We are very passionate about our hand-made products. Yet we are often asked why each piece costs more than a similar item on the high street and why hand-made matters so much. It is true that mass-produced items are cheaper but at the same time, it seems crazy to compare them alongside their hand-made counterparts. The whole ethos of hand-made products is so different: they are not made or sold in the same way. And yet still the question comes: so what? Why should I bother with hand-made?
Since the heart of our business lies in celebrating individual craftsmanship and creativity, we decided to make a list of exactly why it matters so much to us.
One of a kind
A huge amount of thoughtfulness goes into making things by hand, delivering a finish that is impossible to replicate in mass production. Each item celebrates individual craftsmanship and is inherently unique. Free-hand painting, for example, is a fiddly business and it is hard not to wonder at the steady handed skills responsible! Even if it is one of a series, each product will differ slightly because it has been created by hand. In our minds, this marks them out as little works of art.Celebrating Creativity
Hand-made products are a vital reflection of our creativity and culture, utilising traditional skills that could easily lapse if they are not championed. These skills, passed from generation to generation honour the magic of an individual imagination, as well as the skills and ingenuity of craftsmanship. They embrace the value of human potential and support a tradition of skilled work. When you buy something hand-made, it is a strong statement of support for these values.
A more sustainable future
A lot less energy is consumed in the slower production lines of hand-made products. Smaller producers tend to source materials and staff locally and have less to gain by exploiting cheap materials, as it devalues their creations. By stark contrast, mass production relies on bulk-buying, which forces the lowering of prices across production lines and enables companies to make a profit whilst ostensibly offering a ‘bargain.’ In order to do this, people are forced into jobs with little pay – and this has knock-on effects on their working methods, jeopardising safe and environmentally friendly working practices.A bargain-based culture has profound consequences for the environment. People tire quickly of the bland monotony in mass-produced ‘off-the-shelf’ items. This makes them easy to throw away. If something isn’t quite right or slightly out of fashion, it is thrown out and replaced by something better – whilst the rubbish piles accumulate around us.
Hand on heart…
The way we see it? Choosing to buy hand-made products acknowledges the value of individual creativity. It supports local communities, our planet and protects the evolution of skills. Our artisans are artists and passionate about their craft and in buying their creations you are celebrating their talents and ensuring that skill and craftsmanship will not be forgotten.
