I have been a high end custom woodworker most of my adult life (I'm 63, at 8 yoa I asked Santa for a radial-arm saw and got it)) and have built many amazing projects, some in the category of museum quality. I feel very fortunate to have worked in a trade that I feel I haven't worked a day in my life. Over the years people have referred to me as a MASTER carpenter and I politely thanked them for the compliment and declined the title knowing I am far from being a master because I know what it takes to be one. I've met and worked with very few master carpenters because there just aren't many. The level of technical/scientific knowledge required is just beyond me and I am more engaged in the pracical/figure it out way of fabricating. Not necessarily knowing the nitty gritty aspect. Having said that...I have had the opportunity to be associated with some highly skilled and talented finishers who have taught me a lot but I know most of them have forgotten more than I know.

In all my years I have NEVER had one of these professional finishers self proclaim themselves to be a Master Finisher...until now.

Firstly, I find it unprofessional to make such a public statement.

Secondly, even if you were a Master...would you or should you make such a statement even if you were a Master?

I would like to test this self proclaimed Master finisher if he is truely a Master. What question(s) could be asked to determine his level of knowledge that would determine whether or not his claim to be a Mater would have merit? I have no problem giving this person respect for the quality product that he puts out but I do have a problem with the degrading of the title Master Finisher.. if he's not one.

me, i would not waste much time asking him questions but rather give him a difficult assignment in color match , blending, or difficult piece to finish.

in todays times, anyone can talk a good game, me, look at the work.

but there is one thing to me that would give him at least two stars out five, watch him spray. if he keeps the gun a ninety degree with "wagging" his/her wrist. then i would get either a wet or preferably dry film gauge and check the dry film thickness across a wide area

just my opinion good luck herbj

Uhhh....I think you have a misunderstanding of the meaning of master, or maybe who your talking of has. Being a Master, or having a skill or skill set's of something is synonymous with having expertise in something. In the Trades, for example, A Master was one who through apprenticeship, learned the basics of his trade, then applied them to where his Master/Teacher found his work to be of a degree that was acceptable for reproducing his work without concern as to whether or not the end product would turn out inferior to the masters own work. At that point in his apprenticeship, he was promoted to the standing of a "Journeyman", and was no longer considered an apprentice.!
For the Journeyman to reach the skill level of his master, he not only had to be able to reproduce that which his master taught him, as well as his Master, but be able to design and reproduce other new things that his master had himself not yet ever done.!
This may take many years for him to get the recognition of being a true master himself. If he made such a name for himself and received such recognition and had Patrons come to him to produce such works of which they financially supported him, then he knew he had achieved the position of being a Master.!
No where, in any trade have I read or seen anyone who could claim to know " Everything" about anything.! And it sounds as if your acquaintance, if he is saying such as to mean he knows everything about the every single aspect of the art of the finishing trade, then he really does not understand the meaning of the word either.! Synonyms of Master, such as pro, meastro, expert, ace, etc.,
are but other ways of expressing this matter. But in no way does this mean one who does comment as to his expertise in his trade as knowing everything about it, every aspect of everything involved, would be a fool for saying or meaning such. The fact that someone can reproduce a myriad of techniques and affects that would substantially cover the realm of finishing one is normally exposed to in his or her career, only suffices for their particular place in their environment and what their clients may want from them both past and present, around the world.! A matter of fact is this..you only really know that which you have been taught by someone or figured out on your own in any trade.
That which you can personally perform in a highly skilled and acceptable manner, is that which gives you your worth, your wealth, and your position.!
Everything else is just physical or verbal dressing.!

WOW! Talk about clarity. Thank you for your thorough and informative response. It gives me the perspective I was looking for. I guess what I'm struggling with is the ego that projects an air of confidence yet should be tamed a bit. I'm not a fan of people who boasts themselves, I believe in being humble and letting your work speak for itself. I have a passion for wines and understanding the complexities involved. A wine guestion that could be asked to determine ones level of understanding would be - What is the main difference between a white Bordeaux and Chardonnay? The French name their grapes after the region they're grown and in the USA their named after the grape variety. My point with finishing is what is a question cutoff point of which someone should actually know or have knowledge of before claiming to be a Master? The closest to a master finisher I got to was his understanding of the chemistry involved and how it interacted with the environment. But your saying it's enough to be considered a Master if your work is in demand. Am I close?

John, No, your not...lol
You can be a Master in what you do, without ever doing any work for anyone but yourself. It definitely has to do with the skill level, the attention to detail, the degree of perfection in the end product.! One who can achieve the best possible results doing what their doing.or shall we say a mistake free result. As a third generation finisher, refinisher, finish repair technician, Finish restorer, conservationist, retired colorist, non degreed chemist in the field of decorative and protective coatings chemistry, and long time Consultant to the wood finishing and related coating trades industries, I can say with much confidence that I have met few men who were able to the overall work I did. Every step in any finishing process requires the utmost detail in order to produce the highest quality product possible.! I once told a younger compatriot in my fails of endeavors, that a good or even great finisher can produce an end product that's 90 plus percent perfect. It's the last few percentage points, from 5 to 100 percent that separates the true masters of their craft. If you really want to know how good someone is at their artistic craft , one only has to go over their end product with a fine tooth comb to see if their are flaws of any kind what so ever.! That would include flaws that have been covered up in one way or another during the finishing process. To do this the one himself who is inspecting the work has to be fully familiar with "All" of the types of methods and means that are used to do so. Those who I have admired the most in past history are the unequivocal cabinet and finishers of France under the reign of Louis the XIV, who gather both from France and around Europe the most highly skilled tradesmen ever assembled to produce the finest goods in the trades "ever".!! Both fortunately and unfortunately, ended with the French revolution.
But what was gained by the tradesman of that era, was and never will surpassed in their quest for perfection and his court and other dignitaries of that time.!
So this is what the pursuit or mastery of this never ending artistic trade is to me, I will leave it to others to define what it is to them....
Sincerely,

Thank you for your response. I guess mastery is in the eye of the beholder. I struggle with the outward self expression of being a Master. Egos can only take you so far in this competitive field but if one believes they are the best than so be it. I call it the Charles Barkley effect, if your that good then maybe you can say it out loud. It just sounds pompous.

John, if you are personally doing the best work that you yourself believe can be done, whether it be for yourself or others, and especially if your creating new fresh products in effect, creating something that few if any are already doing, then pat yourself on the back and be proud of your abilities, being humble definitely has it's place, but when deserved, knowing your capabilities and talents is by no means a sign of cockiness or false pride.! What I have taken from my 50+ year career is that the real sign of a master is when all of your peers who look at your work acknowledge how incredibly good the work is. Getting oohs and aww was from client is indeed extremely rewarding, but when your peers do such.?? That is worth more than anything else.! But never stop improving, that's what keeps our trades alive and well. No one ever reaches a pinnacle of God hood in this mortal life we live.!!
Keep up the great work you do, and gain all the success that may come your way...
Chemmy/Sam

I appreciate your kind words and your analogy of peers is right on. I have acknowledged my successes but won't rest on my laurels. I thrive perfection knowing it can't be achieved. I struggle with the word master believing it's not Godly possible. We can only be the best we can be striving to understand and learn as much as possible. Master is left for interpretation...at least it is for.

I was employed as a master carpenter so did not apply it to myself, The job required that I be able to produce to a high standard any given project, whether that was cabinetry a staircase, doors and windows, reproductions, turnings etc etc.

For sure there would be people out there that could claim mastery in an individual field but carpenter is generalist description, the same logic I guess would apply to the master finisher, able to produce professional results in all systems and techniques.

Recognizing that I certainly would not describe myself a master in any specific area, but as a generalist certainly

Well,
Pretty confident here! Not afraid to take on the difficult project!
Enjoy claiming the Joat title, master of none! There is always someone better, just not many. Calling yourself a Master is being an Upppity Jagoff!

'just not many'.... lol

Put yourself in the group JO

I've never met a finisher looking for a job who wasn't a "Master Finisher"