Guest Moderator, Andrew Hunter.
- Owen Madden
- Jul 5
- 2 min read
George Nakashima's "The Soul of a Tree" has many underlying themes but the most prevalent is the reverence for the craft. Be it the "Kodama" which translates to "spirit of the tree" or the respect of the making, to quote, "We must make as perfect an object as we know how." I know few woodworkers with the same reverence as Nakashima but one comes to mind in the sentence that follows, "The final but essential requirement is to finish the top surface by hand. A good workman can achieve perfect surface work with a hand plane alone." Sounds like someone I know...He follows "to achieve a fine result, a carpenter may spend days surfacing the faces of a post in a Japanese house. For the best work, the bit is sharpened after each stroke, not because it is dull, but because the finest finish demands it." Yup, sounds like Andrew Hunter.
I have known Andrew for some time now, self-proclaimed "freaky-deaky" he knows the reverence of the craft and the strive for perfection in each piece he makes. I was lucky enough to take a class with Andrew and fell down the rabbit hole of sharpness and how I'm probably nowhere near it. It felt like the scene in "The Matrix". I took the red pill from Morpheus, nothing has been the same since.
If you don't know Andrew, he is self-taught fine furniture maker in Upstate New York with a focus in Japanese tools and joinery. Andrew's finely honed hand tool skills is something to be envied, but his furniture which is equal parts complex joinery, and a modest subdued design reflect the personality of the maker himself. If you want to learn more about Andrew, check out the Mortise & Tenon Magazine article linked below, also there is a great Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast episode with Andrew on that is also linked below.
This month's meeting will take place this Sunday July 6th at 8:00 PM EST.
Any questions feel free to email info@thewoodworkersbookclub.com
-Owen
Commenti