This reminds me of something I take for granted, maybe you folks too. I grew up in America. This was a strange country where the schools required young men, in addition to English, Science, Math, and History, to take courses on drafting, metal working, and wood working. By the time a young man was old enough to decide whether or not he would enroll in the school's JROTC program, he would be proficient, or at least familiar, with the tools and processes required to build both decorative and functional household items.
My wife is still astonished that I built a kegerator from a sketch, but I thought everyone could do that.