What is in a name?

[CaptQuirk]

Ok, I'm not going to recite Shakespere, but there is a question that has been bugging me- A person the makes shoes is called a Cobbler. A person that makes Saddles is called a Saddler. A person that makes the skin for furniture is called an Upholsterer... so what do you call a guy that makes Holsters? A Holsterer? Is his shop called a Holstery?

[tnhomestead]

i think they are called wackers wacking in a wackery!

Edited December 11, 2016 by tnhomestead

[OLDNSLOW]

that or they are just wacked

 

[bikermutt07]

Holstier.

[CaptQuirk]

Is Holstier the correct term? It sounds good... Much more professional than "The Dude that does Leather".

[tnhomestead]

• Cordwainer - Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain
• maybe this would work as a title?

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, CaptQuirk said:

Is Holstier the correct term? It sounds good... Much more professional than "The Dude that does Leather".

Hahaha no, I made that up. But it sounds good. I would think once we learn ourselves up to an honest journeyman level, we would refer to our self as a leathersmith. I am not a journeyman in leather. I'm not even considering myself an accomplished apprentice yet. 

But in our modern world we have so few opportunities to learn a skill from a true master craftsman.

Take carpentry in the south for instance. 50 years ago a journeyman carpenter would put an entire house together. But, in today's world there are so many sub contractors that all skills have become specialized to some degree. You have different crews for form work, framing, electrical, hvac, sheet rock, tapeing and floating, cabinets, trim, painting, plumbing, roofing, and flooring.

After over twenty years in construction I feel I could build an entire house from scratch. I can do some really amazing things as a journetman tradesman. But even now, I don't consider myself a master carpenter.

Why? Because, I'm honest. That's why. I can't do "all" of the things listed above at what I consider a master level. I have never had any inside woodshop experience. I've never built furniture, operated a lathe, or a jointer. But I have done some wicked cool things in the field with ingenuity and minimal tools.

Wow, kind of went off on a tangent there, sorry.

So yeah, holstier sounds good.

[OLDNSLOW]

Apprenticeship programs have been on the decline in this country for several decades in most all trades, there are many factors that have contributed to the decline of the programs.  Computer age for one or evolution has been one of the major factors in its decline, everyone wants to sit at a desk and get paid top dollar and not get their fingers dirty, Mike Row has addressed this in some of the talks he has given, the educational process has cut out the funding for a lot of the programs that use to be mandatory many years back.  Europe has been and will probably remain in the forefront of apprenticeship programs and the workmanship shows in the quality of the products that they produce.  An entire thesis could be written on this subject matter I know I wrote one for BS paper many years ago, so there is no point in trying to describe the slow death of the programs here in the US.  

[JLSleather]

Seems to have veered a bit, to discussing quality and craftsmanship.  When considering a name, are we considering craftsmanship, workmanship, and quality to be factors?  Cuz if those aren't factors, then the name put on it is pointless and irrelevant.

Used to be you had to know something about building principles and building codes to be a carpenter.  Now, just buy a saw and a hammer, and pay $50 at the county office for "registration", and you're a "contractor".  I always get a 'kick' out of those geniuses buzzing around in trucks that say "licensed, bonded, insured" under a logo of some sort.  See, in Iowa, there is NO license for a contractor (electrical one exception) - and the only person needing "bonded" is the one who posts a bond IN LIEU OF insurance, and insurance is passed out to anyone who will write a check.

No point in apprenticeship -- the new guy would just be standing around watching the old guy standing around!   This is largely due to the govt "creating jobs".  See, it took 4 guys 2 days to roof my house (the one I live in).  But now there are 7 guys out of work, so we hire them too.  And of course, they need a decent wage, so now what cost me $4 now costs me $7, for the same thing.  ANd there ya go.... same work done, but at twice the cost, and 7 guys made lazy (er).

My wife was - until recently - some kind of fancy-pants at Purina (the pet care division).  BUNCH of people have jobs there.  I almost said "bunch work there", but that isn't true.  Now, I'm not saying a guy has to be covered in muck and ruining his spinal cord to be "at work" (though, hey - work IS a factor in being a man).  But at the end of the day, if that entire plant burned to the ground, then a bunch of kitties have to remember how to catch mice - BIG DEAL, SO WHAT?!@!

And the state of the union, as they say, is that the kitties WILL figure it out -- and the "men" likely won't figure it out.  Just file for occupational disability -- ousted from their "job" through no fault of their own.. blahblah   Unemployment.  Welfare. I mean, it aint like we're gonna go catch the mouse (actually work) OURSELVES (shame for even suggesting that!).

So, yeah -- I would need to see the quality and integrity involved in a piece before i attach a name ... 

 

[bikermutt07]

Well, I have worked at many many different places over the years and here is something I found to be true. 25% of the employees pretty much carry the place. The other 75% are just slinging a check. I don't know why it's like that, but it is.

[JLSleather]

On 12/13/2016 at 6:38 PM, bikermutt07 said:

25% of the employees pretty much carry the place. The other 75% are just slinging a check.

Yeah, pretty much.  I don't have a "job" because i'm not one of the useless (and generally effeminate, truth be told) 75% (personal integrity is genetic)... and I have no desire to be the one carrying 3, so there's that.

And I don't have employees, because I have no desire to pay 3 boogers while the fourth one does the work!  Usually, it's the ones having long convesations about "working smarter, not harder".... when they really mean not working at all.

Just wouldn't work out.  I'm not opposed to tact and politically correct, but I don't' adhere to either at the expense of the truth.  If you're useless, prob'ly just a matter of time before I point that out

 

[bikermutt07]

You won't be pointing my way, Buddy. I'm one of the 25 percenters.

[JLSleather]

1 minute ago, bikermutt07 said:

You won't be pointing my way, Buddy. I'm one of the 25 percenters.

I never point.  But I sometimes do use names and labels

 

[LumpenDoodle2]

Before I started this leather thing last year, I was self employed in a totally different business.   At one point I employed 5 chaps, and can say hand on heart, not one of them was worth the wage I paid them.

Sounds cruel?   Not really, I ruined my health (and bank balance)  trying to get my job finished, to then drive around the other jobs getting them off their backsides to try and do a good enough job, in a short enough time, to allow me to make any money from it.

After a year, got rid of them all, it was just not worth the hassle.

Anyhoo, back on thread.

What do I call myself?   Bloomin' lucky to be able to do something which allows me to earn money from something I enjoy doing, while paying my bills, and working from home.

Ok, the semi-retired thing hasn't worked, too many orders have come in (not that I'm complaining), but I love being able to look out my kitchen window of a morning, and watch my neighbors all heading off to work.