A&S judging

[I. Marc Carlson]

>I'm going to address just one relatively small point (and a concluding 
>remark) from Diarmuit, but hopefully in a way that serves to illustrate a 
>point that adds to the judging discussion:

I'm not sure you "addressed" it as simply used it as a point to take off
from (which is perfectly fine).

I've never really considered documenting my knife sharpening, although,
in an ideal world, I certainly should.  I *do* almost all of my work
with hand tools (mostly because a) I really enjoy the feeling of working
with them, and b) it is almost impossible to fit power tools into my 
apartment :) , and have been trying to collect and make period tools
for as long as I can recall (although I'm neither as diligent or as
skilled a toolmaker as Leonidas).  I need to keep that sort of detail in mind
as well.   Usually when I am sharpening a knife though, it is putting the
initial edge on it, which means using a variety of files, then stones.

>I freely admit that I have done little formal research into "period" 
>methods....

if you decide that you want to, let me know -- they find the stupid stones
ALL over the place :)

Have you ever tried using a grinding wheel?  I've often considered that
might give me even better control over what I come up with than the nasty
electrical sort (although it *would* be much harder work.)

>Small details such as the condition of the tools AFTER a work has been 
>completed are going to catch at least some of my attention as a judge, if 
>the artisan thinks to include them in the display / photographic 
>documentation of the process.

This is *definately* true for me as well.

I suspect that once you've made an X, the making of that item is less and less
important as HOW you made that item, but yes, if I want to document the
manufacture process, than it is that process I should be entering, not
the final product.  There are very few cases where the specific process used
will produce a relevant difference between the "period made" item, and
the "modern made" one.  And where it *does* make a difference, that difference
may be of an easily identifiable nature.  For example, I've come to the 
conclusion that you should use only hand tools for doing the fine work on 
horn and bone since the power tools can burn the material, and the 
vibrations can destroy a piece.  OTOH, it may just be that *I* shouldn't
use power tools on them :)

I. Marc Carlson, Reference Librarian    |LIB_IMC at CENTUM.UTULSA.EDU
Tulsa Community College, West Campus LRC|Sometimes known as:
Reference Tech. McFarlin Library        | Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn 
University of Tulsa, 2933 E. 6th St.    | University of Northkeep 
Tulsa, OK  74104-3123 (918) 631-3794    | Northkeepshire, Ansteorra