We can study a topic, say how to ride a bike, and know in our minds how it is done mechanically.  But only with the experience of riding a bike will we absorb the actions of steering, balancing, and pedaling, not to mention the culmination of them all.

This is Tacit knowledge; that “knowing” that is gained through action and process, beyond initial head knowledge.   This is also part of the driving passion behind Tacit Timber Frames.

In “Shop Class as Soulcraft” Matthew Crawford talks about “doing as thinking.”  Our bodies and minds seem to develop a memory that is deeper than what we might even say.  For the carpenter, it is a knowledge living in the hands that skews a chisel to a precise angle to pare unruly grain, without the conscious mind acknowledging the action.  It is the lightbulb moment of recalling specific joinery that solves a design challenge.

We are in the lifelong pursuit of the Tacit Knowledge that can be gained and passed on through practicing historical trades and crafts in the midst of an intellectual and technological era, as well as how they may compliment one another.  Ultimately, there truly is no replacement for the experience of doing.  We hope that our work also fosters  an environment and desire to strengthen your soul through good work and good rest.