Recently I compared an inlay job I did with a CNC inlay. Yes, the CNC was all geometrically perfect, but the hand cut and hand inlaid pearl I did had life despite its imperfections. When your hand and thought go into an object, some of your chi is inevitable transferred.

In this modern culture how many things that we come into contact with are unique or hand made? I was wondering if the current trend for young people to spend hundreds of dollars on tattoos might be due to a longing for something unique and hand crafted.

I doubt that I will ever make an instrument that is as perfect as one coming out of an Asian factory, but I have no doubt that the sweat that I sweat, the thoughts that i think, the beauty I pursue in making an ...