Leathercraft Vs Leatherworks

[Leatherimages]

There is no is.

Be yourself. Grow and be that person then.

DBA as you wish.

There is no is.

[DoubleC]

Sound advice, Cheryl

[jprieto]

thanks guys (and girls)

case closed

[Johanna]

I prefer "leatherworker" because we need to get paid for our WORK. I am not a "crafter", which conjures up images of glue guns and popsicle sticks, nor a "smith", just a humble leatherworker. But there is no "standard" definition.

~J

[mlapaglia]

well things change with the addition of the "er". We started out talking about Leather craft vs leather works. The consensus seemed to be that craft was the stuff we made or the act of making it and works was the place it was made.

Changing to talk about Leather crafter vs leather worker brings up a different set of thoughts. To me I agree with Johanna. A leather crafter brings up the image of a person that gets their leather and tools from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Lots of glue gun, glitter and small items. A leather worker makes me think of a person with a corner or room or store they call "the shop" More than one piece of leather, has the tools, produces a product that is guality.

Its like the difference between a gardener and a farmer. Leather craftesr are like gardeners and leather workers are farmers.

This is my opinion only. As for the term that applies to me. I prefer Leather God. It's a miracle that I get anything done well.

Michael

[DoubleC]

LOL, Michael. You are right though, guy was trying to pick out a name and we were talking about a place vs. the person doing it. If a leather worker is someone who has the tools, and at least a corner dedicated to the work, then I'm a number one leather mangler. I just rearranged (still not finished, why is organizing so hard) my bedroom to make as much space for the work as possible. I have an industrial metal desk, desktop, cabinet, and two sets of shelves dedicated to the leather side. On the other I have the sewing machine, a desk with material, and sewing 'stuff' along with finishing stuff for my leather work (roo lace, etc.). For me in this bedroom, I uh have a twin bed and nightstand :-) I'm thinking of moving it out and sleeping on the LR floor to make more room for the leather and sewing stuff. Not really but I could sue about three closets in here (have none, old Victorian house converted to apts.) Oh the leather has an end table too with my molding things on it. I am saving a corner (hard to believe I have one left, I know) to pile boxes of things I need to sort through and gonna call that my little shop of Horror (so much that's gotten mixed together it is horrifying). Cheryl

[Sylvia]

I prefer "leatherworker" because we need to get paid for our WORK. I am not a "crafter", which conjures up images of glue guns and popsicle sticks, nor a "smith", just a humble leatherworker. But there is no "standard" definition.

~J

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree. A craftsman is a highly skilled artisan who made things to last. As example, think of the the "craftsman" house. Wood was carefully formed into windows, stairways, built in cabinets.

When the western world became consumers we got used to shoddily made manufactured goods which would last only a few years before they were set out with the refuse. Funny, that now people seek out craftsman made items and pay a premium for them... then restore them to their former glory instead of buying new.

Some where along the way folks who still made things in fabric, wood, and leather became hobbyists instead of highly skilled business people and called what they did "crafting." Through the years "crafting" mistakenly became a "dirty word" and something bored housewives did to pass the time.

In fact the word "craftsman" is still defined as n. A man who practices a craft with great skill. And "Craft" is defined as An activity involving skill in making things by hand.

[Bob Blea]

I'm probably with Sylvia on this one. To me, a 'leather crafter' would be a craftsman, someone who practices their craft with great skill. But I can certainly see the hobby 'craft' meaning in that too. I really think it depends on your background and your mind set. You may be used to thinking of 'crafts' as the art class that your young kids go to at school. Or, you might work in a union environment where the trade skills (plumbing, electrical, etc.) are organized into trade 'craft' unions, and those people are the ones trained and most skilled at those particular 'crafts'. Same for the term 'worker'. There are probably plenty of people that will automatically associate 'leather worker' with 'worker bee' or 'day laborer', someone who is low paid or doing a job that anyone could do.

I think most of the perception on each term will depend on the person who hears it and their background. Everyone probably has some preconcieved notion of what 'craft' or 'worker' means based on their own experiences. It is up to us, when dealing with that person as a potential customer, to help them understand what makes us skillful at what we do, and what makes our particular product unique and extraordinary.

Bob

[DoubleC]

Good point. It's not just what we bring to the conversation but the customer as well. Cheryl

[rosiart]

This is my opinion only. As for the term that applies to me. I prefer Leather God. It's a miracle that I get anything done well.

Michael

Too Funny!!! Thanks for the morning chuckle.