Are you saying that you couldn't replicate the accuracy with hand tools? That is surprising to me. I find they are much more accurate than a circ saw gone wild. Even new Makita saws (8 1/4") won't cut square. Maybe other brands are more reliable.
I think it was mentioned above, but there are some areas where hand tools really shine over the power tools, and that is on hewn, scribed wonky stuff. I can shim a boring machine in a couple of seconds and go to town. That's a lot harder with a mortiser that wants to pull itself to a corner to maintain registration, and that corner may not be remotely square.
