Woodworker Carves Out His Trade
SILVER LAKE — A craftsman is nothing without his tools, but even so, a craftsman’s past and faith can have as much influence on his craft as the tools on his wall. Few understand this better than John Whetstone, woodworker and owner of Whetstone Woodenware.
“Back in the 1970s, I was a young man sitting in a Christian Ethics class. The teacher who was teaching said to the young men, ‘Some of you young fella’s need to have a skill or trade. In Israel all the young men had a skill or a trade. Jesus was a carpenter, Paul made tents, John, James and Peter were professional fisherman.’ I didn’t know how to do anything, so I think he was talking to me … I asked the Lord what he wanted me to do and he put woodworking in my heart.” Whetstone said.
Whetstone is a quiet man, but even through his soft voice you can hear passion when he talks about woodworking. He’s been a woodworker professionally for 32 years, but he’s been doing it as a hobby for most of his life.
“I enjoy anything with woodworking. You have to enjoy it all, whether its making spoons or making furniture.”
Whetstone purchases his lumber from the lumber yard in Akron, buying it in different thicknesses for different products. The process is started by laying out the boards and cutting them to patterns marked from templates. Each design is different, even if that difference is only a few inches.
“Some of them (designs) are my originals, some we (the company) produce for other companies, some employees have said ‘why don’t we make this.’ We’ve had requests for things and some are even historical reproductions. … We produce around 125 products.” Whetstone said.
Among the products are spoons. Once a spoon design is cut out by a band saw, the design moves on to have the bowl of the spoon milled out and sanded before the finish is applied. Whetstone has been making spoons since the very beginning. He only had a homemade band saw and an antique lathe, but when his wife, Deborah, asked him to make a wooden spoon that wouldn’t break, he stepped up to the challenge.
When questioned about what he enjoyed most about his experience as a woodworker, Whetstone responded saying, “Well, it’s been really enjoyable to teach others and in turn have them teach others. The people who work for me out here are fantastic.”
“We make art that people can use,” Whetstone said.
The website www.thesweethome.com published an article in which they examined a variety of rolling pins for quality. The article declared Whetstone’s French Rolling Pin was the best rolling pin of those tested. “Ever since that article, we’ve sold 400 French Rolling Pins and have shipped them all over the world.” Whetstone said.
John and his wife operate Whetstone Woodenware in Silver Lake. The store specializes in kitchenware, but also produces other merchandise. For more information, visit it’s website.