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Visit to an Amish Woodworking Shop

Ken Garlock said:
Kidron Ohio has a high population of Amish people. In Kidron is Lehman's Hardware that carries many of the appliances, and related items used by the Amish. For some reason, Lehmans has a website. It is interesting to browse the site and find products and you thought went out of production 70 or more years ago.
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Lehman's website is fantastic! I've just wasted half an hour of busy work time reading through it and will catch up with the rest when I get home.

It would seem that the owners aren't Amish themselves but set up to serve the Amish community. Explains the website. I ain't ever heard of a gas powered computer!

What's with the Amish and the electricity thing anyway?

At least we can be pretty sure that they don't know we're talking about them!
 
This has indeed been interesting thread.

My brother is in Lansing Mi......he complains how dirty they are.

Living in Ind the Amish are around Nappanee. As mentioned
before, had the occassion to be in 25 homes and all were super clean. Maybe something like our society drive across town and UGH.........

There are Bishops located all round the areas, about the size of county that rule what can be tolerated.

They explained to me, that you could drive 20 miles, and the rules would be different. That is why you see so many different orders, or living habits.

Also explained that in my area the tend to work in factories as
they can not make a living off the farms. They farm to supplement their income, and put food on the table.

Even had the occasion many times to sit down and eat with them.
WOW, better than my grandma's cooking.

They have running water in the house, somehow it is run by generator stored outside and pressure pump. Inside toilet also, been there tried it.

Late at night they read the newspapers, and beleive it or not
are up on world affairs. They read by propane tank with a gas light.

They have Christmas tree, decorated with homemade items.

My son-in-law goes all around to garage sales, and buy music CD's for .50 cents or so. He been doing it for years, he knows every music artist etc. What CD's to buy and resell. After he buys them in will listen to them to make sure there are no scratches etc.

He then sets up flea markets etc and resells the CD's for $5.00. The point being he has been going every other week
up to Nappannee flea market and selling CD's. You cant beleive the Amish following he has. They even give him
request to look for such and such CD's. Son-in-law will come back with $500. day. He complains if he done only $250. dollar day.

Asked him why Amish buy. Quote: "It is mostly the younger generation that buy, and their parents dont know it. They play on battery operated CD players"

They like all the same things that our teens love from hard rock to .......:headbang: :headbang:


Enough
 
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Duncan Cheslett said:
What's with the Amish and the electricity thing anyway?
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This is just an opinion, but I see it as an attempt to stop change - a desire to continue living the way things were when the elders were young.

You often see that in today's society. Many people believe things were better years ago and today's kids are going to the devil. Those people would like to revert everything to the way they remember things - even if they have selective memory. (We have quotes from Roman times that say the same thing.)

But it's impossible to stop change and even the Amish have to face that - example: Their use of prohibited things like electricity and telephones in order to compete in their business. One day we'll probably see Amish web sites selling "hand made" quilts with shipment via UPS, and payment by credit card.

The prohibitions serve several purposes - the prohibition on electricity and telephones limits the children's exposure to the broader world and more or less guarantees that they will not leave the sect (they just aren't prepared to live in the real world). The Amish won't send their children to regular public schools for the same reason. Also, the prohibitions reinforce the "specialness" of the sect in the same way that the dietary restrictions of Orthodox Judaism (for example) remind the sect members that they are different from the wider world.


Mike
 
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Bob Spare said:
My brother is in Lansing Mi......he complains how dirty they are...
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Perhaps your brother is confusing the odors of honest labor, and the 'farm atmosphere' with dirt.

There are many Amish near here, and they're a fine, generally honest and industrious people. They tend to isolate themselves from the "English world" (as they refer to it), but are very friendly and helpful if approached as equals, and not as oddities.

I have a great respect for them, and their adherance to their beliefs - even though I am an "English."
 
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Steve Ash said:
Your brother is 15 miles away and it is the same Amish that we have here he is speaking of.
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Brother had a small convience store, where the Amish
would come in.
Believe you are right, he might have been smelling horse manure, because I didnt find anything wrong...............:dunno::huh:


got another month to go before I take my shower........:eek:

not looking forward to it:doh::doh::doh:
 
Hey Folks -

I'm not a moderator, so take my comments with whatever size grain of salt you'd like, but I urge you to watch how you say what you say in this thread. Regardless of your experiences (or those of your friends and family), we need to watch that this thread doesn't turn into a bash-fest.

Substitute "Catholic" or "Baptist" for "Amish" or "Mennonite" in this thread and see if you don't think we'd hear an outcry.

This thread started out as an informative discussion about a somewhat different approach to running a commercial woodworking shop...let's see if we can keep it pointed in that direction.

Just sayin'... :rolleyes:
 
Mike,

Its getting rarer for someone to give you their time in full without expecting something in return, its almost an oddity because we are always going somewhere or doing something else or we should be somewhere else. It says alot about Mr Amish as a person, great story and thanks for sharing.

Best,
Wayne
 
the amish i`ve had occasion to deal with here in the sticks are well spoken and respectfull, hard working and just as hard drinking....nice enough folk but you know there`s a culture gap.......i expect they`re like any other group of people...put `em in their enviornment and they shine, put `em in an awkward situation and they don`t.........heck put me in a room full of stuffed shirts:eek:
 
tod evans said:
...heck put me in a room full of stuffed shirts:eek:
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I see the makings of a great TV show right there. We put Tod in various situations (board meetings, high-tech equipment sales calls, polo matches, Maitre de in a fancy restaurant, etc.) and watch the hilarity ensue. :rofl:
 
If you can get the script done I can get it financed, I think. Tod would have to play himself and do the publicity tour. I might even pay to see some of that. Thoughts anyone? Bueller......Bueller......Bueller?
 
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