[Jewelry making - Article 00400] - Re: [Orchid] Keeping trade secrets

[Freak Style]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    When I was at college studying silversmithing I was fortunate enough
    in my third year to meet 2 ex-jewellers - both had come to the
    college to study different fields of art. I met one of them whilst he
    was cruising around the silversmithing studios taking an interest in
    what was going on and then I met the other through him. They had also
    met each other at college. One of them, aged around 50 decided he
    liked the atmosphere in that area, took up a bench space and did some
    work in that area. We became good, close friends (and still are) and
    he was always open to helping me or any of the other students there.
    He had no secrets... and his advice was carefully thought through and
    explained detail by detail... and his approach was fantastic - he
    didn't give me the answer, rather, he explained how to find the
    answer for myself - and then coached me through the process if I was
    still having trouble. The other ex-jeweller didn't settle down to
    work in the area but came to visit the the other jeweller and myself
    regularly - he took an interest in the work I was doing and also
    began offering me help freely... however, his help was different -
    there was only one correct way of doing anything.... and, he usually
    told me that I was not to tell any of the other students what methods
    he taught me or he'd stop helping me. I didn't understand it but
    respected the request.... but sometimes it seemed so cruel... for
    example, he once told me about a particular flux he used to prevent
    firescale which is freely available from any jewellery supplier and
    then made a really big deal that I was not to tell the other
    students - thing was, the other students really could have used the
    help - our class teacher was lazy and hopeless and had told us in the
    first place to coat everything with flux (easy flow) but not why...
    then when we'd get to polishing it and it was full of firescale he
    didn't explain how it happened - just to use abrasives to remove it
    (speaking as though it was not preventable)... it was an extremely
    frustrating process for all of the students and this one ex-jeweller
    could have helped us all... but he refused... 

    Thinking back on it later - the ex-jeweller who was full of secrets
    obviously had a desire to pass his knowledge on... but I think he
    was a very insecure and bitter person too... I thought (stupidly)
    that I could gently encourage him to relax, be more open with people
    and get past his bitterness but in the end there was something we
    couldn't agree on and he wouldn't agree to disagree so I've not seen
    him since. The other ex-jeweller who became a jeweller again (amongst
    many artistic pursuits) was and is comfortable about himself and has
    a balanced view about the world. In our 6 year friendship he has
    always seen our relationship as being mutually beneficial - that an
    older person has a natural desire to be able to pass their knowledge
    on and that I (as well as other younger friends he has and his own
    children) have facilitated this need whilst the guidance and
    friendship he has given to me has been worth more than I can
    describe. And so, I think the mistake in having closely guarded
    secrets is in thinking that sharing is a one-way street and that
    friendship is over-rated.

 
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________