It is important to our heritage that American craftsmanship should never lose sight of the traditionalism and methods of working that have been invented, tried and tested by successive generations of our forebears. They often fought and died to protect their craft, their ideas and their business and if successive generations are allowed to practice these ancient crafts without proper training, guidance and support, continuity of skill will be lost and future generations will not know any different.
A hand-made job will inevitably cost more than something that is mass produced, but any craftsman or women passionate about their trade will impart their spirit, as well as their skill, into that piece of work, a spirit that you won't find from a factory made product. Ask the craftsman where they trained, enquire more about their craft and be proud to pay a handsome price for a job well done.