This fall, our magazine is sponsoring the first-ever weekend conference devoted to hand tools and learning to use them.
It’s being called the Woodworking in America Conference and will bring together the best hand-tool woodworkers in the country for a symposium in Berea (Ky.) on November 14-16.
Over 40 classes will be held on tools and techniques over the weekend. There will also be a marketplace for toolmakers to display and sell their wares. There will also be social events with toolmakers and demonstrators.
Who will be there? Heres the list of people who have agreed to teach seminars during Woodworking in America as of this date (with more to come):
Roy Underhill: Known as St. Roy to the legion of fans who watch The Woodwrights Shop on PBS, Roy worked at Colonial Williamsburg and then launched his show about traditional hand tools.
Frank Klausz: Frank Klausz is one of the country’s most skilled craftsmen. He is a professional New Jersey cabinetmaker who was trained in Hungary and has over a decade of experience with all aspects of handwork.
Michael Dunbar: Founder of The Windsor Institute, Michael has single handedly revived the craft of building Windsor chairs, has trained thousands of woodworkers and is a passionate student of the art and history of handcraft.
Adam Cherubini is the author of Arts & Mysteries, a popular 18th-century woodworker. He builds period pieces with period tools.
James Blauvelt James Blauvelt is a Connecticut cabinetmaker, joiner, and carpenter. He also owns Bluefield Joiners. He is also a teacher and student of Japanese tools, traditions, and tools.
Robin Lee: The president of Lee Valley Tools in Ottawa, Ontario, Robin has been a driving force behind the expansion of the Veritas line of premium handplanes and a caretaker of the companys immense tool collection.
Thomas Lie-Nielsen: The founder of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Me., Thomas has been making and selling premium traditional hand tools for 27 years. Thomass company was the trailblazer in reviving many traditional forms of tools that had been lost.
Larry Williams, Don McConnell: Larry and Don, two of the principals behind Clark & Williams, Eureka Springs (Ark.), are endlessly stocked with information about traditional tools, their workings, and more. Both are skilled woodworkers, planemakers, and historians of tools.
John Economaki: John is the founder of Bridge City Tool Works, Portland, Ore. John is a pioneer in the development of new and beautiful hand tools for woodworkers.
Konrad Sauer: The owner of Sauer & Steiner Toolworks in Ontario, Konrad is one of the leading makers of custom infill handplanes.
Wayne Anderson: Wayne is a specialist in designing and building custom-infill handplanes. Each one is unique, but deeply rooted in history.
Ron Hock Ron is a pioneer in the revival handtools. He makes high-quality replacement plane irons in Ft. Bragg (Calif.).
Mike Wenzloff Mike Wenzloff is the founder of Wenzloff & Sons, a sawmaker in Forest Grove, Ore. He is a skilled woodworker who also has specialized in saw sharpening and saw cutting. His premium saw business has exploded in the last two years.
Joel Moskowitz: The founder of Tools for Working Wood and an expert on woodworking history, Joel has recently been making many traditional hand tools, as well as selling them through his catalog and web site.
Clarence Blanchard Clarence is the publisher of The Fine Tool Journal, and president of Brown Auction Services. Clarence has seen more antique tools in one week than most people.
Kevin Drake: Kevin Drake studied under James Krenov at the College of the Redwoods. He then founded Glen-Drake Toolworks where he combines toolmaking, woodworking and education. His innovative tools have received numerous awards; we named his Tite-Mark one of the Best 12 Tools Ever.
If you are interested in attending, please visit the web site that is dedicated to this conference at WoodworkinginAmerica.com and sign up for the conferences newsletter (the sign-up box is on the top right of the page). The pricing and when registration opens will be sent to you first (before July 1st).
Attendance will be limited to a few hundred people (we want to keep the event intimate and manageable), so be sure to register as soon as slots become available. The conference is expected to sell out.
There are more announcements and surprises ahead that I cannot share with you right now, so please stay tuned to the blog and the conferences newsletter.
