There is a bit of a phenomenon occuring in the book world with The Dangerous Book for Boys. Its been a blockbuster in the UK and has now been updated for the U.S.

The book ressurects the forbidden knowledge of boyhood past, defying our litigious, feminizing culture to reintroduce risk and danger back into young manhood. At Everything2, they've expanded on this theme by recognizing that the current generation of young men are pretty much ignoramuses and klutzes compared to their fathers.

A highly speculative and unscientifically conducted survey indicates that most American males between the ages of 18 and 25 seem to be incapable of performing many of the chores and duties commonly fulfilled by their fathers.

The activities in questions would not initially appear to be directly related to having a child, though the presence of one may thereafter necessitate their constant use and development.

As young men in this age group approach their thirties, it is increasingly less likely that their fathers will be in a position to pass on their knowledge, leaving the next generation of fathers hopelessly at the mercy of more qualified personnel.

I'm not sure this is completely true. I had a father who was unbelievably competent; to the point that it became ridiculous. He designed and built his own fireplace inserts for the home he was building and it eventually cost him many thousands of dollars to put the fiasco right. Nevertheless, it was impressive to see him make the attempt, because that was actually a rare failure. Overwhelmingly, what he attempted succeeded.

His friends? Not so much. The urban, white collar guys were pretty much clueless, while those from agricultural and trade backgrounds had all sorts of interesting skills.

The manly skills divide also appears to come down to a matter of genetics.

I, like my father before me, am a guy you want around in the post-nuclear wasteland. So are my brothers. I even have a sister who is pretty damn clever. My oldest son has inherited "the knack" as well. By the time he was 22, he could pretty much build a house on his own and started doing fix-it work for the neighbors--painting, tiling, drywall, framing, etc...

My youngest son? Not so much.

He seems to have inherited my wife's family's talent--for accounting.

I personally know quite a few young men with admirable "manly skills"--wood working, mechanics, you name it. Notably, these fellas are always willing to learn something new and so they keep adding new skills--in the tradition of their fathers.