Design Thought Leader

April 22, 2011

Lobmeyr’s Johannes Rath on Keeping Craft Alive

“We try to keep the traditional handcrafting techniques alive in our company, to preserve them not only for our company but also for society in general. Certain techniques would be lost to [humankind] if they did not have the chance to survive here in our workshops, where they are put to good use, to create not-so-traditional things but still using traditional techniques.

The preservation of the skills happens in the hands of our [craftspeople] who are glad to pass them on to their younger colleagues, and the younger [craftspeople] eagerly pick up the techniques, the theoretical part and the small tricks that go with the techniques. So it’s not only the hard facts of this-is-the-technique, but you also have to know the soft skills that only the actual [craftspeople] know and pass on as small hints and tips. With some techniques, for example, you have to listen to the noise that the tools make, or to have the feeling in your hand when the vibrations reach a certain pitch. It’s nothing that can be taught by books or the spoken or written word. It’s really about the hand and the whole body being thrown into the production process.”

Source: Vienna Apprenticeships reported by Monocle

Labels: Craft