It Was 1974
The air in my grandfather’s workshop was thick with the smell of pine shavings and linseed oil. I was twelve years old, and he handed me a chisel and a block of oak. “Make it fit,” he said. “Not because you have to, but because you want to.”
I spent three days on that dovetail. The pins were too wide, the tails too tight. I cried when I saw the gap. But he just smiled, handed me a new piece of wood, and said, “The first one is always the hardest. The second one teaches you how to listen.”
That lesson has shaped every piece I’ve made since. The first joint wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And that’s what matters.
The Tools of the Trade
My grandfather taught me that every tool has a soul. The chisel, the saw, the mallet—they all have their own rhythm. You have to learn to listen to them.
Here are the tools I still use today:
- Chisel: For carving the finest details.
- Saw: For cutting the wood into shape.
- Mallet: For driving the chisel with precision.
- Sandpaper: For smoothing the rough edges.
Why I Still Make Things
In a world that’s obsessed with speed and efficiency, I still choose to make things by hand. It’s not about the money or the fame. It’s about the joy of creating something with your own hands.
Every piece I make tells a story. And I hope that when you hold one of my creations, you can feel the love and care that went into it.