Shop Notes & Rambles
The Rambles are the stories lived and learned over decades — the moments, the lessons, and the shop life that shaped the craft. They accumulate here, sorted by publish date. If you want the curated version, explore the Workshop Library.
The Value of Wood
Woodworking today feels modern and predictable, but every board carries a much older story. To understand the value of wood now, we have to look at a time when survival depended on it. At York Factory in 1817, wood wasn’t a resource — it was life itself. Timber meant heat, shelter, tools, boats, and the ability to endure one of the harshest places in Rupert’s Land. This cornerstone story follows the men who cut spruce in deep winter, hauled timber across frozen muskeg, and rode the spring flood down the Hayes River, revealing the grit, skill, and human effort behind every piece of wood we touch today.