From Dad’s Shop
Here’s dad’s latest contribution to my blog. To visit his site go to www.heirloompens.com.
“Today was a productive day for me. I finished another segmented vessel. It turned out to be quite beautiful if I do say so myself. It is made with myrtle wood that my sister brought back from a recent trip to the Oregon coast and with Macassar Ebony and Honduras Mahogany. The top rim and the base are made from one piece of Ebony Gaboon. It is such a satisfying experience to piece it all together and turn it into something like this. I love to hold it in my hands and roll it about. Feeling the texture of the wood and the smoothness of the finish seems to give life to the piece and to the builder.
“It was a day of mixed blessings. I thought all day how good it would be to have one or both of my sons with me in the shop. Over the past few months both of them have built projects while I tried to show them what I know about the craft. It seems important to me these days to leave something with them for their pleasure and joy.
“My father was not a patient teacher. He expected his three sons to somehow pick up the skills of woodworking genetically. He seldom shared a secret of skill or a technique to help in the process. He was quite harsh in his criticism of our efforts. All three of us (my brothers and I) set up woodworking shops after dad’s death. There was never anything spoken about the meaning of this but somehow I know that avoiding criticism was a motivator in this.
“Knowing that my sons want to learn these skills blesses me. Neither of them will make a living at the trade. I don’t make a living at it anymore. In graduate school I used my skills to support my family but other than that it has been a hobby and a passion.
“Sharing that passion with my sons is something I would love to do. They both have such busy lives that it is difficult to fit it in.
“Today I learned that my health is worse than I thought. End stage coronary artery disease sounds so much more final than simply needing a heart transplant to live. The time seems much more precious. I debated today how to divide my tools with my sons. In their hearts they both want the skills and they will undoubtedly pursue them with the same passion of their father and mine.
“Watching them stage by stage in their projects recently assured me that the skill will live on to another generation. As each of them stepped back from their projects and admired the progress I could see their souls smiling. That is where woodworking really resides you know…in the soul of a man or woman. It is too deep to just be hands and fingers and tools and wood.
“I trust my sons will meet me in the shop again soon. I would be happy for it to become a family ritual and a spiritual communion.”
Richard
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