Today is the first of our blog features: Master of Their Craft. These monthly features will be a glimpse into the life, vision, and work of artists, entrepreneurs, craftsmen, musicians, business owners, innovators, and fellow dreamers who excel in their area of expertise. They use their gifting with passion and excellence. Their work is tried and true. By sharing these innovators with others who we know will value the labor of their hands as much as we do, we aim to make a humble attempt at giving them honor. Team member Karen is the vision and hands behind these special posts. Today we are featuring Anthony. We have enjoyed working with Anthony over the past year…Anthony custom designed and built our flash-drive packaging and the wooden coasters we gave as client Christmas gifts this past year. Be sure you don’t miss the GIVEAWAY Anthony is generously providing at the end of the post!

Karen will take it from here….

As children, some of us dabbled with entrepreneurial endeavors when we sold sugar-laden lemonade to sympathetic neighbors. Others of us, the Anthony Beckers of this world, used wood as the commodity of choice and offered friends wooden toys or, in Anthony’s words, “some other crudely made wooden device we thought was a brilliant invention.” When not learning to handle wood in his father’s shop, Anthony spent his early years traversing through the fields and hedgerows with his brothers, their BB guns, and beagle. Other times he would climb trees, getting lost in the maze of limbs, where he would stop to sit and dream. Our early years might not be the dictator of our lives but they certainly are a powerful potter. Afternoons in the woods, naps at the bottom of his favorite hickory tree, and patient instruction from his father fashioned Anthony into an artist who uses wood as his medium.

Woodworking demands equal amounts of physical and mental skill. Anthony has sturdy hands and a lively mind that make him a master of his craft. Constantly turning over project ideas in his mind and keeping a notebook of sketches, his intrinsic vigor pushes him to tackle any design. He possesses an unruly head of curls and a refreshingly nonchalant nature, but his woodwork is far from haphazard. In fact, all of Anthony’s work is just plain solid, meant to outlast its maker.

Today Anthony works for Keystone Vintage Lumber, a business based in Lebanon, PA, that specializes in reclaimed wood. This company takes pride in the character and beauty of the wood that passes through its hands and has a nation-wide clientele seeking after its quality work. Anthony helps the business run smoothly by fulfilling general management type roles, but his real passion comes from his mind being free to conjure up designs and his hands being free to give wood a second life. This year, Anthony has plans to cut back on his hours at KVL to open his own workspace, where he can devote more time to crafting furniture and offering his wares to others who appreciate new uses for vintage wood.

When not woodworking, Anthony spends his time with his wife Liz, a skilled painter, and their dog Newman. Running, hiking, experiencing nature and travel, cooking, and being moved by music are the simple pleasures that bring some fullness to his days beyond the wood that has defined so much of his life.

What brought you to KVL?
I had just quit a previous job, and was bouncing around between filler work trying to get back into woodworking fulltime…I heard through friends that KVL could be looking for some temporary help finishing out their showroom + building furniture. This appealed to me…and quickly evolved into my full-time position

Can you give an overview of how KVL works as a business?
KVL was started officially in 2009, but years before that as a hobby and side project by one of the owners. Our wood is reclaimed from regional buildings, mainly barns. After a structure is dismantled, the material can go one or many different ways: reconstructed as a complete restored structure, reconditioned and sold in pieces as is: beams, boards etc. or further modified into other products – lumber, flooring etc. This broad scope of work attracts a broad spectrum of customers – home owners, builders, designers/architects etc.

Describe a typical day for you.
I handle material sales & “making sure everything is flowing smoothly in the overall process” @ KVL- order schedule, warehouse + inventory etc. so a lot of my day is filled with emails/phone calls & customer interactions of some sort (kind of a general manager I guess) This keeps me moving – but allows me to be in direct contact with lots of unique materials. I’m always inspired by the materials and unique pieces, textures and colors of reclaimed wood in the warehouse.

How did you learn your craft?
My father taught me woodworking. I’ve been around woodworking most of my life…at a pre-school age I remember observing a shop class (held in Dad’s shop) where I thought the older students were stupid for not being able to identify wood species and sand a piece of wood in the direction of the grain – wood has always been second nature to me.

How do you use creativity in your job?
Aside from the obvious furniture side of it, a constantly changing unique inventory of reclaimed wood requires creativity when matching a customer’s request to our inventory. There’s an overwhelming amount of options available, but if approached creatively, we can quickly narrow down options and fulfill the request.

What is one of your favorite projects and why?
Probably any project that stretches me outside of my current comfort range becomes a favorite project. One that immediately comes to mind is a large reception desk made of concrete and walnut. Going into the project there were a lot of unknowns…I had worked with concrete in the past, but this design was using a vertical, curved (very large) piece of concrete with walnut countertops attached. There were times in that project I doubted myself and failure seemed very real, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on that option – rather stuck with it and problem solved one step at a time. In the end it took 8 men to drag and carry it into place – but a complete success with nothing compromised from the original vision.

What is the origin of the wood you use?
When working with reclaimed wood I like to think beyond the structure it was reclaimed from – think of a tree growing in the 1600- 1700’s. Witnessing early American history- an Indian hunter hiding in its’ shadow while stalking a deer – early explorers and the drastic changes they brought with them…it’s easy to let my imagination run wild and get lost in these old growth forests…I’m sure it’s over romanticized in my mind, but its fun.More recently it comes from antique wooden structures, barns etc. The new wood we stock comes from locally salvaged logs…byproducts of the local tree service industry.

Do you have a favorite type of wood? Why?
Alive wood – trees are my favorite. :) In lumber? Not really. I go through phases where I use or think about a certain species more than others, but I can’t single a certain species out. They all have their individual characteristics, qualities and history.

What are some of your current or upcoming projects?
Sheldon and Ed are constructing a timber frame, two-story garage using reclaimed timbers. Our warehouse is key in projects like this; it allows us to fully construct a building (even a large barn!) inside the controlled environment of the building. As far as furniture, I have sketchbooks full of ideas that I turn to in my spare time.

Is woodworking a craft you have mastered or do you feel you improve with each project you make?
I definitely learn something from each project I make. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’ve mastered it; there’s always another level to reach or a new design or context to apply. Even in building the same design or piece there are variables to learn from that keep it interesting: the wood itself, different tools and techniques, etc.

You enjoy finding unique designs to repurpose wood. Can you share a few of them?
Some of the most satisfying projects for me are ones that solve problems, or fix an impracticality found in a common object. I like to ask questions: Why is that designed that way? What could be done to improve it?  But sometimes it’s fun to put this aside and be impractical for the sake of art.

If you have a new project, how do you teach yourself how to make it?
I think a lot (sometimes in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping).  I start with what I know and kind of research, experiment and build off of that. If there’s a specific problem that’s stopping a project, I try not to get hung up or overwhelmed by it, but rather focus with what I know. Take small steps in a direction I’m comfortable with. It’s surprising sometimes how simple the answer really is, but you have to get started to find it.

If you feel satisfied at the end of the day, where does that satisfaction come from?
From giving my best, and completing a task that in the beginning looks tough and intimidating and by using my talents to complete a project that brings someone satisfaction, a better quality of life, or just simple happiness.  If I can do this while inspiring others to do the same, I am satisfied.

For people interested in woodworking, what are three points to remember?
Be patient, stick with it, and don’t settle for less than your original vision. And wear ear protection.  Woodworking is noisy.

If you weren’t woodworking, what would you be doing?
I think if I’d follow my other passions and be a chef or musician. I love food and music and would probably pursue making them (I like to create things) if I had the time or change of circumstance. I think I’d like to paint too…If I live long enough or ever get bored w/ wood, I have a list.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
optimistic, detail-oriented, determined

What 3 words would your wife use to describe you?
thoughtful, positive, creative

Does your wife do any woodworking? Do you create art together?
She does not. She paints; I build. Sometimes she paints on a piece of wood that I cut for her, does that count?  We critique each other’s work and try to inspire the other.

Beyond the world of woodworking, how do you spend your time?
I’m always drawn outdoors, especially to the forest/ mountains and activities within running, hiking, biking, camping. I like to spend time with my wife Liz & our dog Newman. For us, travel is an essential part of life to maintain perspective, to learn from new experiences. I try to keep in mind, a summary of one of my favorite quotes:  How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.

GIVEAWAY

Anthony is generously providing this beautiful handmade dog dish as a GIVEAWAY. If there ever was a gorgeous dog dish…this is it! Let me tell you, it weighs a ton! So solid. The bowls are stainless steel…just perfect. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment with the name and type of an extra special pet of yours and why it was so special to you. Giveaway ends at midnight Wednesday, April 23rd. Winner randomly chosen and announced Thursday.

Have a beautiful Monday, friends. Xo