By Robin Howard
When did you fall in love with woodworking?
I decided to be a woodworker based on my love of architecture and old things, but I wanted a practical application of form and function. I had to actively choose woodworking every single day because it did not want me at first. It wasn’t forgiving, and it didn’t come easy. There was a point where I started respecting the process and challenge more than the results, and I think I found the love in those moments.
How do you identify the best clients for your business?
The biggest challenge is that no one understands what this work costs. Less and less people in the industry understand it because tradespeople are being removed from the process, and people further up the chain are dictating the budget to the client. The truth is no one knows; everyone is guessing.
We take the time to explain material costs to stress that we are combatting exploitive labor practices. We also remind the client that what we build will outlast their grandchildren. Our best clients are those looking to engage with their space and transform it and understand that transformation means we give a little bit of ourselves in the process. This work is hard on the body and mind and can be draining on the spirit if we are building for the wrong space or people.
How do you innovate in such a traditional space?
It can be difficult because this industry has an enormous amount of gate-keeping. Sometimes I’m trusted because I’m with my tall, white male business partner. And there are times when his creativity and passion are trusted because a woman is making the decisions, and they trust me to care about the same things they care about.
The true innovation we have achieved, though, has been holding on to how and why we are in business: trying to change the industry, not killing ourselves in the process of making a living, actively fighting against the overworked grind culture while barely making ends meet. The only way I have succeeded in innovating in these traditional spaces is from within and on an interpersonal level.
Our skills and knowledge get us through the door. Then, where we can, we try to educate, advocate, and change peoples’ minds by being our authentic selves and talking about the things we are passionate about.
Is it a challenge to embrace new technologies?
We are unique in that we use a lot of technology. Most folks are either hand tool woodworkers or CNC (computer numerical control) machinery folks. We do both.
We use the CNC to help expedite pattern-making and material yield when needed. We are both trained in hand drafting and hand tooling, but we use AutoCAD and computers as needed because they are tools. I think there’s this idea that it hurts your reputation to use computers, but I promise we are still spending hours and days hand tooling, covered in wood shavings, and sharpening our chisels.
How do you find opportunities to take risks?
I usually let my partner Jack drag me, kicking and screaming. I like some risk, but I’m far more careful and reserved. He’s got the ambition to take big risks, and that’s one way we make a great team. I pare down his grand ideas, and he encourages me to get bolder. Sometimes we find a client (or they find us) that truly appreciates our method or style and gives us free rein. Risk often finds us in that we do the jobs few are willing or know how to do.
How do you know when something’s not working?
Sometimes I know it in my body before my mind knows. Sometimes I’m being assailed by Imposter Syndrome and think it’s not working when it is.
When it comes to tooling, I can feel it and hear it. I’ve developed an understanding of what the board feels and sounds like as it’s machining, or I can feel the chisel slipping or gouging. When it comes to design, sometimes it needs more balance, depth, or texture. I can plan everything correctly and still have things go wrong.
Wood has its own agenda built into its grain, and the most well-thought-out plan won’t always combat that, especially since wood is still very much alive. Sure, it’s a dead tree, but an incredible amount of embodied energy stays with it. It continues to move forever with the seasons and keeps a record.