Relationship by Design: Michael Dreeben, AKMD
Published by on
Wave Candlestick
Michael W. Dreeben for AKMD
I'm showing two versions of the Wave Candlesticks, one produced by a
computer navigated lathe in the US and other produced by hand in
India. The physical differences between the two are subtle but they
illustrate key differences in approach between these two production
resources. Whereas the Indian-made piece is constructed from several
pieces of sustainably harvested Mango wood glued together and is
indicative of the relative value of material in that context, the US
piece is made from a single block of reclaimed Southern Yellow Pine.
For a US producer, the labor costs for gluing several pieces together
far exceed the cost of the material. The other notable difference is
in the diameter of the main stem of the large candlestick: the
US-made example is substantially fatter, and represents the maximum
achievable cutting depth for this machine. By comparison the Indian
turners are far more nimble and able to achieve more slender stems.
-Michael Dreeben, AKMD
