Known By Their Fruits

Based on the excerpt, Paul Sellers compares the distinctive traces left by chisels and planes on wood to the identifying marks of shell casings in firearm forensics, arguing that workmanship leaves readable signatures. These marks reveal the maker’s technique, choices, and care—embodying the idea that a craftsperson is “known by their fruits.”

Do you prefer to preserve subtle tool marks as a maker’s signature, or do you aim for a perfectly uniform, mark-free surface?