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Author Topic: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?  (Read 9792 times)

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Offline Darth Chasm

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #30 on: April 08, 2018, 04:50:21 AM »
Well put Seth. I know similar people.

Offline bombarta

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #31 on: April 08, 2018, 06:44:15 AM »
Agree with DC well said Sethski.
I don't know, i gotta bad feeling about this!
       

Offline JakeSoft

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #32 on: April 08, 2018, 07:53:45 AM »
It's difficult not to tie it in with people doing it as all or part of their livelihood as a straightforward yes/no part of criteria, and maybe that does form part of many people's idea of a sabersmith, but I can think of so many people I know or have known who are extremely skilled in various creative practices they do regularly - at or well beyond a baseline 'professional' level - but choose not to make it a job or career, it just doesn't sit right for me to make that a measure, as I wouldn't consider these folks any less an artist/musician/maker/animator/writer/etc/etc than someone who earns money from it.

I agree with this. The skills to monetize your work are independent from actually doing the work itself to a high level of quality.

Offline jbkuma

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #33 on: April 08, 2018, 08:17:16 AM »
Sounds 'bout right to me.

Offline jbkuma

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #34 on: April 08, 2018, 08:55:28 AM »
To put things more succinctly: Smithing implies transforming starting materials into something else.

To put it less succinctly and into murky metaphor:
We wouldn't call someone who bought a packaged builtd-it-yourself cabinet set from a big box a wood worker or cabinet maker, even if they were to paint it and chose which pieces went where. That isn't to say they didn't do something that required, an artistic eye, time, effort and care.  Let's be honest, those instructions only get you half way there and a bit of research before and during the process really helped get the project to the finish line.  It isn't pejorative to say this isn't craftsmanship.  Everyone loves Assemblyperson Pat Geterdon, all is well.

Now if this same person were to take these cabinets and start taking them apart, cutting parts away, adding in pieces here and there, we are beginning to have someone a bit more advanced in the art of building cabinets.  Not every corner is perfectly square, that one door is a bit loose, and there is that gap we wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out in just the right light.  The point is that it's functional and customized to the need of the space.  This person is still not a wood worker or cabinet maker, but they are heading in that direction.  Perhaps if the Fates had blown the winds further west, this person would be building cabinets rather than their equally gratifying job of building custom copy machines for orphans.  Everyone loves Bob Builderson, all is well.

Then there is Sally Cabinetsmith.  Sally starts with sheets of wood, boxes of screws, crates of hardware, and after a period of time this pile of materials is transformed into a tightly fitting, square, plumb, level and, well, a gorgeous piece of cabinetry.  Not only did she start with raw materials, she selected their size, source and type based on her knowledge and experience.   Sometimes it makes sense to incorporate an existing piece, or outsource a special door.  There's no need to re-invent the wheel, and Nick Doorman does exceptional work.  She doesn't have all of the tools every other cabinet maker uses, or use every technique imaginable, but her work speaks for itself, methods and materials aren't what makes her the top in her game: it's skill, knowledge and the ability to execute those things at a high level that puts her a step ahead.  She may only build one or two cabinets a year, and last year she took off to the entire Star Wars EU catalog for the second time (that's HER head canon), but no one questions that her work is worth what ever you are willing to pay for it.  Everyone loves Sally Cabinetsmith, not more or less than Bob or Pat, and that's ok. All is well.

Offline EXAR KUN

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #35 on: May 09, 2018, 12:54:21 PM »
One of these words that always annoys me is 'installer'.

Sounds so cheap.  'Installer.'

Sounds like it all happens very easily and quickly... like something you do half asleep. I never had an install go smoothly really... or take less time than I can predict. Always more. And installing isn't just putting stuff in a soldering... I never had it that easy! There's always planning, drilling, sanding, polishing, fixing something unforeseen, unknown-at-the-start problems, and just custom issues that arise when you do a different hilt like all the time... and basically never the same hilt twice. Maybe if you did Graflexes all the time you'd become accustomed to those and figure out speedier processes. But when you work on a different hilt every time... there are new problems/new strategies have to be employed.

I don't know.

I just don't like that 'installer' term when it comes to sabers. Like, I was on Instagram one day and I saw a post "My morning install!" and there were pics of a saber. Morning install? What the heck? An install takes me days... not a morning lol. Maybe the planning alone will take a morning.

Another time I saw a forum member post: "Did three installs today!" I was like say what!!??? How is 'installing' so easy and fast for some and so hard for me lol?

Morning install!!!!!! Wooo hooo!!!!! Did you hear me, I said MORNING!!! Done by lunch time!!!!!! (camera pans to me working til 4 am still not done lol)

Offline jbkuma

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #36 on: May 09, 2018, 02:12:02 PM »
If the install is wiring up the board and screwing some MHS together it doesn't seem like it should take more than a few hours to bang a couple out.  That would certainly be more of assembly/install rather than smithing.

Offline Morannon

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #37 on: May 12, 2018, 05:58:46 AM »
I'm right there with you, Space. I always run into one thing or another. I just assume those installs are done with a pre-made chassis made by someone else, in a hilt it was designed for. Not a ton of thought required I guess. You could always finish it in a morning by jamming it all up in there and crossing your fingers?
« Last Edit: May 12, 2018, 06:02:49 AM by Morannon »

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Offline JakeSoft

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #38 on: May 13, 2018, 10:48:04 AM »
Morning install!!!!!! Wooo hooo!!!!! Did you hear me, I said MORNING!!! Done by lunch time!!!!!! (camera pans to me working til 4 am still not done lol)

If using pre-made chassis parts and MHS with all the holes already drilled and tapped, it's totally possible to bang out a very basic build in an afternoon. However, I never do my builds that way and you probably don't either.

Offline eastern57

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Re: What makes a sabersmith a sabersmith?
« Reply #39 on: May 25, 2018, 02:14:20 AM »
Dang it, why didn't anyone tell me...?!?! [/melbrooks]

My opinion, okay, um, lesseee here...

I say go ahead, call yourself a smith, a master builder, tech, artist, installer, MHS assembler... whatever.  Because if no one did, there wouldn't be a lightsaber community.  Whether or not old school dudes actually believed or deserved to be called it, is irrelevant, they called themselves whatever the heck they wanted.  But if it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be anyone to look up to, compare yourself to, or exceed.  It's time that has decided that so-and-so is a sabersmith, or so-and-so is a master builder.  Although, I think Qui-gon is the only one who voluntarily called himself "MHS assembler". lol.

So yeah, call yourself what you will - everyone else will decide if it's correct.

What makes a sabersmith?

Here's what I think: someone else will say so, and the work will speak for itself.  According to Katooso, I may possibly be one. :tongue:  So when you say: "I consider this person a saber smith, but not that person.."  BAM, that's it.  Entirely subjective, but ... yeah, entirely subjective.

If you made the whole hilt or just bought a kit and clipped the leads together, other people will see what you did, and will remember what they will and judge how they will.  If you're lucky enough to be included in a discussion like this, be it private or public, THAT, imho, is what will determine who will be remembered, deemed, agreed is a smith or not.

On a side note... from my experience, that when a bunch of close-knit, like-minded folks get together, it doesn't matter what they call themselves (it's almost all tongue-in-cheek anyway... I was a muppet).  People's personal motives for being involved will eventually rise to the forefront... be it artistry, money, helping people, build challenge, camaraderie - and they eventually pursue said motives, regardless of what they're called.

There's always going to be old folks, newbies, and a bunch of in betweeners. This was an argument when I started, and it's still going... but if it didn't happen as a community, someone would step in and force something arbitrary and stupid on everyone.  So keep it up, ask again in a couple years, the more you opine, the more you casually influence folks to ascend to said levels, thus raising the communal bar, and inadvertently creating "real" sabersmiths and master builders.

 :afro:

 

retrousse