I lived within 20 miles of one of the largest Amish populations in the states and would go there often for wood and great food. They do not use electricity, but will use gasoline powered tools and compressors. Here are a couple of pictures I found on the web. I have  seen similar things when I was there.

The Amish are like any other peoples. Some are good craftsmen, some not so much. What they ARE really good at is marketing

 

Steve

...and on a completely different slice of life-

 

Do people want a nice piece of furniture, or do they want to brag that their furniture was made by someone who says he is Amish?  

 

My work speaks for itself. If you want to discuss religion, I'm up for that. Let me turn off my tools and we'll talk. 

Took a tour in Lancaster , PA in a carriage . It was heated and had air shocks. Yes they do use generators for electricity with milking machines and power tools. At night generators are off and use oil lamps in homes which have no electricity. There is a lot more just bits and pieces. We did not actually go in any homes or barns. Was a very interesting tour.

I went in a couple of Amish shops close to me. They had all the same tools I have but run them either on the generator or on a line shaft. Some people have the idea that they are strictly using hand planes and hand saws and it just isn't that way or at least for the ones I have been in.

I don't think they ever marketed themselves as using strictly hand tools, that may be a fallacy that the general public created. The Amish do though claim their products are hand made, so one could interpolate that however they want I guess. It's all hand made, whether you use power tools or hand tools, your using your hands.

I must also include Amish that didn't hold the line. I went into a Shoe store that also had leather goods. The owner came out and we talked about the shoes he sold.  However, when he came out, I got a gimps of what was behind the door he came out. His kids were watching TV..................but it was battery powered.  Go figure. 

My stuff is all handmade. By me alone. 

 

Designed, made, finished. 

Around my area, there are three very different groups..

Old Order....very strict  in keeping the old way

New Order....not so strict....the will use the English type of stuff, but not make s how of it.

Mennonites......somewhere inbetween the two....

 

Lumber dealer I used to dealer with, was the New Order Amish.    Every morning, Levi would bring the phone from the house out to the sales room.  He did use a LPG Towmotor to move bundles of lumber around.  Air compressor to power the 15" planer and table saw.   Generator to power the overhead lights.   Had to watch driving up StRt 68 to CR 113.....as everyone Amish kid was riding a bike to the local school house.  Levi's group extended up into Hardin County from Logan County. 

 

The is a few Amish Stores in the area, and a Yoder's Hardwood Furniture store up that way. 

You have to admire their simple life and tradition. Its a changing world for all of us. My generation didn't believe in tattoos. 

As with any religion or faith, there are varying levels of adherence to the "letter of the law". 

 

We, as a society tend to think of a group as being "This" and when it doesnt fit the mold, the reactions can run the gamut from curiosity to outrage. 

 

A couple of years ago on my 50th birthday, My wife and I were in Wisconsin for a wedding and decided to stop by the property where my Grandmother had once lived decades ago and I visited as a young boy. 

Upon arrivng we found the house still standing (Pretty much anyway) and the property was now owned by an Amish family .

Where the woodshed and garage used to stand was a very large building. As we got out of the car that building was HUMMING. something was running in there. A younger gentleman came out of the newer house that had been built and greeted us warmly. after explaining my connection to the older house he offered to take us on a tour. The big shed is a wood shop running all manner of equipment from planer to table saw to scroll saw on a line shaft powered by a smaller diesel engine. his workmanship was beautiful and I bought my b-day present to myself from him, an oak framed wall mirror.  This piece is even more special to me since it was made on the very spot where i was "taken to the woodshed" as a boy when I misbehaved.  

8 hours ago, John Morris said:

I don't think they ever marketed themselves as using strictly hand tools, that may be a fallacy that the general public created. The Amish do though claim their products are hand made, so one could interpolate that however they want I guess. It's all hand made, whether you use power tools or hand tools, your using your hands.

 

I believe you are right John. it is a mind created thing due to the fact they use horse and buggies people assume they only use hand tools also. I was speaking with a lady at work one day and she told me she wanted to have something made and she wold have me do it but she was going to the Amish cause they do it all by hand. I tried to explain to her just what you said, but she insisted they only use hand tools, no power tools. So I just dropped it and let her continue to believe it.

Stephen must be referring to Hochstetler Lumber, a place I've bought from a few times (only place I could find that has red elm). Anyway, I take the "Amish made" signs with a grain of salt around here...as described there are different levels of being Amish. One thing I did notice when looking at some "Amish" furniture recently with LOML, they are now using pocket screws....even more than Scott Phillips!

2 hours ago, John Moody said:

 

I believe you are right John. it is a mind created thing due to the fact they use horse and buggies people assume they only use hand tools also. I was speaking with a lady at work one day and she told me she wanted to have something made and she wold have me do it but she was going to the Amish cause they do it all by hand. I tried to explain to her just what you said, but she insisted they only use hand tools, no power tools. So I just dropped it and let her continue to believe it.

 

as i was saying above, people want to be able to say 'i have something made by the Amish'.  no, you have something made by someone who says they are Amish.  there is no way you can know what is in someone's heart.

 

i had a neighbor long ago, who decided to get into the home improvement business.  he and his son.  he had the license, son did all the work.  he was quite active in the local church, and made it a point to include the Christian fish symbol on his business cards.  the implication you were supposed to draw was that because he was a Christian, you could trust him.  he went bankrupt and stiffed many creditors.

 

i'm a Christian, but i won't sell you something based on that.  my work speaks for itself, i have a house full of my work you can look at if you wish.  many pictures of other work i've done as well.  now, if you want to sit down and discuss religion, we can do that too.

 

these people that buy something because it has some connection to Amish are fools.  buy something because you like it and it fits in your house.

 

it's like buying ugly art you hate because the artist is famous.  the artist got your money, and you didn't improve your house's decor.  you are the fool.

I've been in "Amish" furniture stores out here and It sure looks like Amish mass produced using staples and other short cuts. If you want true hand made furniture, you can get it. You are going to pay premium price for it as you would if you had one of the furniture guys on this forum. The old saying, "You get what you pay for" holds true every time.

90% of the "woodworking they do around this county?    Pallet by the trailer load....about every other barn is either a sawmill for the pallet wood, or is building pallets.  

 

Fred: Between Lakeview and DeGraff on St Rt 235.....count how many farms of theirs are making pallets, and, IF you turn towards Logansville on St Rt 47, you will find even more.   Big business in it for them. 

There is also a second Hardwood dealer east of the Mount Tabor Church......Might have better prices than Levi's.....

 

Also have noticed....it is more about the work ethic they put in.    The Old Order will out work you every day.  Just the way they do things.  Now, over in Holmes County, they cater more to the English Tourists.....

Edited August 30, 20169 yr by steven newman

if you need to make $50 in a day to pay your bills, and you make $60, you are a rich man.

 

if you need to make $200 in a day to pay your bills and you make $150, you consider yourself a failure.

 

i suspect their break even point is much lower than what a business school educated woodworker would accept for all his training, expertise, and effort.

 

and after running their endeavors for many years successfully, they no doubt have very good handle on their costs and know their market well.

In my area of Pa. we have three types...

Amish.        (use no electric and drives no cars)

Quakers.     (use some electric)

Mennonites. (uses electric and drives cars)

 

Wish I would have had my camera with the last time I was by the SIL's place in West Central WI. There are quite a few Amish types in that area. The BIL took me to a place where they were running everything from an old flat belt line-shaft that was powered by a horse on a treadmill type apparatus. It was really cool!