My business is CC Fine Furniture. The name Barefoot Woodworker is a nickname that has stuck. I have a tendency to walk around the shop barefoot. As long as it isn't too cold in the shop, you'll see me without shoes most of the time while I'm working. On days when it is cold, I'll give in and wear Birkenstock sandals.
I have almost 30 years of experience in custom woodworking and furniture building. I was lucky enough to study under a Master Artisan, who himself was trained in an apprenticeship in the Black Forest. This contact with this truly gifted man has lead to a passion for the almost forgotten construction methods of the past. I enjoy many of the more traditional methods of woodworking.
- Randy
More about him:
Our
furniture maker is the Barefoot Woodworker, a professional woodworker with a
minor aversion to shoes. He was
fortunate enough to have studied under a Master Artisan who was trained in an
apprenticeship in the famous Black Forest in Germany Black
Forest woodworkers and clock makers were renowned for their
precision clocks. Cuckoo clocks have
been made in the region since the early eighteenth century and much of their
development occurred there. Excessive
logging and two World Wars have reduced the population of the Black
Forest and its renowned woodworkers to a mere fraction of what
once was, making their distinguished skills both scarce and valuable.) Barefoot’s education by this truly gifted
Artisan has lead to a passion for the superior, and almost forgotten,
construction methods of the past. He
possesses an affinity for hand tools and traditional joinery that most others
in this field no longer know about, let alone use. He has also developed a love and
comprehensive knowledge of hidden catches and secret compartments. In an industry bombarded with new machinery
designed for shortcuts, he is pursuing the Master Woodworker level via
traditional methods.
The
Barefoot Woodworker’s love of these superior old-world methods, combined with a
tendency to build every piece to be strong enough to withstand being danced on
for a hundred years, has generated a great sense of trust and respect for his
work among both customers and our local and online communities. Tips, progress photos and articles posted on
our Barefoot Woodworker blog, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds have begun to
establish Barefoot as an expert for the online community. Some of our projects and videos have begun to
show great viral potential, often being shared, tweeted and re-pinned.
The
Barefoot Woodworker is also working on his Master’s Project. Historically, a Master Woodworker was someone
who had gone through an apprenticeship,
at the end of which he must create a
project that was reviewed for approval by an existing Master. Like many other aspects of the history of
this industry, our woodworker holds a high regard for this process. His project began in 2010 with him cutting down and milling a tree. The whole
project will primarily be made with hand tools and will ultimately be reviewed
by some of the only remaining Master Woodworkers. You can read more about this
unique process here: http://barefootwoodworker.blogspot.com.
