If you know me, you know I love to work on a good craft. They were always my favorite thing to do as a kid, and I continue to have fun with them even in college. I recently found out through TikTok user @/emroseehret that there is a list put together by the UK-based Heritage Crafts Association of all the different crafts that are considered endangered. The list is separated into four categories, all with descriptions: Extinct, Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Viable. Each craft on the website will have an information page that can tell you the current number of professionals and trainees that practice the craft, the history behind the craft, and the issues that affect the “viability of the craft”. For the full list, follow this link here.
Looking through the list of endangered crafts, there were a few that caught my eye. The first one was clock-making. Clock making has become endangered due to a lack of awareness and extremely expensive setup costs. Another craft that I liked was Neon making, which is only practiced in the UK professionally by about 50 people. Many people have turned to creating LED Neon signs, which are easier and cheaper to produce. In the UK, neon signage is often associated with less reputable places, so there is less of a demand for it. One final craft from this part of the list I was interested in was hat making. There are only up to 20 companies in the UK professionally making hats, but some others practice individually.Â
The crafts on the critically endangered list are close to becoming unpracticed, and many have recently been moved to this list. The first one that interested me was compass making, which is only professionally practiced by one person in the UK, who currently has a trainee working under him. Another one that surprised me was flute making. In the history section about the craft, it said that the making of wind instruments had slowed down after World War II.Â
With the rise of industries turning to mass production for items and goods, the practices of crafting many everyday products have significantly decreased. From what I’ve learned from this website, there are many crafts that are in danger of moving towards becoming extinct from being professionally practiced.