Why do antique tools matter?
Think about it, why do they matter? Why is it important to preserve their history as man’s development?
Tools tell a thousand stories, they were after all the extension to a craftsman’s workmanship, shaping many things we see today. Quality has been proven to stand the test of time and years from now modern tools will fully illustrate the lack of appreciation most modern architecture and furniture deserves.
Back in the day, toolmakers of antique tools were expected to be equally skilled as the workers who used the tools they produced. There lies one of the most important factors with antique tools and their knowledge of the tool’s function.
This is why those looking at Antique tools with a modern eye don’t quite understand what they are looking at without first understanding the importance of appreciating craftsmanship. It’s not a modern carpenter’s fault in thinking this way when they discard hard point saws faster than they cut wood or a general builder who replaces modern chisels when they become blunt. This is a sign of the times, tradesmen are probably more attached to their cordless tool kits than appreciating what came before.
However, after 20+ years of house bashing, things change in a tradesman’s mind from doing the same soleless job. Some start to appreciate the finer qualities of their crafts, children, and grandchildren make them question the dust clouds coming from electric tools. When this happens they often develop a new sense of self and the things around them. I described it as the passing of the dawn into the sunlight phase of my life, those with conscientious approaches start asking themselves the meaning of their life. This often transforms into the re-invention of ourselves and deeper thoughts of appreciation of all things that pass us by in our younger years.
Appreciation of what others are capable of is the first step towards the appreciation others have for your own capabilities. Without taking the time to recognise important details in things means it never will exist within ourselves, it’s all part of the learning cycle of developing a richer, more meaningful life.
Let me explain it like this, I’m no author but write blogs to convey a message but this is done on a computer with spell checks and all the gismo’s that come with it. Let’s say I wanted to do it better, where would I start? Reading and studying other people’s styles of writing would be a good start along with enriching my vocabulary through studying words.
Even writing a fluently well-crafted handwritten letter would be a big step up if this was the area that I wanted to focus on. The choice of a pen may well become far more important if I took this direction where workmanship, rarity, and uniqueness may play a part. They say the pen is mightier than the sword but it really does depend on the situation and through the eyes of the beholder.
Even writing involves tools whether it’s done on a computer or by the pen but the most important factor is, “what can be created by both”.
A good computer has more capabilities, a nice antique pen owned by a famous author has an influential association feel to it. The same can be said about other desirable tools and the more they are admired by others the more influence they seem to have over us.
This, in essence, is the importance of antique tools, they should be appreciated for what they have done for mankind, the better they are it’s likely the more importance there was in what was created by them or who owned them.
Those who still don’t understand are either too young or have missed the transition into the sunshine of their life before crash landing into their twilight years.
There is simply much more to this subject than looking at some old tool with some value. Think about it!