re: Hand made vs. Computer made

I think you present a well-balanced perspective.

In the end, when a project is on display in a furniture gallery or fine exhibition, nobody debates the level of authenticity if it was hand made, CNC machined, or to what degree either was used.

The project is either found to be beautiful and desirable or not, and customers are compelled to purchase or leave it in the showroom.

The path chosen to produce the project is solely for the pleasure of the maker. It is not a right/wrong, it is simply the path they chose for themselves.

There is much more than machine vs. hand made goes into a project. There are lots of decisions to be made about the material and layout so it is not a visual train wreck with grain.

Modern Stickley furniture uses computers and modern industrial equipment to manufacture their furniture. But it’s beauty comes from the fact that they pay attention to what boards to use and how they are displayed on any given piece of furniture.

Even Thos. Moser incorporates CNC machines in their work.

How much ‘soul’ anything has is really a matter of personal perception and perception is very malleable. That is the role of marketing.