As with most woodworkers of my generation (getting old, but not ready to admit it) James Krenov was a huge influence on my work and on my thinking. In the late 1970s his books appeared and  presented not just techniques, but a philosophical approach to working with wood. In 1981, Krenov moved to Fort Bragg, Calif., and started a woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods.

Part of the California community college system, the woodworking program is housed in its own building where Fort Bragg ends and the redwood forests of Northern California begin. Krenov retired from active teaching five years ago, but the woodworking program is thriving, with several former students now doing the teaching.

I just returned from a trip to the area, and there will be an extensive article on the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking program in an upcoming issue of the magazine. The Fort Bragg area is also home to two excellent toolmakers, and one of the coolest woodworking shops I've ever seen.

I'll be writing in depth about all of these in the next few weeks on the blog, with today's entry taking a quick glance at the highlights of the trip.

The picture at right is the bench room at the school. Twenty or so students share the area, and at the time of my visit they were getting started on their second-semester projects. The students are of all ages and from all walks of life. Their common bond is that they are driven to work with wood, and they have committed to spend at least nine months, working six days a week in this unique program. Some students are invited to complete a second year, and there is a real sense of camaraderie among the current students as well as former students.

The other end of the building is a separate machine room. Both areas of the building have abundant natural light, are clean and well organized. The opposite end of the building contains a room for wood storage and a break room.

While I was in town, there was a show of the students' work, featuring projects from their first semester. All of the work was most impressive, and more diverse than I'd expected to see. It's quite an experience to be able to dedicate a lengthy period of time to producing the finest possible work, and the College of the Redwoods experience allows the students to do that in some excellent company.

Fort Bragg is a small town (population approximately 6,000) on the Northern California coast. It's about a four-hour drive from San Francisco and it's one of the most beautiful areas of the country. In addition to the school, it's also the home of Glen-Drake Toolworks. That's Kevin Drake on the right, explaining his process of making handles from tan oak, a tough local species that is mainly used for pulp and firewood.

Glen-Drake hammers are the sort of tool that has to be held and used to be appreciated. Kevin is a graduate of the College of the Redwoods woodworking program, and he's one of the most creative, inventive people I have ever met. His Tite-Mark marking gauge is a favorite in our shop here at the magazine, and he has some new products in the works that will likely once again set a new standard for woodworking tools.


Just a few miles away is the home of Hock Tools. Ron Hock was making knives in the area and selling them on the craft-show circuit when he was talked into making custom plane irons by the faculty and students at the College of the Redwoods. Ron has an amazing knowledge of metallurgy, a willingness to help and dedication to manufacturing a quality product.

Seventeen years later he is still at it, working out of a modest but well-equipped shop. If you're looking to dramatically increase the performance of an older Stanley plane, Ron's irons and chipbreakers will do the trick. He also offers blades, plans and complete kits if you want to make your own low-slung Krenov-style plane. It's refreshing to see small businesses such as Glen-Drake and Hock Tools succeed. When larger companies are cutting corners and value-engineering, these gentlemen are making great products.

This was my first visit to the northern coast of California, but I hope not my last. I'm a sucker for both the ocean and the forest, and this is one of those parts of the country where the two are in close proximity. On the edge of town the forest starts to get serious, and I was fortunate to be able to visit the shop shared by Harry Van Ornum and Les Cizek.

Both Harry and Les have many years of woodworking experience, and they teamed up in 1994 as Four Sisters Woodworking. After five years of operating in downtown Fort Bragg, they broke ground for the shop housed in the building seen at right.

The location is spectacular, but the best part of this shop is the planning and forethought that went into the interior layout. There is an abundance of natural light, a place for everything – and everything is in its place. Raw material enters through an overhead door on one end of the machine room, and proceeds through the shop along an orderly flow of world-class machinery.

Not only is it well-equipped and organized, it's also the most pleasant shop I have ever been in. Natural light flows in through skylights as well as through the windows that also provide a view of the towering redwoods just outside.

The other half of the building is a dedicated bench room, keeping the noise and dust from the machine work away from the peace and quiet that makes hand work easier and more enjoyable.

Harry and Les both attended the College of the Redwoods, and in addition to their own furniture work, they offer individualized instruction in their shop. You can spend a long weekend, or one or two weeks, learning basic techniques or working on an advanced project under the guidance of these master craftsmen. In addition to the shop, there is also a cabin on the property for the use of the student on a woodworking vacation.

There will be a closer look at each of these places in the coming weeks. My thanks to everyone I met and spent time with on this trip.

– Robert W. Lang