# Woodworkers that inspire you to aspire, who do you respect most?



## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

Interested to learn of personal woodworking mentors who's lessons you have taken to heart, past or present.

When spending time with an author, video production, or website - that investment of time should not be wasted. The process of learning is much more fluid with personalities who feel driven to challenge my current way of thinking, and are by nature the intellectual forces one is keen to admire and respect.

Dreaming of a crisp fall night all gathered around the mountaintop camp fire, these are the men whose experience of life I'd wish to hear told.

Sam Maloof, James Krenov, Jeff Miller, Paul Sellers, John Bogdanovich, David Finck

How about you?


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Norm first Sam second, then again maybe it was my grandfather first for interesting me in wood working in the first place. Not that he did anything spectacular in terms of what he turned out, but he had a shop with most of the basic tools and that's what really got me going.


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Peter and John Hall, Gustav Stickley, Charles and Henry Greene, Norm Abram, Sam Maloof, David Marks, William Morris, Graham Blackburn, my Dad, Thomas Lie Nielsen, Oscar Onsrud, Darrell Peart, Frank Lloyd Wright, William Ng. Not necessarily in any particular order and certainly not a complete list.


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

I just look at the project page here. Watching Norm certainly got me started.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

My dad and grandpa for work ethic and attention to detail. Chris Schwarz for handtools, then Paul Sellers. Norm for making it look easy. Roy Underhill pulls it all together.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Abrams, Stickley, Marks, and our own Paul Miller (shipwright).


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

Smitty_Cabinetshop beat me to it. My Dad was my mentor and inspiration. He was a jack of all trades and the best way to get something done by him was to tell him you didn't think he could do it. Everything I build or work on, in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "how would Dad have done this, or is this good". The other inspiration I had was my high school wood shop teacher. I wish he was alive so I could look him up and say thank you.

I know that is not what you were looking for in this thread, but I don't really following the pros enough to name any. I know there are great one and I love to search the internet and look at things built but I never seem to remember who the builder was. Sad, my bad.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Great subject!

In chronological order:
Our neighbour Holger who at 88 still made beautiful tables made from driftwood found at the Northe Sea
The blacksmith Thomas Nørgaard who taugt me the true quality of working hard to learn
Leif Andersen who taugt at a woodworking school i attended over a summer. First and only person I have met that could stand *behind * a lathe and teach how to turn correctly
Hans J. Wegner. For being both a skilled craftman, an artist and a true intelectual. 
Matias Wandel. For being so truly nerdy and innovative
Paul Sellers. Because he is so experienced I can just watch him work for hours


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

My father for the practical application of woodworking, and my mother for the artistic and design side of life (including wood working). Growing up on a farm, my father did wood working, mechanics, fencing, and my all time personal favorite of throwing hay, as a matter of course and without any fanfare-he just went out and did whatever was required to be done. After that, everything and every one else is reference material.


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

Have enjoyed reading these so far, you guys are fortunate to have influential family members and local mentors to draw inspiration from, hope to see more posts, we each have a story to tell.


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## mbs (May 8, 2010)

Good thread. I will search on some of the names that I haven't heard of before.

No particular order:

Green and Green
Hal Taylor
High school shop teacher,
Darrell Peart
Norm
Sam
Benji Reyes


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## Wolfdaddy (May 18, 2013)

My dad was responsible for instilling a love of woodworking in me. I grew up swinging a hammer and getting plenty of black fingernails 
As soon as I was tall enough I learned how to run a bandsaw and a RAS. These were the things that made me want to work with my hands when I grew up. 
As far as other inspirations go, there are knd of a lot. To name a few, in no particular order, Tom Fidgen, of http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/, James Krenov, Darrell Peart, Derek Cohen, and lots of people on LJs and one or two other forums I visit on occasion. 
As a side note, I actually first became aware of LJs while reading Tom Fidgen's blog. 
I don't have anywhere near the same skills or talent as anyone listed, but I do have aspirations.


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## shopdog (Nov 9, 2008)

My friend Tim Britt, a cabinetmaker that taught me a lot, while he paid me to work for him.
Another friend, Avra Cohen, who showed me how to do seemingly impossible (to me) techniques.

And for inspiration…Wharton Esherick, a long dead craftsman/artist. I visit his museum every couple of years in Paoli, PA. I always come home with new ideas.
http://www.levins.com/esherick.html


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

shopdog, Wharton Esherick was an amazing man, what a legend. Thank you for sharing the link.


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## RPhillips (May 16, 2013)

Well, let's see. For me first most, my Dad. While the pieces that my Dad crafted aren't of Green & Greene quality, they were made with a lot of heart and established in me that anything is possible if you try.

Next up would have to be Ray and Norm, they have been and inspiration since I was a kid watching them on PBS. With the internet, Blogs and You-Tube, and I have found very good instruction from William Ng, Marc Spagnuolo, Paul Sellers, Chris Schwarz, and Laney Shaughnessy. they have provided me with detailed information pertaining to exactly what I want to know and shows me exactly how to do it.

I have also learned a ton from my fellow LJ's. Joining this site has been one of the best things that I could have done. It's opened a gateway of knowledge that I hope that I can expand on and pass on.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

I would have to say Gary Bennett Knox. He thinks like an artist more than a woodworker. His ideas and interpretations are really captivating.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Michael Fortune.

Early on I read Krenov's books and was influenced philosophically, 
but as a progressed I found his work was technically limited
and his focus on small unflashy freestanding cabinets not a good
market position to emulate.


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## kokomoron (Feb 25, 2013)

Sam Maloof. Then a serious gap. Krenov, Roy Underhill for what he stands for, Paul Sellers,Brian Boggs. Peter Follansbee


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## richardwootton (Jan 17, 2013)

I'd have to say George Nakashima and Sam Maloof from a design aspect. Then Paul Sellers and Roy Underhill igniting my love of handtools and actually showing me how to use them (albeit, I may not be that great of a student).


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

No special person got bit by the bug in shop class and went on from there. I hope as a woodworking teacher I had a little bit to do with getting others interested. I like all the shows and videos good or bad there is something you can learn from them.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Kevin Rodel and Michael Pekovich. I admire their design abilities as much as their building knowledge.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Love this thread!
Just learned the existence of Wharton Esherick whom I newer heard about. Such whacky and clever shapes. Realy likes his museum. I want a house like that for my self one day!

PaulDoug: No need to make excuses at all! This is the place to get your personal ww heroes out and tell their story. Let us know WHY they were so influental on you so that we all can learn and get better at being the same to others.


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

While looking up the woodworkers you guys have shared, found a series produced for PBS - "Craft in America", and looks to have comprehensive coverage of woodworkers, http://www.craftinamerica.org/artists_wood/story_584.php

While on the subject, 
I truly felt my soul grow while watching an old documentary series from Irish television - "Hands" 
The culture we live with today is completely removed from what was daily life only a few decades ago.

Highly highly recommend the series




http://www.irelandstraditionalcrafts.com/


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

Just finished watching the forge episode from the Craft in America series, it's good, real good. Glad to have stumbled upon such another great production, a must watch for all craftsman.

http://video.pbs.org/program/craft-in-america/


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## alohafromberkeley (Oct 26, 2011)

George Nakashima- For writing "The Soul Of A Tree", the book that celebrates woodworking and the spiritual essence of his work.John Reed Fox- because of the elegance of his designs. Then there's "SteveInMarin" for the enjoyment that I get from his videos and the fact that he doesn't take life too seriously.He takes life with the humor that I wish I could apply to everything I do. Can't leave out Garry Knox Bennett with his East Bay flair!


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

My Dad first, then Norm then Roy Underhill. Last alot of guys here on the net.

Arlin


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Tage Frid: Through his books and personality I learned not to take myself too seriously.

Sam Maloof: His work is spiritual. Why not mine too?

Robert Miller and Jerry Weick: Two local guys (pros) who shared generously with me in every way.

My dad, for always making sure we had a small shop, which was a place to "go tinker".

Ross Williams, a neighbor in my gradeschool years. He had lost a son in WWII and I think the hobby lathe Ross gave to me was the first of his son's possessions he let go.

And especially all those folks who came to me in over 30 years of being a professional woodworker, asking me if I could do this certain thing and knowing, when I said "yes," that I was lying, and then saying, "Call me when it's done."

Kindly,

Lee


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

What inspires me is 17th and 18th century American furniture, what they accomplished without electricity…or my bright as the sun shop lights.


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## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

My tag line says it all.


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## GJP60 (Jan 12, 2010)

Great question. James Krenov and George Nakashima were certainly huge inspirations, But we never met. Of the folks I've taken classes from I'd say the tops were David Elsworth, Mario Rodriguez, Phil Lowe, and Corey Anderson. All inspiring in different ways. Elsworth the coolest, and an artist who works in wood, Mario because i learned so much and he's real down to earth, Phil Lowe crazy skills, and Corey because he's a great guy.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I think we find different people who inspire us as we spend more time learning and doing woodworking. The first person
who inspired me was My father-in-law a man who had spent 60+ years of his life woodworking and was a genius when it came to woodworking. I think Norm Abram was the second person who was a inspiration to myself and millions of people, he grew in his understanding of woodworking and past what he learned on to others. There were many folks who where and are great woodworkers and excellent authors and all of them have inspired me; Jim Tolpin,frank George,frank Gotshall, Gary Rogoski ,Brian Boggs, Roy Underhill,Robert Lang,Chris Becksvoot,Thomas Moser,Mike Dunbar,David MarksJames, Krenov,Sam Maloof, Will Neptune, Landis,Mario Rodriguez, Lonnie Bird, Phil Lowe, Tage Frid, and my mentor Charles Neil.


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

Will take a while to fully process all of these great woodworkers, and there is so much amazing work being done out there. Keep sharing!


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I've spent a lot of time traveling to classes so the woodworkers who influenced me the most are those I've had the opportunity to learn from and talk to in person.

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*Michael Fortune* (Huge influence here. Anybody that's seen both of us in a woodshop will notice that my work methods are very, very similar to his. Some people poke good-natured fun at me for being a copy-cat.)

*Jeff Jewitt* (Taught me advanced finishing techniques that gave me solid ground to branch off to just about any finishing task I need to do.)

*Graham Blackburn* (Shaped my early approach to design philosophy.)

*Paul Schurch* (Helped me further my abilities with advanced veneering technique.)

*Chris Gochnour* (Taught blanket chest class where I got my first dovetail marathon session. After this I had a pretty good eye for using a hand saw.)

*Richard Raffan* (Learned to use a skew under his direction.)

*Boris Khechoyan* (Learned woodcarving from him and still use his methods any carving I need to do.)

*John Burt* (Shaped my preference for old-fashioned high carbon steel for my chisels and plane irons. I avoid the fancy alloys for the most part.)

*Gregg Novosad* (Never had a class with him but did get a chance to talk to him a fair bit. He helped direct my computer skills towards useful and efficient application in woodworking plus provided some mentoring in business organizational skills and video marketing.)

*John Knight* (Not a professional woodworker but he was a big factor in getting me setup with CNC and provided the basic knowledge needed for operating these machines.)

*Marc Adams* (Runs the school where I've met all these great craftsman and provided me with solid grounding in layout and joinery skills.)

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Last but not least is Steve Remmert of Remmert Studios, Inc. who gave me my apprenticeship and employed me for many years as an artisan in a custom furniture studio. It was under him that I made the transition from a hobbyist that built square boxes, stick bows and ping pong paddles into a professional furniture-maker.


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## woodcox (Nov 21, 2012)

About a year ago I made my baby girl a rocking horse for her first Christmas. That project led me here to Lj's to swim among some very talented and truly genuine humans. Amazing place to spend time, great input is always available. Most of the things I produce are shop or tool related lately and I'm in the middle of my workbench build. I would have to name Mr. Sellers as most fell upon for me. His comment on wood being a topographical map and working uphill made it click for me. Now I find reward and satisfaction in all the hard work of planing. He is an excellent teacher and seems very relatable to me. Eventually I will start on the honey-do list but for now I'll keep honing my skills and learning from you all.


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

I enjoy hearing the stories of how y'all found your way into woodworking, good stuff.


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