Masters of the Craft - James Krenov

[@riccardo-964]

Marvellous nuggets of pure wisdom. His books are not about woodworking, they're about philosophy.

[@joshdrumify]

I can't thank you enough for this series. It is wonderful to be introduced to these visionaries of the craft.

[@jesseterpstra5472]

What better way to honour such a great man than with his own words. much could be said about Krenov, but I find more often than not people would just rather quote something he said. this in itself speaks volumes about how highly regarded is his philosophy.

[@tomcorbin9259]

Krenov is yet to be fully appreciated! He created a style; and a "school" of woodwork. His was a movement which continues to grow. They speak now of the style of krenov. In the future they will speak of the Krenovian Period of woodworking.

[@christophschumacher640]

People around the world are inspiriert by him. Thats a good thing. Love it

[@escapefelicity2913]

Somebody gave me his book almost 40 years ago

[@PatheticPeasant]

To me, the woodworking is easy. Especially if you have natural talent and skill. Anyone can learn how to do it. But krenov mastered the philosophical side. The way he percieved woodworking is different and admirable. It was almost like a dance to him. If he took the wrong step he could recover and continue on and it was always still a beautiful dance. Whereas most people get hung up on the wrong step and it begins to ruin the whole performance. I've learned through him to not see my mistakes as flaws but as design changes. He was and still is an inspiration to me. I love listening to him think out loud. I build my projects and every once in a while get hung up and ask myself, what would krenov do. And things right themselves. Thank you krenov. I hope to inspire people the way you do someday.

[@stevemcgee99]

I spent a month at the school. He was definitely an inspiring man and I think it’s because he was inspired.

[@512banana1]

You were so lucky to be able to go to the class

[@thomasdoherty7840]

Get close to your tools, try to enjoy the journey, it’s not all about making money, take the time out and don’t leave it until you retire, we only come this way once! James Krenov thank you for your honesty and passion!

[@Thom4123]

What a great guy imagine such a incredible and different way of growing up and to then to go with his passion. He must have been a incredibly awesome teacher. Knowledgeable and down to earth.

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Thanks for this. I read all of JK's books early on and he is a true artist with words and wood, but hey his parents were teachers and adventurers. Loved the pretzel metaphor relating to more extreme shaping of the wood. Most of the guys I know who are great with curves and planes spent some time with making wooden boats, including canoes. James was inspiring but I also needed to hear the practical side, which came later.

[@bighands69]

Curves or square woodworking comes natural to people. Some will take to certain things like a duck to water and other will drown in the woodchips of despair.

[@johndeggendorf7826]

bighand69 ...drown in wood chips of despair?...great line, big hand, permission to use it🗜🔨🪓?

[@danielboland5523]

The most important thing I heard was that you need a partner who believes in you!!!!

[@jamesjones2675]

Amazing

[@robertbrunston5406]

Thank you.

[@pedroaraujodesign1]

Amazing story of life!

[@1pcfred]

Fake it until you can make it.

[@benhill391]

Thank you!

[@charlescho]

Why is Bryan Callen narrating this?

[@sean-jensen7528]

cat

[@stevemcgee99]

He loved his cat. When he found out I didn’t, he was cold to me. I got the sense that he felt betrayed.

[@ungarlinski7965]

This is from a time when communication wasn't open. His views now to me seem reactionary and small, narrow, and have an unchallenged weight. The pride in having contempt for business, his blindness to his dependency on others to protect him, the fact that he thinks his opinions or words are strong enough or the source of his "independence", the silliness of not taking care of yourself physically, the lack of respect towards others and assumptions about their beliefs, the generational contempt, and so on. The times made him it seems, and he could not see past that. Ironically, his "opinions" are quiet anger towards humanity, which unfortunately he is a part of. He's not able to stare into the fire.

[@draxxx_exe]

Well spoken and respectable, holy shit

[@stevemcgee99]

Did you personally interact with him? And regardless, your words here interpreting the man’s unstated attitudes seem to point more to your attitudes and bias than Krenov’s character.

[@displaychicken]

Everyone to a certain extent is a product of their generation and is reacting to previous generations. I think that it’s fair to classify Krenov as an artist and I find that artists are almost especially prone to this reactionary tendency. Think of the expressionists and early moderns reacting to the strict academic style of Bouguereau. And now we are seeing a certain backlash against abstraction and a returning appreciation of representational art. It’s very difficult if not impossible to actually escape this cycle. I believe Sam Maloof also took many years to become profitable, much like Krenov. That’s not uncommon for people with a somewhat impractical yet uncompromising vision. Artists are just people with many different aptitudes and strengths and weaknesses. Krenov isn’t perfect but his pieces sure are.