Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman

I found Callum Robinson's book "Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman" to be thoroughly enjoyable. This is a story of his own metamorphosis and transition. He had grown up in his father's shadow, working with wood in various ways alongside his dad. And though Callum strayed, such as to his days as a bar tender (and before that, a bar patron of some standing), he kept coming back to wood and working with his hands. The voice calling for him to do more with wood and with his hands eventually took root enough that he and his beloved eventually opened a shop in which they sold fine bespoke furniture made by the two of them and several hired workers. The author takes us through it all -- everything from the self-doubts and worries of being show more able to make money, to the searches for just the right piece of timber for a piece and the frantic last-minute efforts to meet a client's needs.

Robinson's writing is a style that seems to find just the right way to describe an event or an image, whether it be one with clanging machinery generating a din in the background or one that is more soothing and relaxed. This scene of a woman admiring a table in the shop, her admiration of the fine quality of the furniture being almost sensuous in nature, is a great example:
"Perhaps it is the lines of age on Catriona's hands, their shape and tenderness as she reaches out for the polished timber. It could be the deep red color of the elm, her snow-white hair, of the covetous twinkling in her eyes. But something about the interaction jolts me -- stirring up a memory from deep, deep down. It is a memory I keep locked away, as if it were tightly sealed in an iron-wrought chest, buried in the murk where I cannot see it. Without warning the chest is loose and bubbling up from the depths. And as the form ascends, tumbling toward the light, an overwhelming giddiness fizzes through my lungs. It is a powerful thrilling, terrible feeling, as if I must burst, or cry out. Or cry. It is pain and pride and grief...and love."

Perhaps I'm a bit biased toward the book, being an amateur woodworker myself, but I definitely recommend "Ingrained." Anyone who appreciates the joys and challenges of working with wood, who enjoys reading of the trials and accomplishments of others, or who just likes a good story, will enjoy this book. show less

Brilliant. If you like to make things, handle tools, enjoy the creative process, work with your hands, you'll appreciate this story. I spent the first half of my working life doing that, but building houses rather than furniture - but really, there isn't much difference. I had to switch careers after arthritis took away my ability to handle tools for an entire work day, but I still very much enjoy getting lost in weekend projects, albeit at a slower pace. As an added bonus for me, Callum is a jazz music fan - he mentions some of my favorites. Thanks for telling your story.