In article <vvklo4r0u6kgbe@corp.supernews.com>, Sweet Sawdust
<sweetsawdust@peoplepc.com> writes
> A craftsman is someone who has learned the skills
>needed to do a craft in a manner that shows a high level of expertise in a
>givin craft, 
...
>A crafter never reaches the level of craftsman, 

Forgive the rearrangement of your message, but if a crafter is someone
who can produce an item in a given craft in order to sell it (?) then
surely it must be possible for that person to improve their skills and
become a craftsperson? Otherwise, what do you call a craftsperson before
they have reached the level of expertise you define?  I would guess that
a lot of craftspeople have dabbled in various crafts (which I take to be
your definition of crafter) before specialising in one particular field.

...
> a Master Craftsman is one who is profecent in the performance
>of the craft and is able to preform new forms or add new techniques to the
>craft.    

With some of the more traditional crafts, it would likely be impossible
to add new techniques or create new designs - we may like to think that
we are being original, but sometimes a look back at historical pieces
can bring us right down to earth with a bump! 

There have been many discussions as to whether my speciality,
lacemaking, is an art or a craft (yet another bone of contention to some
people). Certain regional laces, such as Downton, (one of the bobbin
laces of the "East Midlands" group) are rigidly "cast in stone" so that
those who are counted as  being experts in its technique could not be
counted as masters (or mistresses!) by your definition. 

I agree that many of the general public have a "jumble sale price"
mentality when it comes to anything handmade - this is why I teach the
relevant skills, and those people who are special to me may get lace as
a present, rather than trying to sell my work - it is too labour
intensive to be able to produce and sell at the sort of prices people
would want to pay - not helped by the absolute pittance that must be
paid to the workers in foreign lands to produce the "hand made" lace
items in tourist resorts (for example, I think I once worked out that
the handmade crochet cushion covers you see would possibly pay the
worker something like 5-10p per hour by the time all the "middle-men"
had had their cut). Their work is still a craft, and many are skilled in
it. Unfortunately people hate parting with money unless they think they
have a bargain, and do not count other people's time as being as
valuable as their own - and we are probably just as bad as they are, if
we stop and think about it! Do *we* buy if we think we could do (almost)
as well ourselves?  


-- 
Jane Partridge