A couple of thoughts to add to this very interesting thread:
I am a little more positive. I believe that there is a huge underlying desire to work with wood in many people. I am lucky enough to teach beginners hand tool woodwork (this is not meant to be an advert) so I get a regular stream of men and women of all ages who want to learn. Whilst my core demographic is older whiter males I am getting more and more younger, less male and less white people coming along.
When we do introductions at the start of the courses, so many people say that they "just really love wood" They want to use it to make things for their homes and nearly all say that their day job is so "hands-off" - ie at a laptop or telephone - that they are almost aching to do something tangible and physical.
But - nearly everyone says that they found it hard to get started. The internet is great in many ways but its is quite hard to get started on your own in a positive way without a sturdy bench, sharp plane and sharp chisel; also there are so few places you can learn. When I was little (I am 56)
many secondary schools ran evening classes - which indeed my dad who trained me - taught at. Locally to me Leeds College closed its furniture making courses and evening classes.
I think the good news is that whilst technology diverts away from some activities, it is also starting to push people into more practical activities - sewing, gardening, cooking woodwork - both as they see examples of what they would like to be doing and the fact that hours on a laptop or phone can leave you feeling just a bit empty. Also the growth of hack/maker spaces means that more people are close to a local resource which has some useful kit and a space in which to use it for not that much money. The local Otley maker space is very popular and great value.
I've recently moved into a new workshop (my old place which was Chris Tribe's in Ilkley was sold to property developers!!) and so far the investment is really paying off as I am booked several months in advance. I love it when, over the weekend, a relative beginner is "turned on" to hand tools - you can just see it in their eyes!
When I went to the last Harrogate show I felt like I was one of the youngsters at the age of 56 - but I really think this is going to change. Onwards and upwards!.
Shoot me down!
I would have thought with the advent of YouTube woodworking as a hobby has probably never been so popular. However, as every year passes there are less and less full time furniture makers etc., a trend also seen in the USA. All these tool manufacturers that are going hammer & tongs certainly aren’t being kept in business by the pro’s.
But, it’s something that is seen across the skilled trades, woodwork/carpentry doesn’t exist in isolation. Most decent plumbers are over 50 these days. I started my working life in the mid 90’s with British Gas, changed to commercial work, my employer paid me through my electrical qualifications, so I see plenty of apprentices, but genuinely enthusiastic ones can be thin on the ground, and they’ve never got their phone out of their hand for more than 2 minutes.
I don’t think there’s any lack of interest in it, just not the opportunities to learn properly, as others have said. How many people buy a lathe, usually the wrong one, never have any tuition, have a go for a few months, don’t get past the initial learning curve, rapidly get disenchanted, then everything gets relegated to the back of the shed? Must be plenty of people trying it though as there’s more machinery on the marked aimed at hobbyist’s than ever before. If they could just get past that first 6 months or so they’d really discover the enjoyment of it, same as furniture making.
Maybe that’s another YouTube channel waiting to be set up. One that’s dedicated to that learning curve and speaks to people in language they’ll understand because of the position they are in, rather than people just turning flashy bowls, or making anything else for that matter. Probably why Paul Sellers has done so well.
