a good workman does not blame his tools
Proverb meaning that a skilled person can produce good results regardless of the quality of their tools. Often used to encourage focusing on skill rather than equipment.
As the proverb says, a good workman does not blame his tools, so practice is more important than fussing over equipment.
Standard kanji spelling of the proverb.
Variant using 択ぶ instead of 選ぶ; less common but recognized.
The proverb invokes the celebrated calligrapher 空海 under his posthumous title 弘法大師, presenting mastery as independent of the quality of one’s tools.