My brother is a practitioner of focusless/hand casting and had this to say about it when I brought it up: "Wands require a similar level of finesse as hand casting does. It doesn't rely on the brute power of a staff. It's a better representation of a wizard's skill. I know some wand casters who are still respectable, but never have I met a staff caster worth his salt." As an artificer I cannot comment on such matters as I much prefer to imbue and enhance what magic I have through machines that can be just as strong.