ELM wishes you a happy 2020! As we enter into a brand new decade, we would like to appreciate the dedication and loyalty of our master craftsmen for the last 52 years of ELM’s medal making history.
The journey to become a master craftsman is a fascinating one and its details are often read with much interest and intrigue. Why is this? It is because we, as a species, have always placed much value on skill, daring and verve. We cheer ourselves hoarse when we see the likes of Dan Carter or Lionel Messi or Valentino Rossi ‘do their thing’. And how we love to see them do it with such grace and elegance. Their dominance over their chosen fields challenges and inspires us. That instinctive urge to soar and rise to the top is what makes us continually strive to do and be better in our own lives.
And so it is with our people at ELM. One needs more than just technical skills to create a good medal. To be a master craftsman, one must have the intrinsic drive to perfect her or his craft and turn the product from good to great. In the first edition of 2020, we will share about the makings of a master craftsman – what it takes to be a master craftsman.
Naturally, every aspiring craftsman should have a passion for the craft. This intense devotion not only inspires and motivates the craftsman to consistently find ways to improve and innovate but it also gives him a clear sense of purpose and satisfaction. Gladwell states in his study that one needs to practice ten thousand hours in order to achieve greatness in a skill. A master craftsman is someone for whom this number holds no meaning. His true goal being to simply challenge and surpass himself.
With the advancement of technology, the workmanship of a master craftsman is taken to another level. Craftsmen now have an arsenal of tools and machinery that enhance precision. Die cutting machines now have an accuracy of 0.001cm and are automated so they run with little human intervention. The ability to marry traditional methods with new technology is an art in itself and a challenge to be embraced by any modern-day craftsman.
Our craftsmen go through great extents daily to create a medal that truly reflects the honour it brings. Skills can be taught but passion is an intrinsic drive that separates the great from the good. This passion pushes the boundaries of a craftsman’s creativity and work by creating a never-ending pursuit to find a better technique, create a better finish and constant asking of “how can I make this better?”. The love of medal making is what keeps us going the last 52 years and is what drives us into the future.
