The Name Quercus
In A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold tells the story of the land from acorn to the present as he saws through each yearly growth ring of a large oak tree. I was taken by the living history that trees provide and the reverence we should have when stewarding our forests and in that spirit chose Quercus- the genus name for Oak.
Who We Are
My name is John and I am a fourth generation woodworker. True to my Scandinavian roots, I find joy in cutting, stacking, carving and burning wood. I started carving spoons in college, before I had space to do more intensive woodworking.
After studying forestry and natural history at the University of Vermont, I worked for an environmental non-profit in Southern coastal Maine, continuing to carve and build as a hobby. These days I am a self-employed woodworker/forester/farmer. My wife, is the graphic and creative brains behind my business and Tuckerdog is my shop assistant.
Where We Work
The QW studio is located on our family's 11 acre homestead in Alfred Maine. It is nestled among a mix of forest, organic gardens, fruit trees, roving chickens and ducks and buzzing bees. The studio includes many power and hand tools, some passed down through several generations. The surrounding forest not only provides materials for creating QW products but a place to enjoy the beauty of the forest hiking or skiing.