The Radavist

All these made in the USA posts this morning. Why not top it off with a time-lapse of 8 students working at UBI?

“the American school system has been systematically dismantling shop classes nationwide as much of our manufacturing has gone overseas. Most kids no longer have the opportunity to get their hands dirty learning how to use tools in a shop environment.

There are a lot of different types of people out there, many of whom are tactile individuals, and working with their hands is in some way fundamentally fulfilling. Skilled jobs in the American marketplace are becoming more service- and technology-oriented, and there is a substantial number of people out there who aren’t getting their ‘tactile fix,’ so to speak.

The students probably already suspect something of the genius behind the bicycle, but in building one they’ll get a more in-depth grasp of this. The bicycle frame is a fairly simple machine, but it does some cool things with energy and leverage. You don’t need to learn physics to be able to appreciate it.”

This is so true and something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, which is why it was nice to read up on Joseph Ahearne‘s thoughts about soulcraft.

Thanks Alistair!

One of my more recent Ask Prolly emails was pretty straight forward and slightly off-topic:

“Hey Prolly, what’s the last book you’ve read? Any recommendations? It doesn’t have to be bike related”

To be honest, I don’t read as much as I’d like to. It’s kinda hard for me to find time to sit around with my nose in a book. Earlier this summer I picked up a book entitled Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford. It’s been on the NY Time’s best seller list and its published, Penguin was kind enough to send one my way out of the blue. It took me a little while to get around to reading it but with the recent time I spent on planes and vegging out on the beach, I managed to finish it quickly.

Crawford’s premise is that with the dissolution of shop classes in high schools, our generation has been raised to be technologically savvy and in the process we’ve lost touch with the soulcraft of making things. He goes on to relate the recent economic decline and job losses to the boom in “blue collar” job openings, which usually pay much better than the “desk job / tech” counterparts. It’s an excellent read and as someone who went to grade school without the use of computers, I can really identify with that he’s saying. So if you’re looking for a book to read this summer, pick it up at your local shop!

Photo by Raymond McCrea Jones/The New York Times

The New York Times’ City Room Blog has a story on Lit Fuse Cyclery, a struggling shop in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The owners, Damian Loverro, on left, and Angel Albertorio, on the right, spoke with the Times about the shop’s beginnings and the current state of their business.

Read the article, it’s well worth the few moments It’ll take. This quote in particular stuck out:

“I like the craftsmanship of a machine that you can ride, and maintain for your whole life,” he said. “It’s better for your soul. It’s better for your heart.”

If you live in the neighborhood, you should swing by and check the shop out.