Technology has always been part of craftsmanship.  I prefer not to put the craftsmen of yesterday on a pedestal - they would have used machinery if they had it.  The truth is that working wood with handtools only is backbreaking labor, hence the need for apprentices in the old days to do the really tough work.

  You don't have to be interested in the tools and processes of woodworking to appreciate owning nice furniture but some people are curious so I'll give a little insight into some of the unusual tools I use and why.