The Myth, The Man, The Legend: The Tool & Die Maker

There are many modern conveniences that we humans take for granted. For instance, consider the telephone. When I was but a little human, my phone was chained to the wall with a cord and had a rotary dial. Now, we can pick up a phone and vocally instruct it to call anyone in our contact list. Once the call is completed, we stash it in our pocket and take it with us around the world. Evidence of our new reality surrounds us: phones, computers, smart appliances, medical equipment, television, cars, and new knees. Who makes all of these things? Wizards. I vote for wizards.

Honestly, the real hero behind our modern world does not get much credit. He has never made Time’s “Man of the Year,” nor will she ever be interviewed by Oprah. That person: the Tool & Die Maker. Oh, you never heard of that person before? Join the club.  

Fifty years ago, a Tool & Die Maker was – and still is - a prestigious occupation. A predominantly male field at the time, toolmakers arrived at work in suits and ties. Employing an apron to keep their attire clean, these men set to work building the world one small component at a time. This occupation is not for the faint of heart. After conquering the machinist trade, they embark on a 4-5 year apprenticeship coupled with some college classes in order to earn the coveted title of “Tool & Die Maker.” While this career will never be listed in the brochure for Harvard or Yale, these men and women have put in more time than required to earn a four year college degree. Along the way, they learn key concepts of engineering, drafting, mathematics, technology, and electronics. This trade requires a detail-oriented person that is not scared of - and takes pride in - extremely tight tolerances (They produce parts to tolerance within a tenth of a thousandth of an inch - divide a human hair into four parts, and then divide that into ten segments—that’s 0.0001”).

So why is the Tool & Die Maker eligible to be a wizard? When people today think of their handy cell phone, they probably don’t realize that someone without a Harvard degree built the die to stamp out the small parts that make it operate. That same profession is the backbone of the security industry, the medical industry, the automotive industry, the electronic industry, and so forth. It was a Tool & Die Maker that designed and stamped that scalpel and a Tool & Die Maker that made that trendy fender for the sports car. They have their magical stamp in every small component of American life. Without the Tool & Die Industry, you would not be on your phone or computer reading this blog.  

Someone should inform Hallmark it is time to mass produce cards (a job made possible by the Tool & Die Makers of the World) encouraging humans to “Thank a Tool & Die Maker Today.” Better yet, consider a career as a Tool & Die Maker. Who doesn’t want to be a wizard?