Hand Craftsmanship in the Digital Age Strother Purdy

Abe Chaber is a master gunsmith of best grade shotguns, having apprenticed under Carl Kruger. His work is beyond superlative, and recognized worldwide as among the very best.

The challenges of gunsmithing, using only hand tools and traditional materials to maintain 18th and 19th-century authenticity in his repairs and reproductions, cannot be underestimated. Abe works with different steels, iron, copper, gold and silver, wood and horn, leather and many other materials each with their own properties, using only files, saws, chisels and hammers.

What has kept Abe at his bench for over 50 years? How does he "just do it"? And what two words from his teacher encapsulate everything he works for?



It's a long interview, over 2 hours. Listening in installments is permitted.

Ian Kirby's storied career as a teacher, designer, and hand craftsman with great skills of workmanship is the foundation of this interview. We talk of many things, from

lessons such as to never make a piece of furniture without a purpose; how drawing from nature, not from other artists or craftsmen, is key to understanding good design; how students have changed since the 1970’s; how nothing in nature is truly ugly, and nature is our visual capital; the American v. the English way of learning woodworking; the problems of the designer not being able to afford his own work; that a pantry is essential in a good kitchen; and how through our work we set a standard for living.

Visit Ian's website iankirbydesign.com to learn more.

Go see Ben's work at benswoodshop on Instagram, then you will have all the context you need for a discussion with him about mastery, beauty, making things, and what keeps him going, making things that people will treasure in their lives.

Cell phones make photography the most democratic of arts. You take pictures, don't you? What is the thrill of the click for you?

Denise Keim, an amazing professional street photographer, and Chip Reid, attorney-by-day and talented photographer by night (and weekend-day) discuss who they are, what they do, their attitudes towards their work, how their work shapes them, has opened doors for them and fulfills their lives, and, in the end, if the Kardashians are beautiful.

Doesn't the search for, and creation of, Beauty reminds us that we’re all part of a greater narrative?

The corporate lawyer told me he hated everything about his job except the paycheck. I wondered how he could live that way. I find such satisfaction and meaning in my simple cabinetmaking work. Other craftsmen seem to feel the same--though words to describe this secret ingredient are few and vague.

Between interviews, an exploration of the goals of this podcast and the accompanying book.

Paula Sparks is my wife's best friend. She has spent her life either working with her hands or teaching how to use them in a range of trades. From furniture stripping and repairing, to jewelry making, to residential carpentry, we talk about throwing creativity into mundane work, quieting the inner chatter, the dullness of office work, and how comparison is the thief of joy.

Enjoy!