The difference is in the joinery

When looking at furniture what is there to distinguish a quality custom built piece from the rest? First and foremost, I would say, the joinery. Does the piece use the joinery in the design? When done in this way it is beautiful and will stand the test of time.

It is important to make this distinction because the cost is reflective. The market has driven the craftsman to become more and more of an artist than in the past. As furniture is increasingly going the way of the rest of our manufacturing jobs we have to find a way to distinguish ourselves. A shift from just craftsman to artisan in a way to make a living doing something you love.

Being a part of this process whether it be in buying, building, or designing gives you a connection to each piece. With that feeling you get more than furniture, the wood truly becomes alive again.

using split wood

I used reclaimed pickle barrel red wood for this door and was really impressed with the way the wood was able to be split. The grain of the wood split fairly evenly, even with the large size of panels I used on the door. After splitting the wood I peeled off all splinters and polished the panels with steel wool, the texture is very smooth. I then book matched them in the door. By book matching the split wood panels you gain visual interest in the door. I love this door and plan on using split wood in more furniture too.

building with reclaimed wood

Using reclaimed wood is definitely not the easy way to go about your construction process... Most of the time the wood is much harder to work, and tough on tools, but with the challenges come great rewards. Under the rough looking exterior is a reemerging beauty not often uncovered. The character that is added to each piece can not be duplicated truly making each one a true "one of a kind".

I try to use mainly reclaimed wood in my furniture construction. It adds to the expense of each piece but I believe the extra cost is countered by the uniqueness it adds. It also feels good to take something that could of ended up scrapped or burned and reworking it in to a thing of beauty. I love the challenges of using this wood to build with and bringing out that hidden beauty.