Journey of Craftsmanship
Knotty Woodpecker is focused on build-to-order furniture, using solid woods, natural finish, and traditional hand-tool methods to create unique & lasting heirloom furniture.
join the adventure
Sign up to follow along:
- Follow behind the scenes of works in progress
- Discover pieces available for purchase
- Reserve projects “in the making”
ONLY SOLID WOODS
Soft woods and hard woods, are generally lighter, stronger and more reliable than engineered woods.
Using American species for great quality, variety, and availability instead of imports.
ONLY NATURAL FINISH
Oil based finishes that are food safe, and easy to restore.
The finish gets stronger with time, so the furniture can age perfectly & naturally.
TRADITIONAL HAND TOOLS
A small shop using planes, saws and chisels, instead of power tools.
The result is a unique look and feel you won’t find in modern stores, and solid joinery made without shortcuts.
About the craftsman
Sean Archer
DESIGNER & CRAFTSMAN
I’m the woodcraftsman with an obsession for using hand tools.
It started with the desire to create something I could feel with my hands.
The result is Knotty Woodpecker, with an amazing feel you only get with traditional hand tools.
Join the adventure and follow along.
HANDMADE FURNITURE
Build-to-order furniture is made using only solid woods, natural oil finish, and traditional hand-tools to create unique & lasting heirloom furniture.
Hand-carved Bowls
Hand-carving bowls is a two-month process, starting with a fresh-cut log.
Ordering Bowls
1. Make a deposit
2. Watch the carving process
3. Receive a one of a kind piece
Refundable Deposit
Not every log is a winner. If you don’t love the result, you can request a refund or we can try again.
Follow the process on Substack
These bowls start with a local, fresh-cut log.
Hand carved with adze and chisel, the bowl takes its shape, then slowly dried for 4-8 weeks.
After successful drying, the bowl is carved again to receive its fine, textured surface, and finished with a food-safe oil & wax.
CHARCUTERIE & cutting BOARDS
Beautiful Cherry wood, hand-planed shine & natural oil finish
The Surface
The ultra-smooth finish is made with finely-tuned hand planes. The burnished surface looks & feels entirely different from other cutting boards.
The Build
These boards are made from a single piece of Cherry wood. No glue used, no falling apart. The widest boards are saved to make single-piece cutting boards 8-10 inches wide.
The Finish
No petroleum-based “butcher block” oil. The finish is natural & food-safe oil and beeswax: protecting the wood from elements, and protecting you from germs. Handmade beeswax finish is available for touch-ups.
Ordering Cutting boards
Boards are customizable and made to order.
Get in touch to place an order.
Resources
Donate
Thanks to all who have donated in the past. You too are a part of the craft.
Care for Boards & Bowls
Keep the wood happy and it will last many years! (even cutting boards!)
Furniture Care
Don’t stress about it, and apply a little finish when it makes you happy.
Donate
Thanks to all who have donated in the past. You too are a part of the craft.
Care for Boards & Bowls
Keep the wood happy and it will last many years! (even cutting boards!)
Furniture Care
Don’t stress about it, and apply a little finish when it makes you happy.
join the adventure
Sign up to follow along:
- Follow behind the scenes of works in progress
- Discover pieces available for purchase
- Reserve projects “in the making”
Much more than cutting board oil.
I use it for cutting boards, charcuterie boards, furniture restoration & touch-ups, and seasoning cast-iron & steel pans.
Made with flax oil and local beeswax.
The problem with “butcherblock oil” is it’s usually made with mineral oil (a petroleum product), and it never dries.
Flax oil is much healthier, and it will slowly dry to a semi-hard film to protect the wood. The beeswax offers further protection from water and bacteria.
Apply in thin layers to “wet” the surface, and remove excess. Leave the wood in a warm place to speed up “dry” time.
Made with tallow, olive oil and beeswax. No scents are added to this blend, so it doesn’t really smell like anything.
Skin & leather needs fat to be healthy (tallow), and protection from the elements (beeswax), and a natural oil soak it in (olive oil).
I’ve found this blend is excellent for leather, dry skin, or aftershave.
Always test on leather before applying to the whole surface.