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Thread: Who are your favorite woodworkers of all time?

  1. 09-08-2023, 3:59 PM #1
    Mike Mason
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    Who are your favorite woodworkers of all time?

    Who are some of your favorite woodworkers, past or present, and why?

    This might include practitioners of several different styles of woodworking. For instance, one might admire what Roy Underhill has done for woodworking awareness in general, especially green woodworking, but also appreciate the style of Sam Maloof, Tage Frid, George Nakashima, James Krenov or even Chippendale, Phyfe, etc., even though their end products are nothing like each other.

    I'll keep my opinions to myself, I'm just curious as to what others think. I do have a specific reason for asking, but I don't want to color anyone's responses by saying what it is.
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 09-10-2023 at 7:49 AM. Reason: fixed the title
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  3. 09-08-2023, 4:03 PM #2
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    Mike Henderson
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    I've always liked Sam Maloof. But that's because I had a chance to spend some time with him twice. He was a wonderful story teller.

    Sam was an extremely likable guy - to meet him was to like him. I think that was a big part of his success.

    Mike

    [I never cared for Nakashima's work. All that mumbo-jumbo about "the soul of the tree" and his slab furniture just turned me off.]
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 09-08-2023 at 4:05 PM.
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  4. 09-08-2023, 6:19 PM #3
    Frederick Skelly
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    I've always liked Sam Maloof.

    [I never cared for Nakashima's work. All that mumbo-jumbo about "the soul of the tree" and his slab furniture just turned me off.]
    +1 to both.
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    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
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  5. 09-08-2023, 8:53 PM #4
    David Stone (CT)
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    Tage Frid, for me. First and foremost as a teacher/author: Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking is, IMO, the greatest woodworking how-to book(s) ever published. And I like many of his designs. Another one is Edward Barnsley, who, like others in the middle twentieth century, took traditional forms and design language and made something fresh with them.
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  6. 09-08-2023, 9:32 PM #5
    Christopher Herzog
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    Charles Percier, google Napoleon Egyptian Cabinet. Some day i will give one a go, minus the silver inlays.

    Chris
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  7. 09-08-2023, 10:47 PM #6
    Rob Sack
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    Definitely Sam Maloof. I was always amazed at the quality of his design and workmanship. I had the good fortune of attending 8 or 9 of his all day workshops and home tour over the years I always left inspired. I also had the good fortune of ordering one of his chairs. When it was ready, we drove out to pick it up and he spent over half a day with us showing us around his house and shop. The other thing that always impressed me was that he was an "open book", willing to share everything woodworking.
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  8. 09-08-2023, 11:48 PM #7
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    andrew whicker
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    I don't really know all the big names that well. I tend to buy books that have a collection of fine furniture and gloss over them from time to time.

    A few standouts for me: Wendell's Ghost Clock. Has to be one of the most amazing feats in woodworking ever, in my opinion. Just awesome.

    Judy Kensley McKie's Monkey Settee . Super cool bench. Insanely well done. (https://americanart.si.edu/artist/ju...ley-mckie-6870)

    Kristina Madsen's Dining Chair. Perfection. (https://www.kristinamadsen.com/)

    People will probably disagree with me, but John Cederquist is a lot of fun. I really want to see one of his pieces in person in order to understand it. (http://www.johncederquist.com/)

    To be fair, when I day dream about building my ideal furniture projects they are usually a mixture of materials and I'm not super into woodworking perfection or tricked out joinery. I think Maloof was an obviously excellent woodworker, but I don't find his designs high on my inspiration list.
    Last edited by andrew whicker; 09-09-2023 at 12:00 AM.
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  9. 09-09-2023, 12:03 AM #8
    Warren Lake
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    gepetto did nice work
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  10. 09-09-2023, 12:09 AM #9
    Howard Rosenberg
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    Woodworkers -
    Wharton Esherick.
    Greene and Greene.
    Frank Pollaro (heart-stoppingly beautiful art deco)

    Designers, not woodworkers -
    Frank Lloyd Wright
    Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann
    Howard Rosenberg
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  11. 09-09-2023, 12:14 AM #10
    Sean Nagle
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    Christian Becksvoort. Maybe because Shaker style furniture is my absolute favorite and his interpretations are simply perfect.
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  12. 09-09-2023, 9:14 AM #11
    Mel Fulks
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    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Lake View Post
    gepetto did nice work
    Especially when the DON said , “ I want ‘ya to use all your powuz an all ya’ skillz”.
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  13. 09-09-2023, 9:54 AM #12
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    Jim Becker
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    My two greatest influencers are Thos Moser and George Nakashima. I appreciate a lot of other folks, however, especially those who play in the same styles as the two I mention.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
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  14. 09-09-2023, 10:16 AM #13
    Kevin Jenness
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    Difficult to choose, but Edward Barnsley, Alan Peters and David Pye stand out for me. Barnsley bought a fluid grace to the British Craftsman tradition, Peters in his later years combined that with Japanese influence, and David Pye's delicately carved turnings reflect his illuminating discussions of design and workmanship. Silas Kopf, Michelle Holtzapfel, Wharton Esherick, Nakashima and Krenov speak strongly to me as well. As designers, Greene and Greene and Ruhlmann stand out.
    Last edited by Kevin Jenness; 09-09-2023 at 2:32 PM.
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  15. 09-09-2023, 12:04 PM #14
    Patrick McCarthy
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    Personally, i am a big fan of Dr. Derek Cohen and Professor Michael Allen. Both are attentive to detail, willing to share and genuinely nice people. Honorable mention to Glenn Bradley too.

    There is also Mark Yundt, a carver who used to post great projects here, but i have not seen him post for 2 years. Very talented.
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  16. 09-09-2023, 1:33 PM #15
    Richard Coers
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    Quote Originally Posted by Howard Rosenberg View Post
    Woodworkers -
    Wharton Esherick.
    Greene and Greene.
    Frank Pollaro (heart-stoppingly beautiful art deco)

    Designers, not woodworkers -
    Frank Lloyd Wright
    Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann
    Greene and Greene were mainly architects, Peter and John Hall were the main cabinetmakers who built the furniture. Their shop was also in Pasadena. https://gamblehouse.org/important-collaborations/
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