Table of Contents
How To Make Cool Stuff – 50 Minute Craftsmanship Masterclass & eBook by Smith Bros
Embrace the Way of the Craftsman
Do you remember what it was like to hang out in your grandfather’s workshop? Do you want to know how to literally MAKE meaning in your life and the lives of others? Do you want to get in touch with the idea of doing a job well for its own sake?
Making, building and creating ARE thinking and you can learn to do it. You can learn a craft and even make the nice things that you want to have. Embrace the Way of the Craftsman and discover how today with this eBook from Graeme Smith of Smith Bros, Leatherwork.
NEW – How To Make Cool Stuff now comes bundled with FREE 50 Minute Masterclass
- As well as this ebook and some other freebies, you’ll get my Smith Bros 50-minute masterclass – Exploring Craft and Craftsmanship
Read more here
CHECK OUT HOW TO MAKE COOL STUFF – LEARN NEW SKILLS, DO A GOOD JOB AND EMBRACE THE WAY OF THE CRAFTSMAN BY GRAEME SMITH
Click the link above to find out more about How to Make Cool Stuff – Learn new skills, do a good job and embrace the Way of the Craftsman
Learn how you can kickstart your leatherwork hobby with the right tools for cheap
If you’re reading this it’s might be because you imagine what it’s like to make your own cool stuff out of leather. Just think of it… wallets, bags, all kind of accessories… There’s so much cool stuff to make. Here’s what you’re thinking right now:
- What’s something creative I can do that won’t break the bank?
- Do I really want to get started with leatherwork?
- What tools do I need to buy?
- How do I avoid spending too much money before I know whether I’ll like it?
Pay what you want for this short guide and I’ll answer all your questions. Read more here and don’t forget to check out SMITH BROS on Instagram.
CHECK OUT SMITHBROS LEATHERWORK QUICKSTART TOOLS GUIDE BY GRAEME SMITH
Click the link below to find out more about Smith Bros Leatherwork Quickstart Tools Guide
Using Medical Scalpels for Craft and Leatherwork
Because an insanely sharp knife doesn’t have to break the bank
Everyone has their own idea about what to use for cutting leather and other materials. But we can all agree on one thing – a craftsman needs a good blade. Whether you’re starting out or not there is nothing worse than blunt tools.
- Are you tired of sharpening blades?
- Are you sick of snapping the tips off Exacto knives?
- Have you been wondering what to get to replace that rusty Stanley knife?
Pay what you want for this short guide to using medical scalpels for craft and leatherwork. Read more here from Smith Bros.
CHECK OUT USING MEDICAL SCALPELS FOR CRAFT & LEATHERWORK BY GRAEME SMITH
Click the link below to find out more about Using Medical Scalpels for Craft and Leatherwork
Extract from How To Make Cool Stuff
What do I want to talk about?
In this eBook I want to explore the idea of how making cool stuff, doing a good job and learning new skills all come together in the pursuit of mastery and craftsmanship at Smith Bros.
And I want to tell you some of my own story… including how I got started learning the craft of leatherwork and making the things I always wanted, but could never justify buying.
I think you’ll find that the lessons I’ve learned along the way will help you in your own journey.
And much of this will be applicable to your own work, hobbies and hopefully a few crazy projects that take you deep down the rabbit hole into learning new skills and extending yourself.
My stories and illustrations come from leatherwork and other things I’ve tried myself, but keep in mind the bigger picture… that this is about craftsmanship.
And you can apply what I’m talking about here to whatever craft you lend your hand to.
This includes traditional crafts such as leatherwork, woodwork or weaving. But it also includes other things that you might not think of as craft. For example, parenting, teaching and coding are all crafts.
So are the martial arts, in my opinion. But we’ll save that for another time.
Some questions to ask yourself
So, here’s a couple of questions to ask yourself as we get underway. The first one is broad and you don’t have to answer it now if you need some time to think about it:
- What’s your craft?
The second question is something I want you to keep asking yourself as we progress through the book:
- How can you apply what I’m talking about, to your work, hobby or passion project?
Overview
Right, we’re going to get into it all shortly, but here’s an overview of what we’re going to cover together:
First, I want to talk about the Whakapapa of this book and journey for me. Whakapapa is a word in Te Reo Māori that has a lot of meanings. In the education world in New Zealand, this is always where we start. Or should start.
Whakapapa about is origins, history, and genealogy. It literally means “layers”.
It’s always a good place to start because if you know where someone comes from, both physically and metaphorically, you can learn a lot about them. It’s also a good way to get to know someone.
Second, before we do a deep dive into the idea of craftsmanship, I want to talk about why I personally got into leathercraft.
This is important is because I think people are motivated to explore craft and craftsmanship for similar reasons. We might pick different crafts, hobbies and projects, but the reasons are often the same.
And where your reasons are different, there is value in considering how your creative outlet fulfils other functions that you may not have considered.
After that we can dive deeper into what craftsmanship means. What I want to explore is the sense that we aspire to do a good job for its own sake, we tap into a kind of template for living in a world that’s increasingly starved of meaning.
The point here is that we need to get back in touch with something that we’ve lost. Something that we, or perhaps our grandparents, used to know – the idea of making things well.
From there, I want to talk about how making, building, and creating is a path to mastery including self-mastery. And I want to tell you how to get started.
It’s not rocket science, but you might need to hear it.
Finally, in the last part, I unpack The Way of the Craftsman in more detail. I suggest 12 different ways in which you can embrace craftsmanship and forge order out of the chaos in your own life.
Find out more in How to Make Cool Stuff by Graeme Smith, Smith Bros.