I think it is a beautiful hilt in a classic, traditional form. Tools don't make the artist, unless, of course, the actual carving is being taken over by computer programs, which i don't think is the case here. I personally have no problem with it. I would think that new technology is also a 2-edged sword (pun intended
). Power drills may on one hand make carving easier, but i'll bet it's much easier also to make a fatal mistake. I don't think modern tools remove the artist from the equation at all. You could certainly sit most of us down with the same tools and materials and we would never come up withy a piece nearly as good as you example posted here.
