Going Pro as a Woodworker Part 3 - Developing Your Brand

Great blog Charles…............ thanks for taking the time to share with LJ’s and BTW, a big welcome!!!
I just caught this blog, then read your first two. Wonderful information from someonw who’s “been there”....

Look forward to the next

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

Looking forward to part 4

-- Alex

So if I understand (please feel free to correct me if I am wrong) your brand is that you do knock offs of Sam Maloof….

-- criticism: the art of analyzing and evaluating the quality of an artistic work...

You are wrong!

My work is that of a woodworker educator. I teach people to make furniture in the style of Sam Maloof just like one would be trained in or teach Stickley inspired furniture or Krenov style cabinets. My rockers are not copies of any part of any part of his chair. I have a commission I am working on to finish a rocker for a client that he started. I sat his roughed out chair next to mine and there were two glaring revelations. My chair (I knew this) is not a copy of his but what his worked inspired me to build and he is the artist.

-- Charles Brock

For the lucky few, like Maloof, Krenov, Moser…..........this would appear to work.

I suspect that neither Maloof or Krenov did anything but exceptional work and that their work sold itself and thus “word” spread and now they are somewhat “legends”. Same can be said for Moser. Woodworking is kinda like cooking…......if you make really tasty viddles…........people will come.

BTW…............you make an awesome chair.

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

Another great blog, I look forward to reading the next as soon as I finish the current blog. I don’t see it as building a knock-off. I see it as teaching. Although chair making does not appeal to me I do find your blogs very educational, and hope to be able to apply it to my woodworking. I have not found a signature piece of my own, but maybe someday it will slap me in the face. I’m kinda hard headed that way. Thanks for the great post and keep them coming.

-- F.Little

I really enjoy your blog posts and hope you continue to share your experiences with the community here. I consider myself much of a novice, but my experiences working with wood have really added to my appreciation of the craft and the people who dedicate themselves to creating and teaching this art. As others have stated, the chairs are truly beautiful.

-- "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it...It's the hard that makes it great."

i think the line goes something like “there is nothing new under the sun”. a table is a table, a rocker, a rocker. the difference comes from the person crafting the item. nobodies eye sees the exact same thing. some woodworkers care more then others. we each put as much effort into a piece as WE chose. thats were the difference is. so unless Maloof invented the rocker all he ever made was a knock-off of the person that made the very first rocker. Thank you for the good direction Mr. Brock.

-- Keep Your Stick On The Ice

You are really a good teacher! The way I look at it, the more I want to move out from my desk and incorporate the ideas on my class. I’m teaching behavioural skill development Maritime Resource Management, where you need to be aware of the situation firstly and set aside your imagination, skeptical illussions and speculation but concentrate on the REALITY.. Bottom line.. direction is the priority rather than money… I quote LJ Benji Reyes words during our personal meeting, “Money comes later.”

-- Bert

Interesting Blog Charles I’m always looking for different approaches to the woodworking business.
I look forward to you next installment.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/