Wood Selection

The Origin of the Work

Every piece begins with a decision few will ever see.

Before form, before joinery, before a single tool is lifted—there is the selection of the wood.

Tom approaches this stage with the same discipline and restraint that define the finished work. The boards are not simply chosen for function, but for what they already hold within them: character shaped by time, grain that carries movement, figure that cannot be replicated or repeated.

He sources his lumber through a small circle of trusted hardwood dealers in Southeastern Wisconsin—relationships developed over more than twenty-five years. These are individuals who understand not only species and grade, but nuance. They know what to look for before Tom ever steps into the yard, allowing him to focus on pieces that meet a very specific standard.

Boehm Madisen Lumber, https://boehm-madisen.com

Kettle Moraine Hardwood, https://www.kmhardwoods.com

Preferred Hardwoods, https://preferredhardwoods.com

Each board is considered individually.

Its structure.
Its balance.
Its potential.

Tom is often asked if he harvests his own trees. Instead, he has chosen to remain fully devoted to the act of making—working with material that has been expertly milled and properly seasoned, ensuring that what is created will endure with stability and intention.

Once selected, the wood begins to guide the work.

A line may follow the grain.
A proportion may respond to the figure.
A decision may be made to preserve what cannot be improved upon.

In this way, no two pieces begin the same.
And none are ever repeated.

What emerges is not imposed, but revealed—
a collaboration between material and maker,
where the origin of the work remains visible in its final form.