The Foundation: A Heritage of Hard Work
My journey into woodworking didn't begin with a business plan; it began at a young age in my father's garage. Using basic tools to build practical projects. Growing up, I always looked up to my dad for how handy he was. I knew he could make or fix anthing. I was fascinated by the alchemy of it—the way a rough-sawn board could be coaxed into something both useful and enduring.
Whether we were tackling a simple weekend project or measuring wood for a new doghouse, those early years weren't just about building things; they were about building character. My father taught me invaluable lessons through those experiences, and instilled in me a lasting reverence for the tools and a deep-seated pride in the tangible honest work of a person’s own two hands.
That garage was where I first learned to respect the resistance of the wood and the patience required to overcome it. It was the place where the "technical foundation" was laid—a foundation built on the belief that if you’re going to build something, you build it to outlast you. It’s that same quiet, inherited discipline that I now bring to every project.
The Hunter’s Eye, The Artisan’s Hand
While my technical foundation was built in the quiet of a garage, my inspiration was seasoned in the wild. I grew up in the wake of bird dogs, watching them navigate the punishing briars and golden broomstraw of landscapes that were as tough as they were breathtaking. Those formative years taught me that beauty and grit are inseparable. As I grew, my connection to the land evolved from the frantic energy of the quail hunt into the patient, high-stakes discipline of deer and duck hunting. In the woods, you learn that survival and success depend on the art of quiet observation.
This intimacy with the outdoors is what ultimately led me back to the woodshop. To me, wood isn’t just a raw material; it is a living record of the very thickets and ridges I’ve spent my life exploring. I’ve found that the breathless tension of a well-trained dog "on point" mirrors the exact precision I now strive for in the shop. Both require a total immersion in the moment—a reading of the grain that feels remarkably like reading the wind.
When I start a new project and pick up the first rough cut board, I’m looking for the story written in the grain. A knot isn’t a defect; it’s the ghost of a limb that once offered cover. The tight grain of a slow-growing oak is a testament to the same endurance required to sit in a frozen blind at dawn. My work is an attempt to translate that rugged, outdoor silence into something you can hold in your hands. I don’t just want to create a functional object; I want to preserve the spirit of the land, turning the raw history of the forest into a refined legacy of the hunt.
The Mission: Honoring the Grain
In 2020, I founded On Point Custom Woodwrk to bridge the gap between the rugged wilderness and the refined home. My mission is simple: to take the raw, untamed history of the forest and translate it into something timeless. From the tactile grip of a handcrafted bottle opener to the sweeping, storied expanse of a live-edge dining table, every piece I create is a collaboration with nature.
I don't see knots, burls, or ripples as imperfections. To me, they are the topography of a life lived outdoors—each one a story told by the earth over decades. My role in the woodshop is to stay "on point," uncovering and showcasing those distinctive features to ensure that every finished piece is a one-of-a-kind original. Because my life remains so closely tethered to the wild, I am deeply committed to using locally and sustainably sourced timber, with a particular fondness for the deep, soulful tones of Black Walnut.
Whether I am perched in a tree stand at first light or standing at the lathe in the heat of the afternoon, I am driven by a single commitment: respect for the source. When you bring an On Point piece into your home, you aren’t just buying furniture; you are capturing a fragment of the great outdoors and welcoming a legacy of craftsmanship into your own family’s story.
