Woodcraft is so much more than the skill involved in turning wood into shelter and functional furniture. Although the ability to do those things with wood have certainly been an integral part of the human survival skills set, and being able to envision a house or chair from a stand of trees is remarkable in itself, woodcraft has developed well beyond it utilitarian origins.

Woodcraft is a blend of artistic inspiration, highly developed manual dexterity, and perserverance. It is nothing if not highly challenging and equally satisfying. Woodcraft produces fine sculptures and decorative frames; it accomplishes things impossible in other media like metal, ceramic, and glass; being able to form wood into shapes is ability entirely different from those needed to sculpt other substances. Properly finishing woodcraft is another area in which specific training is highly recommended.

Ancient Woodcraft

The history of woodcraft demands the respect of all who presume to practice it. Wooden vessels dating back to the Stone Age have been found and in northern Germany and Denmark Bronze Age woodcrafters fashioned coffins from trees. Germany is also the site of wooden animal figurines dating back to the Iron Age.

But the greatest of the ancient woodcraft artists may have been the Chinese couple Lu Ban and his wife Lady Yun, who are credited with bringing the chalkline and plane to China. The book “Lu Ban Jin,” written some fifteen centuries following his death, contains the dimensions of many wooden items, including altars, tables, and flower containers, which he is said to have built. But it does not disclose the greatest woodcraft secret of all: how the Chinese woodcrafters developed their technique for fitting their woodcraft so precisely that it required neither glue nor nails.

The Future Of Woodcraft

The 21st century is as much a century of woodcraft as any which has gone before; almost every home has wood in its construction, architectural features, and furniture. And each of them is the end result of techniques millennia in the making.

If you are feeling the appeal of woodcraft, and want to give it a try, just be patient in your efforts. What you are attempting seems to come as naturally to humans as breathing and eating, so somewhere in you past there was very likely a woodcrafter!

Woodcraft furniture retailers have found their own quality suppliers, and if you have the means to take advantage of their knowledge, you can go on a woodcraft furniture buying trip yourself.

The Philippines

The Philippine Islands are noted for their Catholic woodcrafters, whose artistic skills have been honed through hundreds of years of creating magnificent wooden religious icons. And with one of the most abundant forest systems in the entire Southeastern Asia region, the Philippines woodcrafters are never short of their raw materials.

Because the woodworkers themselves have a low cost of living, the woodcraft furniture they create can be sold directly for far less than it brings on foreign markets; the Philippines, in addition, are right on major marine and air shipping routes, providing you with dependable and low-cost shipping.

Nepal

Another country known for the delicacy and intricacy of its woodcraft furniture is Nepal. Nepal, tucked in between the borders of Tibet and India, is one of the world’s most isolated nations, and its unique culture is inspiration for its woodcraft furniture designs. Nepal also has an extremely low cost of living, reflected in the prices of its woodcraft furniture. Shipping items from Nepal, however, can be problematical, as most items exported from Nepal are sent to bordering countries with airport and ocean shipping access.

Europe

The European countries offering remarkable examples of woodcraft furniture with all the skill that centuries of artisans can impart to their descendants are Greece and Italy. And each country has ready access to international airports or ocean freight facilities, making their woodcrafter’s artworks well within reach of buyers all over the globe.

Woodcraft furniture of quality is always in demand, but that from the above countries has become increasingly popular among retailers, not only for its beauty and meticulous constructing, but because of its excellent pricing.

Nepal, a country between India and Tibet, boasts of the most intricately designed woodcraft furniture pieces. This can be attributed to the country’s exotic culture, which has long been isolated because of its geography. Just like the Philippines, cost of living in Nepal is low, and you will find their prices fabulously fair. Shipping, however, can be a problem, and the items you will purchase might be transported to nearby countries before they can be forwarded to your address.