We’ve just received shipment of our latest T-shirt. This hot-off-the-press design has been inspired by the camaraderie shared amongst woodworkers throughout the world and throughout the generations. The illustration on the front depicts a Victorian-era carpentry crew busily at work. The image is partly absurd, of course, in that no one really has any elbow room to work. (How can three guys be working on one bench?) But we love this artistic representation because it captures so well the intimacy of exchange that craftsmen have always felt. While the assumption today is that woodworking is a solo venture, we at M&T have seen more and more woodworkers desiring to connect with others in the craft. This is, of course, partly due to the real-time global interconnectedness made possible through the internet, but it also seems to be a response to the mind-numbing amount of time we all spend staring at screens. We were made for community.
When you and I pick up a handplane or a saw, we become joined to a long line of artisans who have struggled and sweat and worked before us. Choosing to engage this well-trodden tradition (rather than blaze our own trail) is a powerful way that we can join together in a common vision. Handcraft is an ennobling and uniting force in the world.
As always, these shirts are printed by our favorite apparel printer Triple Stamp Press. They are super comfortable and printed with water-based ink – a great choice for daily wear.
Our brand-new “Joined By Work” T-shirt is designed to be worn as an expression of camaraderie with fellow woodworkers. In a time when people find so many ways to divide, let’s let our craft bind us together.
p.s. We’ve also decided to discount the remainder of our previous designs. The “Build For Ever,” “Ripsaw,” and “Incite Craft” shirts are now only $18 apiece.
-Joshua