Feed Your Spirit...
Acquire some Fine Timbers

by Dave Knipfer


Fair Warning ....   this is a WW philosophy post ...

The specific thing that makes my work different (not better) from anybody elses is my approach to the task ....   how much (or little) I care about the design,   timbers and details.

Also ....   it's about how willing I am to go the extra step to get things just right ....   to the best of my ability.

I call that untouchable 'thing' my spirit ....   and it's not a spirit in the religous sense ....   but the essential part of each of us that drives us forward to do our best (or not).

All of us WW have this spirit ....   for some of us it's not yet developed ....   these folks are satisfied with making a few things out of common timbers.   And that's OK if it works for them.

For some other WW'ers .....   that spirit is what shines through the photos ......   the mark of the maker that is without question personal and distinctive.

Look at anything the Genious Down Under has made and you'll see the 'spirit' of the maker ....   the same applies to so many of you folks that I could not even begin to list them all without doing somebody a dis-service ....

That said .....   I am right now low on spirit ....   I say it is a consumable thing that requires feeding every now and then to remain healthy ....

I've spent so much time lately making production boxes that I had lost sight of the thrill of a fresh lovely timber ...   waiting to be created into something new and living ..

Soooooo .....   here is my solution for anybody who is lacking the enthusiasim to try something else ......   buy and store fine timbers whenever you come across them ....   and let the timbers feed your spirit.

Today I was designing my hall table .....   wondering what I could make it out of ....   and before long I started prowling through my timber stash .....

There ....   I found the last 6/4 chunk of curly olive that made the doors for "Starburst",   a huge 5/4 plank of figured bubinga,   20 bf or so of Sapelle Pomella,   a slab of 6/4 curly cherry,   all that curly and quilted maple,   etc, etc.

Now .....   I stacked all these lovely timbers up against my wall and I'm staring at them right now .....   they serve to remind me that long after I'm gone what folks will remember is not my designs or skill .....   but the little piece of my spirit that I was able to leave in every creation.

Staring at all those lovely timbers gets me excited again to move forward ......

And it all begins and ends with the timbers.

I hope it's the same with you.

Knipfer



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