seen, our eyes and brain will still notice them and therefore want 'handcrafted' over 'machine made'. I think that's why the 'trades' still need to be taught and passed on, or else we will lose so much of our history.
@@mainstay. Marquetry largely died when laser cutters came out. When you take out the difficulty of making something, it becomes less desirable. I adapted my skills and stay ahead of technology.
Sadly the brothers have all passed away now . The apprentice moved to London so the business has sadly finished but the brothers outstanding craftsmanship will be around for centuries .
I make similar furniture every day. Styles have changed but much of what you see here, I still do. Maybe you don't "see" it because you haven't looked hard enough. We exist.
I sincerely hope someone puts this and all the other records and showings be it film, video, what ever onto something in the nature of "The Superman Crytals." said to last Milliniums of time. they need to be preserved so that generations from now, they can still be learned and the 'Art anc craftsmanship carried on into the future. Man must never forget where he came from, and how he got to where he is now. On the hands, and minds of his ancestors. Men of God and Creation.
You can see in the die at 1:40, that saw was used until it was blunt, then repurposed as an improvised file on the other side to carve a groove, and then repurposed as the die. That piece of metal has seen more work days than any of us.
How can one not be touched by these lovely old-school craftsmen, who put all their love into their work. The respect for tradition kept up quality and durability. The Bankers have killed that tradition. We, the People, should have resisted instead of buying cheap poor imports. Too late. God bless Ireland.
Not too late. Some of us are still doing the same thing. There's been a small resurgence of traditional hand skills. --Wm. Francis Brown, Furniture Maker & Carver Camden, Maine, USA
musamor75. Generations of learning and skill, almost gone, but kept alive by the few. It will survive, but only if we understand that one of these pieces will last the test of time, not like MFI and IKEA, which are made to last just a few years, to be replaced by more cheap and shoddy imitations.
Don’t worry there are still many people who still toil with just as much craftsmanship as these fellows. They are many craftsmen in many sheds and garages around the world who are just hobbyists and still strive for mastery of carpentry. Problem is nobody wants to pay for the handcrafted furniture anymore. Instead they shop IKEA for mass produced particleboard junk. I’m one of those hobbyists in my own garage.
I hope we dont loose the scope of talent the good Lord has gifted us with, please use it to the fullest, dont take it to the grave! Inspirational video
Master Craftsmen all, but can you imagine how Thomas Chippendale made his furniture without power tools?. Probably why I will never own a piece of his furniture. I have a sense that these crafts are making a comeback, I sincerely hope so, man can create such beauty from nature, long may it continue.
Even designed and printed their own letter head - just amazing, it's not even just the skills and knowledge that are being lost it's the mind set that one can make what one needs. The convenience of ordering online or going to Office Depot to get letterheads and stationary, is progress but how many of us think "I could make that if I wanted".
Fabulous work, traditional and very skilled, such a wonderful result, I hope that the company is still going strong and well. Thank you for this glimpse of real craftsmanship, love this.
Soy del Perú, al ver el trabajo realizado, he quedado impresionado por la técnica que se está perdiendo con el tiempo, ya quedan pocos artesanos con técnicas tan maravillosas, un afectuoso saludo.
Many comments lament the loss of this kind of craft and craftsman. Stay your lament, for I and many others still practice this craft. I am Cheaha Woodsmith, Talladega, Alabama.
Got any vids? I am a Tool and Die maker. Same thing, just different. I do some woodwork in my spare time. I built a walnut floor with solid walnut stair treads on my steps. Personally, I don't do videos. I'm too private for that.
Oh my goodness but I enjoyed this! It was so fascinating to see that beautiful Furniture come to life. I would love to know what became of Ignatius. And if he carried all the traditions with Children of his own. Thank you so much for posting this
Had the great pleasure to have met the Robertson's a few years ago. Truly master tradesmen . A lot of their tools were hand made.The hand made frett saw table was far superior than a modern machine due to speed control. Things are sometimes better done by hand. Wounder where these men are now. Great to have met them .
Amazing, see why those crafts sort of die out, alot of work and not being able to charge fairly for it against mass produced furniture made in low fost countries. Really skilled and hard work.
Can't see this as a safety issue, unless the tie is hanging loose, but it can be attached in place, and is when worn properly. Also a big difference in speed and precision of hand tools vs big factory machinery.
The ties are bit of a hazard around powered devices like their table saw. So are long sleeves, and long hair. With hand tools, there are no such concerns.
As we saw, they do use a number of sensible power tools. I don't think a suit & tie really contributes anything to the ethic of their work, and sensibilities change with time anyways. I dare anyone looking at hand made furniture to tell me what the maker wore, or what difference it makes.
EC 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
The smell of sheep farts waft over the hill side of fresh green, parting with the last hint of whiskey from the local EVERYWHERE. Beautiful video of fine craft.
The old Irish way of having families seems to have been feast or famine: either they marry and have 7-10 children, or they never marry at all! So many of the men featured in this series appear to have never married and live together with a brother or two. In another program, there were 6 unmarried siblings living together on the family farm (4 brothers, 2 sisters), and another 4 siblings left for the “wide world.” They rarely are shown speaking and, when one of them does, I’m shocked enough that I have to go back a bit to make sure, bc I don’t always see their mouths move (like the Tin Man!)! If a craftsman doesn’t marry, he doesn’t have children, and if he doesn’t have children, he’s got nobody to whom he can pass along his wide knowledge and the tools of his art. I see the Robinsons had a nephew, but one boy can’t grow up to do the work of three men.
You've obviously missed the entire point; these craftsmen TOOK THEIR TIME, they respected their materials, their tools and themselves. Surely the fact that designs are not updated is what makes them classic?
Next time on youtube do yourself a favor and type robotics,cnc,drones and or automation you are in wrong dimension sir. This series is called hands Ireland for good reason.
