Who are your favorite woodworkers of all time?

[Mike Mason]

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.

[Mike Henderson]

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.]

[Frederick Skelly]

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.

[David Stone (CT)]

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.

[Christopher Herzog]

Charles Percier, google Napoleon Egyptian Cabinet. Some day i will give one a go, minus the silver inlays.

Chris

[Rob Sack]

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.

[andrew whicker]

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/judy-kensley-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.

[Warren Lake]

gepetto did nice work

[Howard Rosenberg]

Woodworkers -
Wharton Esherick.
Greene and Greene.
Frank Pollaro (heart-stoppingly beautiful art deco)

Designers, not woodworkers -
Frank Lloyd Wright
Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann

[Sean Nagle]

Christian Becksvoort. Maybe because Shaker style furniture is my absolute favorite and his interpretations are simply perfect.

[Mel Fulks]

gepetto did nice work

Especially when the DON said , “ I want ‘ya to use all your powuz an all ya’ skillz”.

[Jim Becker]

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.

[Kevin Jenness]

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.

[Patrick McCarthy]

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.

[Richard Coers]

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/

[junyer green]

Personally, for me its my 2 Grandfathers. I know the guys mentioned by others previously are far more talented and well known, but none of them inspired me to begin the craft and got me going in it. I remember going out with them to their workshops and "helping" them by putting tacks in this board, or sanding that one down for them on scrap pieces. Then as i got older being able to use more tools and then power tools and them teaching me simple projects I could do on my own. The majority of my power tools I use today were theirs and older than I am craftsman ones. As far as their "design and style", it was simple things usually, like a 3/8" plywood kitchen set, with a fridge that opened, painted on stove eyes and knobs. Wooden toys, like a climbing bear, cars, trucks, trains, and the like. It means more than anything to me now that my son likes to go work with me in my makeshift shop and use the same tack hammer I did when I was his age to drive nails and "work" with me.

Since i have gotten older and back into the craft , i have looked into other designers and woodworkers, and appreciate and admire their work. One I keep going to would be Frank Strazza and his marquetry and other traditional style, hand tool craftsmanship. I also enjoy other newer people on youtube, like sawyer design. While i enjoy their work and skill, I am also realistic in knowing that will never be me. I simply don't have the natural talent, skill level, or the time and resources to attain that level of craftsmanship. With that said though, it has not deterred me from trying though and working to improve my skills and craft. Even when I all I can afford to do is make a simple shoe basket out of used pallet wood because my son wanted to play tee ball, and needed gear, or practicing dovetails on scrap pieces i brought home from work. For me now, woodworking is my escape to destress and clear my mind. I can put my apron on, and clap up a scrap piece of oak and practice hand cutting a dovetail that requires me to focus only on that and forget abut the stresses of work. Its one of my only hobbies i enjoy like that I can do at home. So I am ever so thankful for my Pappy and Pawpaw for instilling this love of the craft in me at a young age.

[Rob Luter]

Christian Becksvoort
Darrel Peart
Greg Paolini
Nancy Hiller (RIP)

And countless others who are evangelicals for the shaker and arts and crafts styles.

[jerry cousins]

james krenov

[Phil Gaudio]

Let's not forget Norm Abram: he is arguably the reason why so many of us got into WW.

[Jim Becker]

Let's not forget Norm Abram: he is arguably the reason why so many of us got into WW.
That's true, but my admiration for Norm is mostly about getting me interested. The folks I mentioned previously were because of their influence on my actual work or the kinds of work I aspired to try.

[John Kananis]

Ok so this may be a cop-out answer but I appreciate all of them. They each add something special to our world, whether it's our style or not. Maybe one day I'll achieve a fraction of their excellence and I'll be in a better position to judge.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My favorites are not known so much as wood workers as they are for the things they made out of wood.
Antonio Stradivarius, Lloyd Loar, C.F. Martin, Les Paul, Leo Fender, John Gardner, …

[Phil Gaudio]

That's true, but my admiration for Norm is mostly about getting me interested. The folks I mentioned previously were because of their influence on my actual work or the kinds of work I aspired to try.

Favorite Woodworker of All Time: I have to stick with Norm. I doubt I'd be a woodworker without his ability to convince people who had no particular skill at WW that it could be done: that it was possible to accomplish these seemingly unobtainable goals. Most influential woodworker: I'd go with Christian Becksvoort.

[Curt Harms]

That's true, but my admiration for Norm is mostly about getting me interested. The folks I mentioned previously were because of their influence on my actual work or the kinds of work I aspired to try.

There's no question that Norm is not a peer of most of those mentioned above. None of those mentioned though did as much as Norm in getting the number of people interested in basic woodworking. Those who take an interest beyond the basics then learn about the skilled artisans. Would there be a demand for a PBS show featuring how to build the work of the above mentioned artisans that would run for 20 years? I doubt it.

[Derek Cohen]

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.

Thank you Patrick. You are very kind … quite deranged and possibly suffering a perceptual disorder … but very kind. :)

I must point to Norm Abrams and The New Yankee Workshop for getting me started on building furniture more seriously for home. He kindled an interest in machinery and how to use them. This was around 1990. Up until then I was just a carpenter renovating the homes we purchased. Then I read Jim Krenov and he taught me to look at wood grain and balance. I grew up with a love of wood inherited from my father, a architect, who designed our house, which used timbers from around the world … a wall of Canadian Redwood, for example. Japanese woodworking inspired a love of hand tools, but it was traditional British woodworkers, especially Jim Kingshott, who emphasised the importance of traditional Western joinery.

I recognise that there were many to influence design, and really what they did was reinforce my existing preferences. For example, I like subtle curves and lines that flow (like a Porsche 356a I restored, and the 22 year old Porsche I now drive), and the work of Sam Maloof and Wharton Esherick come to mind. I have made Esherick stools. I made Hans Wegner’s The Chair.

My taste in design is simple lines, essentially reduced to minimalism, rather than simple. This sounds contradictory, but it is harder work and misleadingly so. Jim Krenov, especially, Shaker designs have been important, and for some years I have been entranced by Garrett Hack. I wish it was possible to complete a course with Garrett. Financially and geographically I remain distanced from teachers, and learn by examining their work, and feedback from forums like SMC. Thank you.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mel Fulks]

“ Now , I’m’ just gonna use my “ row -tuh “ ,to trim my toe - nails” ! . “ BE Careful , use goggles to protect your eyes !”

[Wes Grass]

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.

I'll throw Jim B in with a couple of those. I check Derek's site on a fairly regular basis.

One of the 'big names' was doing a 'presentation' at one of the big shows, maybe Atlanta. How to hand cut dovetails...

I got bored of him blowing plane shavings at an attractive woman and walked away ...

[Mel Fulks]

Always liked Mike Angelo’s work. Good wood was not easy to get ,back in the old days. He used marble , it’s a lot like concrete ….only
harder to use . And again …. I remind us that when he finished he used his mallet to tap Mose’s knee , and told Moses , “ NOW SPEAK!

[James Pallas]

My favorites are. Phil Lowe, Roy Underhill, George Wilson, and Jack Plane. All for the same reasons, relaxed do the task with few special tools using normal furniture maker skills. I like others also and the list can get rather lengthy.
Jim

[Wes Grass]

Roy Underhill... PBS ...

Awesome...

[John Kananis]

Kudos for mentioning George Wilson.


My favorites are. Phil Lowe, Roy Underhill, George Wilson, and Jack Plane. All for the same reasons, relaxed do the task with few special tools using normal furniture maker skills. I like others also and the list can get rather lengthy.
Jim

[Rich Konopka]

Garrett Hack.

http://www.garretthack.com/

[Rich Konopka]

Let's not forget Norm Abram: he is arguably the reason why so many of us got into WW.

How true!!

[Pat Germain]

David Marks. It helps that I had lunch with him and found him to be an extremely cool guy. But I really like his designs and his methods.

I also like Marc Spagnuolo (the Wood Whisperer) who, no coincidence, trained under David Marks.

I am developing an appreciation for Jason Hibbs the Bourbon Moth guy. I don't always like what he's doing, but he is very practical without being janky which I like.

[George Yetka]

Id say my Grandfather. After that it comes to not who is the best or most informative but one who I enjoy watching Kobeomsuk. He has a good mix of hand and machine tools, relaxing, and excelent results.

https://www.youtube.com/@kobeomsukfurniture5420

[Richard Coers]

The responses are really narrowed this down to the 20th century. There had to be some craftsman from the rest of all time. Like Thomas Chippendale?

[Pat Germain]

I admire ancient Egyptian woodworkers, but I'm pretty sure their names have been lost to history.

[Prashun Patel]

George Nakashima. I drink all the Tree soul Kool-Aid. He had a gift that is often imitated but rarely done as well.

Curtiss Buchanan and Peter Galbert for chairmaking.

Freeman Keller for luthierie.

I second the kudos to Derek and Mike Allen. He doesn't tread these parts too frequently anymore, but I'd add Brian Holcombe to that list. I've been fortunate to study with him.

[George Yetka]

I admire ancient Egyptian woodworkers, but I'm pretty sure their names have been lost to history.


Everything was attributed to their pharaoh.

[Randall Houghton]

Michael Fortune a great designer, builder and teacher who has been in the furniture business for a long time.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

My dad. He was a master woodworker and furniture maker/restorer who worked in virtual (and vastly underpaid) obscurity for a furniture company in Chicago. He was an incredibly gifted artist who always provided assistance for my art and drafting class school projects. He was also a gifted mechanic who could fix anything, including our cars. Although he passed away when I was 17, he inspired and taught me a lot simply by always encouraging me to observe his methods and the building process, from design to completion. He used mostly hand tools, many of which I still have. I remember one of his tool boxes (actually a large 3 level tackle box) contained the many powders and solvents he used to mix his own stains and inevitably got a perfect match for the piece he was restoring.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my two high school shop teachers, who introduced and educated me to the world of stationary power tools and the capabilities and dangers they possessed.

And I can’t forget Norm Abram, who rekindled my interest in woodworking after it lay dormant for a few decades.

[Wes Grass]

Roy Underhill... PBS ...

Awesome...

Forgot... mentioned him to a friend and he was a bit confused, until his wife said 'you know, the anti-Norm'.

[Ted Diehl]

That's funny!

[Derek Meyer]

I remember when I was watching PBS, they would show The New Yankee Workshop, and right after it they would show The Woodwright's Shop. It was such a jarring contrast, seeing one guy who was all about power tools, and then the guy who was all hand tools and old time machinery that was human-powered. I liked them both a lot. Norm made me feel liek woodworking was something that I could do, and demonstrated tools that I was interested in. Roy was a master craftsman and showed what you could do with technique and patience. Such a contrast of styles, but both great in their own ways.

[Wes Grass]

I'm gonna throw out a total unknown, most likely, to the woodworking community.

Doan Trevor, primarily a gunsmith/stockmaker. Check out the spinning wheel he made.

[Jacob Mac]

Hall brothers. Darrel Peart. Several more, but primarily folks who traffic in G&G

[Roger Feeley]

This might be considered off topic but my favorite woodworker was my father in law. Not so much as a woodworker but as a man and role model. He passed in ‘89 and I miss him every day.

[mike calabrese]

George Nakashim Sam Maloof John Beaver Malcolm Tibbetts
calabrese55

[al ladd]

Lots of great woodworkers mentioned on this thread. I'll add a couple I didn't notice: Brian Newell (apparently his web-site is defunct, but lots of images of his work to be seen on the web), and my neighbor Tim Coleman, https://timothycoleman.com/ , who appears in FWW magazine often usually as a techniques guy.

As a box maker I'll also mention Michael Cullen.

[Jim Tobias]

Norm Abrams, Roy Underhill and Davd Marks......power tools and interesting, hand tools and interesting, design exploration and finish.
Jim

[lou sansone]

Samuel McIntire

[Ron Citerone]

Charles Neil! Straight up no nonsense technique.

[Ernie Hobbs]

Ben Hobbs, https://hobbsfurniture.com/
Calvin Hobbs, https://kcwg.org/about-us/
Matt Hobbs, http://www.matthewhobbsfurniture.com/

[Kris Cook]

I actually wrote "drawahs" on a piece of plywood I was saving to match the adjacent door panel on some shop furniture. This was a nod to Norm and his accent.

[Ernie Hobbs]

Ben Hobbs, https://hobbsfurniture.com/
Calvin Hobbs, https://kcwg.org/about-us/
Matt Hobbs, http://www.matthewhobbsfurniture.com/

If I had to pick outside of my family, when I was getting started 25 years ago, especially when I was focusing on Federal Furniture, I picked up a lot of tips and techniques from:

Rob Millard, https://www.youtube.com/@FederalFurniture/videos
Steve Latta, https://www.finewoodworking.com/author/steve-latta

[Jon Barnett]

James Krenov, after taking some of his books out at the library when in my mid twenties. Made an impression I've never forgotten. Christian Becksvoort, as I am a Shaker fan, and Garret Hack, from their FWW articles. And Scott Landis, for the Workbench, and Workshop books, which had a huge impact on me when I set up my own shop.

[Jeff Leimberger]

In no particular order: Sam Maloof, James Krenov, Michael Fortune, Garrett Hack and Roy Underhill. The first 4 all have furniture designs that greatly appeal to me. I admire Roy Underhill for helping to revive the interest in hand tool woodworking. I have had the pleasure of taking classes with Garrett and Roy and both are excellent and approachable instructors and just nice people.

[John Erickson]

Preferring the shaker style, Chris Becksvoort, Thomas Moser and Tage Frid has been a huge influence to me. Many others like Mary May, Nancy Hillier, Chris Buchanan, David Fisher, all great in their own right has all had some influence as well.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Irvin Somogyi is another on my list.


https://youtu.be/SqbbXtpoMt0?si=BUJaWEnjXwSltmaG

[Rod Sheridan]

James Krenov

Sam Maloof

Michael Fortune

Tage Frid

Frank Klausz

Roy Underhill

Christian Becksvoort

Christopher Schwartz

Regards, Rod

[Larry Edgerton]

Joe Calhoon

[Roger Davis]

Michael Pekovich, master woodworker and current editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine.

Dale Barnhard a Greene and Greene style woodworker.

Doug Stowe master box maker.

[jack duren]

The guys who trained me..

[Maurice Mcmurry]

The guys who trained me..

I have to look back and be sure I included Dad and Grandpa. Dad is back in his shop at 85 after 2 episodes of very bad health. There will be handmade items at the extended family Christmas gift exchange.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

gepetto did nice work

+1 for Gepetto! he knew a good piece of wood when he came across one.

I forgot how cute and clever the Adventures Of Pinocchio book is. My memory is mostly of the the Disney movie. It might be time to read Pinocchio again.

512586

[Ole Anderson]

Norm Abrams was my first followed by David Marks. Currently The Wood Whisperer and Blacktail Studios.

[Alan Lightstone]

Michael Fortune - who has been a pleasure to speak and learn from, and makes beautiful furniture. Not our style to purchase, but a pleasure to marvel at.
Sam Maloof - stunning work.
Cam from Blacktail Studios - not a fan of epoxy furniture, but have built a few pieces for friends who asked for it, and I'm in awe of some of Cam's work.
Marc Spagnuolo - Just enjoy his videos and wonder just how he can move that often
Frank Strazza - Teaches a wonderful course on marquetry, and is amazingly talented

[Josko Catipovic]

Joseph Walsh is just 'blowing me away': https://www.josephwalshstudio.com/

[Benjimin Young]

My all time favorite quote from a great wood work is from the late Sam Maloof who said something along the lines of ", as long as I buy wood I have to live long enough to build something". I understand he lived to age 94 and was still making chairs when he passed on. I aspire to that :-).

[Mike Walsh]

Phil Lowe. I was very fortunate to have taken classes with Phil for about 5 years before he passed away. He was as nice as he was talented

[Carroll Courtney]

I always wanted to take classes with Marc Adam’s. His work was more realistic for me, being little more simpler and not works of art. Something that falls into hobbies level

[Josko Catipovic]

... or check out Yuri Mosans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1JDL5ZAPAI&t=14s

[Tom Duboski]

Roy Underhill. His commentary is enlightening, and by the end of many of his tv shows he was sweating thru his suspenders and his knuckles were bleeding. My kinda guy

[Charles P. Wright]

I very much like Jory Brigham's work. I first saw him on framework, and very much like the style of his furniture. I did take the TWW guild Hank chair class and build a version of it.

Norm Abram and Marc Spagnoulo are great educators and I enjoy watching them. Norm inspired me to get into furniture and woodworking. I enjoy watching Matt Cremona too, but he does a lot of not-woodworking content I find interesting.