carpentry exams

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Paul Atzenweiler
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Location: Kansas City, MO
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Re: carpentry exams

Thu Dec 04, 2014 11:33 pm

It seemed to me that was the goal - fast and quality. Am I wrong but is Dennis Young's brother a chair maker in Australia (with a blog)? Anyway the person who I am thinking of relayed a story of his apprenticeship in Japan, his teacher always acted underwhelmed with his efforts and without compliments kept saying "You need to work faster!"
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Dennis

Re: carpentry exams

Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:36 am

Paul, my brother is a ceramicist living in the old pottery making town of Mashiko, in Tochigi prefecture.

If the story that was written about an underwhelmed teacher is something that i had put down about my apprenticeship, as it seems like it could well have been, the description actually applies to the last day when I waited outside the shop to privately express my thanks to the guy that had been my mentor, at the time of departure from the lengthy association. After acknowledging my expression of appreciation, his final comment to me was for the need to become faster. During the regular course of work, I can't recall much in the way of friendly compliments getting passed out. Not getting ragged on for one little thing or another when an apprentice is a big compliment in itself. If you want your teacher to lighten up, then do something faster than he can, was something that was once said to me.

Quality combined with speed is the only goal that i have ever heard expressed by a professional woodworker in Japan, as a general summation of how they best wish to pursue their work. In the shop where i was employed, after a certain number of years, one could ask to be put on a piece work salary arrangement, the total of monthly wages becoming based on the amount of output. For younger guys that did exceptionally fine work, the goal always seemed to remain to become faster. "I need ten more years", was the proverbial comment that seemed to be how it was often expressed. Almost everyone needed ten more years, it seemed, even the people that might not be alive in ten more years. After that ten was up, rather mysteriously the need for another ten appeared.

I personally have never observed a competition thing to be the last person to go home, it's the first time I've heard of that situation. I know that people are often wanting to have a goal regarding what they want to accomplish by the end of the day, which may entail staying beyond normal quitting time. As an expression of showoff pertaining to commitment, that seems like an odd approach. Perhaps it occurs, but as a general thing, Japanese are pretty low key about wanting to stand out. Now if there was an attractive daughter that the company owner had that one or more of the carpenters was keen on, it does seem more possible.

Poor work habits in terms pf lazying about, does seem rather unlike tradesmen in Japan. I would say that it is generally quite rare. Good or not so good work, it all getting done expediently seems most common.
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Paul Atzenweiler
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Location: Kansas City, MO
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Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:37 pm

Re: carpentry exams

Sat Dec 06, 2014 3:49 pm

That was what I was thinking about, thank you. Your brother does great work and the place where he lives is beautiful.

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