Sloydcast

We're back with our first in-person guest, Zach Chrisinger. We hear his story of going from first time carpenter to full-fledged green woodworker and how he fell in love with the pole lathe. We discuss the pros & cons of learning from the internet, being on social media, and what really drives Zach to pursue and hone his craft. We get into the finer details of teaching green woodworking skills as well as our usual foray into th...

We are back! And joined by the one and only spoon carving, coppiced Christmas tree growing maverick, Emmet Van Driesche. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, starting by learning about Emmet's journey to becoming a full-time spoon carver, to the trials and tribulations of making a living using social media. We discuss his unique path as a professional spoon carver, how he brought his skills as writer to create Spoonesauru...

Join us for this chat with crafty axe maker Julia Kalthoff. We learn about her lifelong craft journey from her mother's fabric store to working for Wetterlings. We get into all of the the details of the inception and production of the axes she makes--from the long process of refining each aspect of the design and production, to the rigorous refinement of the metallurgical alchemy of tool making, to some of the finer points of grind...

Join us for this lively conversation with none other than Zed Shah. We get into a wide range of topics, learning about Zed's inroad to bushcraft, spooncarving and the broader sloyd world from his background in social work and marketing. We explore how the geographical & cultural distinctions influence craft in different parts of the world, and in particular why the UK is such a hub. We learn about Zed's journey as a film maker ...

Join us for this engaging chat with Mark Krawczyk—Renaissance man of permaculture, wood craft, and agroforestry. We delve into his journey from college to study permaculture with Bill Mollison in the early 2000’s which eventually lead him to the UK to learn from the likes of Ben Law, Mike Abbott, and back to the states to intern with Drew Langsner. We explore the finer points of greenwood working in the tradition of chair-making, h...

Join us for this chat with the amazingly talented coppice and green woodworker Rosie Rendell. We learn about her journey from gardener to coppice woodworker and the burgeoning businesses she has built since. She gives us a lesson in what coppicing is, what hedgelaying is, and some of the basic principles and practices that define these crafts. We learn about the seasonal flow of her work and get a sense of how deeply connect her wo...

Join us for this chat with the multi-talented craftsman Lee Stoffer. We get into Lee’s first introduction to green woodworking and sloyd via the illustrious Mike Abbott, how he went from the pole lathe to spoon carving to tool making and leather work. We learn about how he came to develop his now celebrated spoon scorp. And we also get into the weeds on some of the finer points of being a self employed crafts person, marketing our ...

Join us for this wonderful chat with the one and only, Magnus Sundelin aka Sloyd Magnus. We get into the lifelong journey of sloyd for Magnus, starting with whittling in the woods alongside his grandfather, and the long circuitous path that lead him to where he is today as part crafts teacher, green woodworker and tool maker. We get deep into the philosophy of what sloyd means to Magnus, to culture, and to humanity at large. We get...

Join us for a lovely chat with the savvy sloyder, Fred Livesay. We learn about his journey through the realms of handcraft starting from the ripe young age of 7, and the decades of exploration and experience he's embarked on since. We chat about the deep influence of Scandinavian wood working tradition in his work, the philosophy of handcraft and handmade utilitarian objects, immigrant culture and mindsets regarding materials, and ...

Join us fo this information packed chat with the maestro of metal, Reid Schwartz. We learn about his journey from art school to cabinet shop and his passion for metal working that was sparked early on, the video of a Russian ladle carver that blew his mind, his experience learning to make birch bark canoes, and the slew of friends, figures, and mentors who inspired him along the way. Reid is a fantastic storyteller and shares insig...

Join us for a lovely chat with the Godfather of Green Woodworking in the UK, none other than Mike Abbott. We hear about Mike's journey to the craft starting in the early 1980's and the long winding road that led him to establishing Living Woods Training in 1985. He shares countless stories of all the folks he has met along the way, inspiring, guiding, and encouraging him to forge ahead preserving and passing on dying skills and tra...

Join us for this in-depth conversation with bowl turner, spoon carver, and all-around crafty fellow, Owen Thomas. He shares his journey from commercial woodworker to sloyd craftsman over the past decade—we learn about the initial exposure that sparked his interest, his time learning from Mike Abbott, apprenticing with Barn the Spoon, and creating a livelihood as a green woodworker. We got into his unique approach to spoon carving, ...

Enjoy this chat with the inimitable Yoav Elkayam. He shares the story of his journey into green woodworking and pole lathe turning and all of the places, experiences, and people that helped him along the way. We get into some of the nitty gritty of making a living as a craftsperson in the modern age, the challenges and benefits of social media, his life at Brookhouse Woods—where he, his partner, and daughter live in an off-grid cab...

We are excited to share this conversation with the godfather of sloyd, Jögge Sundqvist. We learn about his upbringing with his father, the rightfully celebrated Willie Sundqvist, his journey from rockstar to sloyd master, how his alter ego Surolle came to life, the ethnology of the term sloyd and it’s ancient colloquial roots, what his life is like as a professional craftsman, and much more! It was a joy and honor to have this time...

Enjoy this chat with green woodworker extraordinaire Jarrod Dahl. We talk about his journey into green woodworking, how he helped propel spoon carving with his Scandinavian influence, pioneered pole lathe turning in the US, his foray in Japanese traditional wood turning techniques and how his philosophy and trajectory have changed over the years. It's a snippet of the breadth of Jarrod's experience and wisdom, with lots of details ...

Join us for this month’s episode where we chat with the one and only, Barn The Spoon. This was a lovely chat where we covered a lot of ground and got to know a lot more about Barn’s journey as a greenwood worker and spoon carver. From his first taste of wood working with a lathe in his parent’s garage, to walking around and carving spoons as a traveling spoon peddler, to his infamous London spoon shop, and much more. We get to hear...

Enjoy this chat with spoon carver, pole lathe turner and all around crafty woman, Amy Leake. You may know her as Woodmungler on facebook and Instragram, and we learn why that is. We also learn about her path to green woodworking, what inspires her, and about the techniques she uses to make her wares. Not to mention, we learn what mudlarking is, what a brooch is, and get context for what it's like to be a green woodworking who lives...

We have a lovely chat with blacksmith, toolmaker and pole lathe turner Matty Whittaker. We dive deep into the lifestyle of a small-holder in rural England, Matty's long journey into the world of green woodworking, managing a woodland, and the philosophy that fuels him. We also touch on the more technical, getting a peek into Matty's tool making process and work space. Overall, a lovely chat!

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