Craftsmanship And The Right Tools for Your Job

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I wonder, why I my hardware was always superior than the one my companies provided me with. Shouldn’t they be interested in getting best quality? Would I order an electrician, and then forbid him to use his tools and give him my IKEA toolbox? I wouldn’t.

In essence, it’s the same for a Software Craftsman’s tools. These are not mere instruments; they are his accumulated skill, capital, and tradition made tangible. I believe you have to care for your tools.

In big ass corps it’s getting the Total Cost of Onwership wrong. Everyone has to have the one Laptop brand and best, the same operating system. Of course they also have their compliance frameworks and they want to own you and your intellectual property (in complete). Sure, these are constraints. But in the end you wonder, why it takes several days that a ticket is answered, that only would allow you to install a driver update for an issue.

A good software craftsman or his team could have resolved the issue within hours!

A craftsman tools was a significant investment or a medieval ages, often representing a substantial portion of his wealth. They weren’t just bought; they were sometimes inherited or painstakingly made by the craftsman himself (especially in the case of specialized tools). Losing tools could mean ruin.

• Extension of the Self The tools were seen as an extension of the craftsman’s own hands and skill. The quality of the work was directly tied to the quality and condition of the tools. A master craftsman could not achieve his level of detail and precision with inferior or poorly maintained implements.

• The Mark of Skill: The tools themselves, especially highly specialized ones like plane irons, chisels, or awls, were often subtly modified and honed to fit the specific grip, strength, and working style of the individual craftsman. This customization made them perform optimally for him.

• Intimate Knowledge The craftsman knew every nick, wobble, and sweet spot of his tools. This intimate, intuitive knowledge allowed him to push the tool’s limits and achieve results a novice could not.

• Heirloom and Legacy Tools were often passed down through generations—from master to apprentice, or father to son. This transfer was not just of the physical object, but of the knowledge and tradition associated with its proper use and care.

• Pre-Industrial Customization Unlike modern, mass-produced tools, medieval tools often exhibited variation and weren’t made to rigid standards. The craftsman had to adapt his technique to the tool’s idiosyncrasies, further cementing their bond.

For the Shell and as Medium articles currently state: these are modern command line use bat insead of cat, ripgrep instead of grep and … you know the rest!