Journey to Authenticity

I remember the first thing Tom built, a changing table for Mackenzie. Little did we know that that was the beginning of a craftsman unlike anyother. Almost every piece of major furniture we own Tom built. It has taken me a long time to truly appreciate his work. Let me explain. My father is a handyman and built all kinds of things but he is more of a no nonsense kind of person. Most things he made were functional and utilitarian. Furniture met a need and was to used as such. We had to have some boundaries but it was not uncommon for us kids to strip the couch of the pillows and commence jumping, flipping, and somersaulting (I was a gymnast). So when we had kids it really didn’t cross my mind that it would unacceptable for our kids to do the same. Tom built our couch and it is BEAUTIFUL but it also is a piece of furniture. We have had our share of arguments over what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to how we treat things we own especially when Tom made it.

Over the years I have come to see things differently. Tom doesn’t just build furniture he creates art. Art is something that at its core is a part of the creator. It reflects his passion, gifting, and often his spirit. Tom draws and redraws his creations until they are exactly as he invisions. Then as he works he takes no short cuts. He takes the long way, the necessary way to ensure a quality piece of craftsmanship. He got a piece of wood to make a pipe for a friend and it was fairly large so he thought he would try to squeeze two pipes out of it but the more he pondered the more he realized that that would be a disservice to the wood. To his credit he made one pipe and he said afterwards it was the most perfect piece of wood to carve and if he had made two pipes out of it the grain would have been all off and the pipes would be secondary.

Tom values the work of the Creator and he wants his part to reflect the original beauty of the wood as God created it orginally to show through. That is why if you ask him to stain or paint something he created he cringes… it covers up the beauty of the grain and natural color of the wood. He made a bed for my sister and she wanted contrasting colors in the headboard and suggested staining the wood but instead Tom spent a little more to find a wood that would do this naturally. That was about 10 years ago and now when I see the bed the color of the wood is even richer than when he first built it. That is because wood as it ages deepens in color…something you lose if you stain the wood.

Tom has a website and is to selling pipes. I think everyone who reads this should link to his site and/or buy a pipe and/or refer someone who wants a pipe to his site. The prices may seem a little high but know this you will get a pipe that is precisely crafted by a craftsman who wants to know enough about you to craft something unique and personal. Even if you choose one of the predesigned pipes it will still have a unique flavor as each pipe is hand crafted. If you want to view an expensive pipe look here and that’s on sale!!!!!