The death of the artisan

If the labels on the goods at your shop of choice are any indication, overnight we have become a country teeming with artisans, handcrafting all kinds of wares just for you. Not because we’re trying to make a quick buck, but because we have a passion for honing our skills.

Skeptical? Me too — because I’ve been down those same aisles and I don’t buy it.

Take a look for yourself and you’ll see claims of heritage goods, made the same way since before the great depression, following some recipe from an ancestor who didn’t even live to see the industrial revolution. But these claims live on the surface level only. If you look a little closer, it’s very likely that brand pulling your heart strings with a tale of old world craftsmanship is actually made by robots in a giant factory.

Not that there’s anything wrong with robots in giant factories. But there’s something that just doesn’t jive when you mix industrial with artisanal. Doing so is the branding equivalent of bragging about how humble you are.

We all know that a real craftsman doesn’t need to proclaim that he is one. He just is one. The work is a testament to the skill. Word gets around. First time customers become lifelong customers — buying the craftsman’s goods because they recognize the value, not because the value is clearly stated on the packaging.