Wood has been one of the most venerable materials for human construction. Dating back untold years, woodworking as a trade and as a form of recreation has provided shelter, recreation, and much more. It’s our image of ancestors carving out log cabins on the frontier and the sentimental value of wood items from our ancestors that create a powerful pull toward this material for people who love to work with their hands.
From that common initial attraction to woodworking, we go in many directions. Some of us simply like to sit on the front porch with a pocket knife and whittle a stick down to a fine point. Others like to invest in woodworkers tool and equipment setups for the shop or garage and make something more durable.
The variety just grows from there. The serious woodworkers branch out into other groups as well, and you can think of them in three main categories.
The Functional Woodworkers
Closest to that idyllic image of woodcraft, these are the folks who look at wood in a very subsistence-centered way. They want to get a little piece of land and fabricate whatever they can to help them live a green, low-consumption life. They certainly derive some satisfaction from that achievement, but probably their greatest motivator is the opportunity to be self-sustaining for essential items around the home or farm.
Their perspective certainly has a positive impact on the environment. While most of what they make can easily be purchased, the commercial products are often made through processes that use more energy (and wood) than home crafters. Add in the cost of transportation and the net carbon footprint improvement of homemade is significantly smaller.
The Hobbyist Woodworkers
Similar to the functional group, these woodworkers like to make a few decorative or useful things for around the house, just because they can. They enjoy the relaxation of the solitude and focus of their hours in the shop, using woodworking as a break from the daily grind of a job or other commitments.
Their products aren’t what keeps them alive, but they certainly help them build a life. They are beyond a point of simply making things they have to have and are including some personal satisfaction and recreation as well. In time, they can build enough skill and creativity to attract the attention of friends and relatives, which could lead them to a transition into the final group.
The Entrepreneurial Woodworkers
The final group is the folks who help drive the woodworking economy. Profit as a motive for woodworking goes back as long as there have been woodworkers, and today’s craftsperson has a strong market niche.
With so much desire among consumers for local products, sustainable sourcing, and high-quality goods, there is plenty of market for good wood products. And a commercial woodworker today can easily find that market with social media, drawing in customers from literally all over the world.
The growth of a woodworker from simply making what is needed to doing so for pleasure, then for profit, is a natural one that mirrors much of our economy today. So many of our daily products developed out of someone’s home shop. Whether you’re into wood with hopes of doing likewise or simply want to fall into the subsistence or hobby group, you’re following a long tradition of great skill and artistic talent that will last for generations to come.
