stores today to buy a salad bowl and you a huge assortment of plastic and glued-together, mass produced wooden bowls. I make by hand solid, one piece bowls which I trust to be in fine shape for future generations with minimal care. Piers I appreciate the input from the folk music world. As traditional crafts people we are often expected to appear in traditional dress from some bygone age yet we are living and working in the 21st century. I find appearance is important and says a lot about who we are, first impressions count. If I am going to meet a minister I get a haircut and wear my suit, because I know he will be wearing a suit and it creates empathy. If I am demonstrating craft I find a leather apron works wonders, it is almost like a badge of office. The public immediately decide I am a professional craftsperson if I wear a leather apron. Richard, Steve, I agree, we are in the lucky position of being able to choose the best of technology from all periods. About Me This blog is an eclectic mix of traditional woodworking, other traditional crafts and associated ramblings about the future of crafts in our daily lives, details about me and my work on my web site www.robin-wood.co.uk