Better detail?

[angelicwriter]

That's a tough question but I think it's all in the woodcrafter's skill. You can give incredible detail with power tools if you're really skilled. Hand tools are easier and more spiritual for the artisan who revels in wood transformation.

 

[SageMother]

There's something kind of special about imagining the moods and emotions the carver might have experienced during the creative process.

For some reason, a hand carved item seems to carry more history with it than machine created pieces.

This assumes, of course, that one can tel the difference, or the history of a piece is explained.

 

[BldrsWife]

As an inexperienced woodworker, I think I'd feel more comfortable working with a hand tool. Power tools don't seem to allow for much of a margin for error.

 

[maximus]

I agree that hand-carved pieces have more heart. It's nice to be able to run your hand over something and know a real artisan made it.

Not to say that good results cannot be gotten using power tools - they certainly can. But there's something so satisfying about a hand-carved piece.

 

[woodcrafts]

I think that you can make good artisan pieces with power tools too, not just hand tools. You just have to find the right power tool and know how to use it.

For instance - some of my favorite pieces are those animals made out of wood. I have watched people take a piece of wood (tree or whatever) and use a chainsaw and make something beautiful. Using a chainsaw (power tool) is much quicker and the work is amazing.