[TML] Personal Armor Noise was Re: Current USAF fleet

[Knapp]

>I think that although you can argue that hand-crafting without focus
>on time or cost and with utmost attention to quality, aesthetics and
>so on will produce something better than mass production which lacks
>those, there are plenty of sorts of mass production that come with
>quality and aesthetics and most craftsmen aren't truly immune to
>considerations of time and cost. Thus it isn't at all a clear
>distinction to me.

This depends on skill and reputation. There are artists out there that
can make whatever they want and will get extremely well paid for it.
These are the masters that are well know. They are rare.
I really think having been involved in some of these markets that the
true reason that mass production survives is because the average Joe
can't tell quality from garbage nor do they understand that they might
even save money if they spend more up front. Diamond ring buying is a
prime example of the buyers being mostly clueless. They will buy a
poor cut put large white diamond and mount it in gold. If you want to
save money buy a yellowish diamond with a perfect cut but the stone
has some imperfections. No one will see the imperfections and the gold
makes stones look yellow anyway! Perfect cut will make it shine to
beat most other stones. This is an example of poor customer knowledge
not quality over garbage.

Must be late, I am talking in circles and getting nowhere.

-- 
Douglas E Knapp
http://sf-journey-creations.wikispot.org/Front_Page