# Branding Irons - thoughts on "Hand Crafted By"



## keith204 (Nov 5, 2013)

I'm not going bigtime with woodworking, but I'm making a few pizza peels and cutting boards to give away to friends and family, and possibly sell some of them. More importantly, I'd like to brand them underneath. One style of stock brand is "Hand Crafted by:"

Does this lead one to believe that I use primarily hand tools? Or, if I use a combination (but primarily power tools) would it still be acceptable to use this phrase?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

It would still be acceptable as far as I'm concerned. I use a mix of hand tools, (but primarily power tools) and have such a brand. I read an article by Lonnie Bird about building a chest of drawers. He had dovetails on the carcase and laid them out, then cleared most of the waste with a router (free hand). He finished them up by hand, and called them "hand cut" dovetails.


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## SirIrb (Jan 12, 2015)

To me, as long as it isnt all computerized you can say handcrafted. I have made tons of cabinets without one formal "hand tool" (hand plane, card scraper etc) and I believe they are handcrafted. I believe handcrafted also signifies quality of materials. If you are making MDF peels then I wouldnt say it. I know you arent but thats an example.


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## Puzzleman (May 4, 2010)

If during some part of the operation, you use your hands, it is hand crafted.

Are you concerned about someone policing your statement and wanting to have verification of work processes?

Concerning no using computers to make it, there was a time that before table saws and band saws that those were considered not being part of hand crafted. It is evolution. Things will always be changing. If you are trying to make a living out of woodworking, you should be looking for every opportunity to improve efficiency and deliver a quality product at an affordable price..


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

All of my projects are handcrafted using machinery like table saw and planer. 
Here is a logo discussion we had a few weeks ago. More about logo than handcrafted.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

If you want to be pedantic.. hand crafted would mean you scratched the piece out with your fingernails. I think most people understand what hand crafted means; it once was a tree, now it's something useful, and you made it.

Cheers,
Brad


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

Many years ago I worked in a furniture factory in Brisbane doing hotel fit outs. The Mirage Resorts, on the Gold Coast and Port Douglas, each had 15 Executive Suites. These were proudly touted as handmade. The same cabinets as elsewhere in the complex but with a little twist here and there.

"Handmade" doesn't appear on my website or business cards. Mine just say " made in Australia ", because not much is made here these days.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Back in the 70's when I got out of the Army, I got a job for a short time in Seattle at Pike Place Market, a 9 storey building on the waterfront that is an old time public market built in the 1800's. My job was to replace rotten flooring that had been ruined by the sea air. 
They advertised the remodel as, "Hand crafted in the old way." 
My job was to pull out the old flooring and cut new pieces to fit that were made in a moulding mill. To make it seem true to advertising, I had to cut each end piece with a backsaw in a Stanley hand miter box.
A guy came in after I was done and stained and finished everything to match the old stuff.
He did such a good job that when I was there about 15 years ago I couldn't tell where any of my work had started or stopped, except a couple of spots where my cuts weren't exactly square.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

It is handcrafted if is not made on an assembly line where each person has only one task.


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## keith204 (Nov 5, 2013)

Great news. Thanks!


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

"It is handcrafted if is not made on an assembly line where each person has only one task." 
I agree. I would add no computer controlled tooling involved.


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

Sounds like the Ford Model T. Everyone on the line did one thing. Or so I heard.

This came to mind; not sure if it is on topic, but here's the idea.


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