How can we explore and express values of sustainability through the practice of a craft?
As Ciro and I have begun to start work blacksmithing, I have begun to reflect more so on the essential question. In our cohort meeting on Monday, Mark had a guest speaker named Arian, who is an industrial designer with years of experience. We talked briefly about sustainability, and considering where materials come from and where they go in the end. He brought the company Corelle, which makes dishware designed to last longer than other brands This brings up the conflict of keeping up with modern trends, which for a company in the food business is extremely important. With blacksmithing, we find ourselves in an interesting place in terms of this conflict. While aesthetic elements of the designs we are producing are certainly important, they are arguably less os than the practical use elements of the product. Blacksmithing is an ancient craft, and we are using many of the same techniques that have been used for centuries. While we may be attempting to create beautiful objects and engage with the aesthetics of them, we still rely on the pre established techniques and methods developed long ago.
One of the most unique and beautiful things about working with metal is the lifetime of the products that we create. If something breaks early on, it is most likely due to poor design and craftsmanship, and not a shortcoming of the material (like the tongs that I recently made that broke due to a crack that had formed). Materials can also be reused and reforged, as long as you are making them smaller in dimension. Thus, in this craft we have to worry less so about where our materials end up, and more so about where they come from.
From the get-go, we have made an effort to use salvaged materials. We salvaged bricks from a building in Manhattan, purchased scrap steels, attempted to make our own lumber, and are making all of our own tools. It is rewarding to work in this way, knowing that we are not supporting the production of new materials. That said, we must consider the unavoidable aspects of consumption, such as burning coal and buying all of the new materials which we couldn’t make ourselves, such as lumber, roofing, and concrete. As we move forward, I will continue to reflect on the question of sustainability.
Arlo, thinking about the life cycle of materials is certainly important and when production moves out of the realm of crafts to mass production, this is even more important. Even as you and Ciro have sought materials to salvage for reuse, there is always some tension with the use of other materials that come with associated costs (like the coal) in terms of sustainability. I suspect that those who engage in crafts and making likely have a greater sensitivity to the various impacts that materials play when we think about sustainability than do those who simply buy a good. For many, convenience trumps a deeper concern for or awareness of issues of sustainability.
Arlo, Ciro, I am very excited about where this is going and admire your dedication to sustainable design. Yes! It’s true that when it comes to tools such as a hammer, aesthetics are of much less importance and there are few ways to create a connection between how a product looks like and how sustainable it is. for example, in some cases, you can use appearance to communicate the best proper way a product can be used and as a result, extend its life-span. That being said, speaking of sustainability, designers tend to focus more on what a product offers than the product itself. the term for it is Functional unit which in your case is hitting something. (notice that I am not using “hammer” because that already implies a solution) and to look at the bigger picture (the system) and connections to other things: stores, houses, drawers, hands, toolboxes, nails, walls, etc. contemplating on basic questions such as why, where, when hammers are being used, purchased, kept, etc. maybe there are other opportunities to make the functional unit happen in a more sustainable way such as creating a neighborhood tool sharing platform knowing that people purchase a hammer and usually rarely use it. so, what if 50 households shared the same hammer and saved the environment 49 ones? (think other sharing platforms such as Uber, Laundromats, libraries, etc.)
In that case, your building project might change to creating sharing storage, etc. or a mobile app interface. (okay, it’s not building anymore!) Or maybe really people get a new hammer because the one that they have is worn off and feels bad because a better toolbox had to be designed. another way of making things sustainable is by designing multi-purpose products. as an example, my girlfriend and I own two hammers: one is lighter and has a smaller handle that is used for hitting nails, etc. and the other one is heavy-duty, what if we could switch handles with different lengths or remove the handle entirely to use it for breaking walnuts?! these might not even be feasible, but are brought to clarify other ways a solution can be sustainable other than the right material and manufacturing processes choice. Excuse the super-long comment! it gets me very excited! 🙂