Memories of a Craftsman

“My grandfather was a carpenter by trade and was extraordinarily talented; he should have been a cabinet maker. I recall many summers in my teens and earlier where I was packed off for two weeks to go and stay with my grandparents in Norfolk where I would spend the entire time with him in his workshop. I remember the environment as if it were yesterday and, particularly, the care that my grandfather took of his tools. The blades were razor sharp and always oiled at the end of the day. The handles were polished with linseed oil. Everything had its place. My grandfather would make many of his tools and they were beautiful: boxwood handles, beautifully turned with the deep patina of use. My grandfather died many years ago but his tools survive.”

Ben Davidson

June 2017 – September 2017