I saw another post about power tool v hand tool speed recently. It made me think about it for a while. I have had the pleasure of seeing some very good hand tool workers work. When working in a well equipped shop and working with hand tool methods they can be very fast. I was sometimes amazed at how quickly tasks are completed. Volume production is definitely the realm of machine. One off pieces not so much.
There is a definite separation of methods and also the appearance of finished work. This is evident in the unseen parts of a piece of work. I have seen someone rive legs for a table out of an 8/4 block use a hatchet to rough a taper and plane them in just minutes. It takes skills that I don't have but wish I did.
i know machines are fast and less strenuous. I just posting this to open a discussion about the most productive skills for hand tool work. I have used both hand and power and not firmly in one camp or the other.
Jim