Where it's all hand made - workshop front entry way

Are all of your pieces made you?

Yes, everything you see listed and featured here is made by me using traditional tools and techniques

How long have you been woodworking?

I got my first pocket knife when I was five and whittled away with it for years. I helped my father restore an old wooden fishing dingy when I was ten and chopped relentlessly away at a beautiful piece of sycamore in the hopes of making a salad bowl when I was fourteen in wood-shop class at school. Wood, the material, and how to work it has been a lifelong passion. Realistically, though, I've been carving and woodworking seriously since around 2004 as a second career.

Carved in sugar maple from a local saw mill

Where do you get your wood from?

Here, in southern Vermont, we are fortunate to have an abundant supply of responsibly harvested hardwoods such as cherry, maple, ash, birch and beech. I have an excellent relationship with a nearby sawyer who supplies me with unique live edge boards and spalted maple in particular. I also rely on landscape gardeners, nurserymen and friends who keep an eye out for interesting wood such as the dogwood, apple, and yew used in some of my bottle stoppers. Estate sales, Craigs List and auctions also are great sources of unwanted but very usable wood

Why do you not offer items for sale on the web site?

Buying just about any item made from wood is, in my opinion, a very tactile and sensuous kind of experience...you really have to see it, pick it up and feel it to appreciate the wood and its form and function. There are definitely woodworkers who sell online and I wish them every success...it's just not my cup of tea. For me, I'd rather just use my website so that people can look and enjoy without any embedded inference to shop, add to cart or buy!

So, do you actually make or carve things for other people?

I do... mostly for family, friends and commissions by word of mouth. I am here in the workshop, garden or woods most days. Emails and calls are always welcome.

Can I visit the workshop?

Spring, summer and fall are really special here in southern Vermont. Winters can be cold and long but great if you ski or snow shoe. If you are in the area, please email or call ahead if you would like to visit the workshop.