craf:craft

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craf:craft [2025/12/01 19:02] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1craf:craft [2025/12/10 18:08] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 ## What is craft production? ## What is craft production?
  
-Craft (or artisan) production is about making (and repairing) useful (and often beautiful) things using a combination of hands and brain. Craft skills need time to acquire, and the work is often labour-intensive. Craft production can provide us with a [range of goods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) such as clothes, utensils, consumables, furniture, jewellery, toys, and useful items involving metal, wood, stone and various other natural or recycled materials. At the margins of the genre are [foods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/food/) (craft beers, artisan bread etc.), trades such as plumbing, electrical or [building](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/shelter/) work, and these days even high-tech 'crafts' such as [3D printing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing) or creating [free software](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/free-open-source/).+Craft (or artisan) production is about making (and repairing) useful (and often beautiful) things using a combination of hands and brain. Craft skills need time to acquire, and the work is often labour-intensive. Craft production can provide us with a [range of goods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) such as clothes, utensils, consumables, furniture, jewellery, toys, and useful items involving metal, wood, stone and various other natural or recycled materials. At the margins of the genre are [foods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/food/) (craft beers, artisan bread etc.), trades such as plumbing, electrical or [building](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/shelter/) work, and these days even high-tech 'crafts' such as [3D printing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing) or creating [free software](/foss/open_source).
  
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 Craft products are often beautiful as well as functional. Craft products are often beautiful as well as functional.
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 A dyer at work in 1433. Craft trades were organised into guilds, some of which still survive, like the [Workshipful Company of Dyers](https://www.dyerscompany.co.uk/). Here's a [gallery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artisan#Gallery) of medieval craft trades. A dyer at work in 1433. Craft trades were organised into guilds, some of which still survive, like the [Workshipful Company of Dyers](https://www.dyerscompany.co.uk/). Here's a [gallery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artisan#Gallery) of medieval craft trades.
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 _Woodwork and puppet making._ _Woodwork and puppet making._
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 Craft skills are being lost in developing countries as land grabs push people from rural farms to urban slums and sweatshops. Craft skills are being lost in developing countries as land grabs push people from rural farms to urban slums and sweatshops.
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 Craft production requires the mastering of a range of traditional tools. Craft production requires the mastering of a range of traditional tools.
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 Some craft products - like this walking-stick - can be works of art. Some craft products - like this walking-stick - can be works of art.
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 _Oak swill basket weaving._ _Oak swill basket weaving._
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 A move towards craft production in all countries could help put an end to sweatshop labour. A move towards craft production in all countries could help put an end to sweatshop labour.
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 ### Mutual credit ### Mutual credit
  
-One way to develop these groups of community-based businesses that trade with each other is via a mutual credit club. Mutual credit is a moneyless exchange system in which businesses trade via numbers in an account, not money. Here's an [introduction to mutual credit](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/mutual-credit/), and below is part of a conversation with a craft partner of ours - a weaver who understands the potential of mutual credit.+One way to develop these groups of community-based businesses that trade with each other is via a mutual credit club. Mutual credit is a moneyless exchange system in which businesses trade via numbers in an account, not money. Here's an [introduction to mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit), and below is part of a conversation with a craft partner of ours - a weaver who understands the potential of mutual credit.
  
 "We've been talking about mutual credit quite a lot. My position is that if you're a producer as well as a consumer, the attitude to price is different. So if a weaver and a potter are in the same community - at some point he's going to need clothes from you and you're going to need mugs, plates and bowls from him. And there'll be lots of other trades represented in the community, that everyone needs - including food, energy, builders, couriers, printers, etc. If you're producing things for, as well as consuming things from this local market, you'll be receiving higher prices as well as paying higher prices. So they cancel each other out - and everyone gets higher-quality, sustainable goods; and your job becomes more interesting - you're not on the slippery slope to the Amazon warehouse or Über cab. "We've been talking about mutual credit quite a lot. My position is that if you're a producer as well as a consumer, the attitude to price is different. So if a weaver and a potter are in the same community - at some point he's going to need clothes from you and you're going to need mugs, plates and bowls from him. And there'll be lots of other trades represented in the community, that everyone needs - including food, energy, builders, couriers, printers, etc. If you're producing things for, as well as consuming things from this local market, you'll be receiving higher prices as well as paying higher prices. So they cancel each other out - and everyone gets higher-quality, sustainable goods; and your job becomes more interesting - you're not on the slippery slope to the Amazon warehouse or Über cab.
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 Passing on craft skills to the younger generation is essential to keep them alive. Passing on craft skills to the younger generation is essential to keep them alive.
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 +## Further resources
 +
 +- [Crafts Council](https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/)
 +- [Heritage Crafts Association](https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/)
 +- [UK craft fairs](https://www.ukcraftfairs.com/)
 +
 +## Specialists
  
-_Date on Lowimpact:2014-05-12_ 
  
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