A craftsman is defined as a person who is highly skilled at a particular craft or trade. He or she uses a variety of tools to refine and improve their craft. That tool can be a hammer, saw, trowel or a grouping of specific tools, often unique to that craft. Mastering your tool is an important part of being a true craftsman. However, tools have limitations; tools do not know which fastener is most appropriate or where to place them. A hammer has no idea of the difference between a king or jack stud. It is the craftsman who uses the tool to accomplish a task. Tools continually evolve to make—and are intended to make—our job easier.
The improvement and learning process of your craft is never ending. Top craftsmen eventually become mentors or supervisors to others. Imparting knowledge about the building code, which materials are compatible and problem solving are the journey and life of any supervisor. In the long history of construction, the tool has never ruled the worker. The tool was just a tool, be it an electric saw replacing a hand saw or a screw gun with more power and longer battery life: the tool is just a tool and subservient to the craftsperson.