I didn’t plan this trade. I grew up in it.
David Flather
A Trade Built Over Generations
I grew up around tools, scraps, and people who built things because that’s just what they did. My grandfather was a cabinetmaker — tough, old‑school, the kind of man who didn’t hand out praise or guidance. My dad didn’t learn the trade from him, but he carved out his own path with grit and charm, becoming the youngest watchmaker Eaton’s Winnipeg ever trained.
That’s the line I come from.
In 2006, I walked into a shop as an apprentice,
and something clicked.
By 2011, I earned my Red Seal Certification. But the real transformation happened the moment I stepped into that shop — when the sawdust got into my head and never left.
In 2012, I opened Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking. I built kitchens, bathrooms, offices, furniture, mantles, jewellery stores — anything that needed to exist, I built it. I learned heritage restoration by living inside a heritage home. I learned storytelling by paying attention to the work. I learned that craft isn’t just skill — it’s identity.
Knotty Dave & Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking
These two stories sit at the heart of who I am and why this work exists. One is personal — the long road, the shop years, the recovery, the grit, and the worldview that shaped the maker. The other is the brand — the craft, the heritage, the philosophy, and the direction of Knotty Dave’s Fine Woodworking. Side by side, they tell the full origin: the life behind the craft, and the craft that grew out of that life. These aren’t rotating features; they’re the permanent anchors of the About page, the place where the story begins before the work ever hits the bench.
How the Name Found Me
Back when I was president of Leo and Brett’s football club, I was juggling practices, parents, schedules, and the usual chaos. Meanwhile, woodworking was chewing at me from the inside. I needed a name for the business, but everything sounded too serious, too cheesy, or like a guy selling cutting boards out of a van.
One day, a mom looked at me and said, “There. That’s your name. Knotty Dave.”
The mom chat lit up. The name stuck.
They branded me before I even had a logo.
Today, Knotty Dave’s is more than a shop.
It’s a brand built on honesty, heritage, and the belief that every cut has a story.
I’m building a website that feels like a workshop — structured, intentional, and rooted in the craft. I’m photographing the work the way I see it: real light, real tools, real sawdust. I’m building a YouTube channel that shows the process, not the performance — the work as it actually happens. I’m creating a content studio that documents the craft one project, one story, one stubborn lesson at a time.
Why the Website Matters
Cancer slowed me down, but it didn’t stop the work. The website became the shield — the place where I could keep building, writing, photographing, and staying connected to the craft.
This is the work. This is the story. This is Knotty Dave’s.