The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees

April 11, 2016
Journalist Penn (It’s All About the Bike) was clearing some of the trees around his home when he noticed that many were of the ash variety. Ash is one of the world’s most hardy and versatile woods, used to make everything from ladders and looms to fishing rods and umbrella handles. Intrigued by the species, he decided to have the tree professionally felled and processed at the local sawmill, and set out to determine how much one tree can produce. Penn charts his delightful quest, introducing readers to artisans specializing in all manner of highly specific items, including John Lloyd, the latest in his family’s line of axe handle manufacturers; Phill Gregson, a wheelwright (“an almost extinct craftsperson”); and Brian Hillerich, whose great-great-grandfather established Hillerich & Bradsby, proud makers of baseball bats. Penn also encounters bowl-turners and toboggan-makers, among other artisans. In each case, Penn manages to deftly weave the story of the wood, the product it yields, and the craftsperson into a fiendishly fascinating story as he explains the hows and whys of seasoning timber, proper wood-chopping technique, and the ash tree’s archenemy: the emerald ash borer, a type of beetle. The tree ended up producing the material for 44 objects in all; Penn doesn’t go into the details of each one, but the items he chooses to highlight give his story arc and momentum, and readers are sure to come away with a deeper appreciation for trees and the artisans who craft with wood.