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Mesquite tree

Mesquite tree

Mesquite restrains my falling axe tight within its wet jaw And wedged there it waits, gripped in stubbornness. I catch my breath; the axe waits more ‘neath fingers traced Along the hickory helm smoothed by yet another coarse and sweat-filled hand A second swift, falling cut bites deep within the

Of riven oak

Of riven oak

Oak grows and bends against its will By wind it yields beyond its strength to resist And so the crooked brace forms within the branch I shape beneath my adze. The stem lies cut beyond the axe head blow Upon the woodland floor it rests still until With wedge and

European Woodworking Show #3

European Woodworking Show #3

European Woodworking Show #3 Spent time prepping demo wood and sharpening some of my tools for the European Woodworking Show next weekend. Masterclasses are important instructional events where we pass on what we know and include those who want to gain what knowledge we have. I intend to make this

John’s rocking chair

John’s rocking chair

John’s rocking chair Those who follow this bog know that John Winter is my apprentice. I have trained many young people like John through the years and the rewards though varied have been greatly beyond any financial gain. Fact is, I have never received a penny in renumeration from

Creativity of risk

Creativity of risk

There can be no doubt that one contrast between craftsmanship and the machine-maker woodworker is not so much the difference between hand work and trying to produce the same thing by machine, but the mentality of the workman. Having worked in both camps I can comment on both. Firstly, I

Sustainable workmanship - shifting sands

Sustainable workmanship - shifting sands

The art of work as I have known it these past 50 years has drastically shifted I know. When Henry Ford launched his first conveyor-belt assembly plant even as a visionary of mass manufactured goods as advanced as motor cars, it’s unlikely that he could have understood how demoralizing

European Woodworking Show - #2 Post

European Woodworking Show - #2 Post

Can you come? In order to preserve the craft of woodworking and ensure real woodworking has a future we need to support ventures like the upcoming European Woodworking Show. Sometimes we look only at our own needs and what that cost implications are to us. Did you know that the