Talked to my neighbor who's a retired shop teacher and he called my dovetails 'too perfect'

Susan Barnes · 2026-04-06T11:50:05.013864+00:00

He was over last week and saw a walnut box I'm making, and he said, "Susan, those joints are so tight they look machined, where's the hand in it?" It made me stop and think about chasing flawless work versus leaving a bit of character. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you ease up on precision for the sake of feel?

the_elliot5mo ago

What's the point of a perfect joint?

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terry_barnes4mo ago

Hold up. The point IS a perfect joint that fits and lasts.

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riley_price5mo ago

Honestly, it's just wood. If you can cut a perfect joint, why wouldn't you? The whole "character" thing feels like an excuse for wobbly work. A tight dovetail that lasts a hundred years has its own feel, it's just a clean one. Your neighbor probably just couldn't believe you did it by hand. Take it as a weird compliment and keep doing what you're doing.

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