British Hardwoods, The Oak Specialists

Meet Our Open Day Exhibitors

26-01-2023

With just over one week to go, we'd like to introduce you to some of the exhibitors at our upcoming Timber Shop Sale and Open Day on Saturday 4th February. Along with woodturning groups, woodworkers, woodcarvers and craft makers, there will also be machinery and tooling displays. You can try your hand at pyrography and woodcarving. Everyone is welcome - free entry and free parking.

The West Riding Woodturning Group are based in the small village of Eldwick near Bingley. The club has about 70 members, ranging from beginners who only turn an occasional piece, to very experienced and accomplished turners. The West Riding Woodturners have demonstrated their woodturning skills at our Open Days for many years now and we are really pleased that they are able to join us again.

Based in Harworth, near Doncaster, Turner’s Retreat provide a diverse product range, along with reliable advice and excellent service. They support woodturners and craftspeople alike, running a variety of focus days and courses. They will be bringing exotic timbers along with a selection of glues, sealers, and tools by Robert Sorby. There'll be plenty of catalogues, and orders can be placed for anything that hasn’t been brought on the day.

The Little Oak Latch Company specialise in beautiful handcrafted door furniture made in their workshop on the West Pennine Moors. A very popular exhibitor at our Open Days, they will be bringing their converted horsebox 'Bertha' who has been travelling around the country fairs and selling hand crafted gifts for the home.

Turnerford Oak are an artisan business based in the hamlet of Keasden in the Forest of Bowland. We are passionate about employing traditional techniques with locally sourced native hardwoods into gifts and accessories for your home. Our signature products include chopping boards, cheese boards, fruit bowls, tea light holders, coffee tables and dining tables. The ethos of our work is to utilise and enhance the natural beauty of wood to create unique designs.

Mike and Alex will be joining us from Classic Hand Tools with a selection from their range including Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Veritas, Knew Concept Saws, Pfeil Carving, Lost Art Press books, Japanese Saws and sharpening stones. They will be joined by Brian Walsh who is a local craftsman with a huge amount of experience and knowledge on all things woodworking. Alex and Andy can only cram so much in the van so if there is anything in particular you wish to see please contact them by email (sales@classichandtools.com) or phone (01473 784983) www.classichandtools.com.

Carleton Crafters Woodturning Club is, surprisingly, based in Carleton, just outside Skipton. We have our own premises and six lathes, a good collection of gouges and ancillary equipment. We tend to meet on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and communicate via a WhatsApp group. We have a joining fee of £50 and then a subscription of £10 per month. At the Open Day we hope to have three members taking it in turns to demonstrate. If you are interested in the club you can come for a taster session. Email doug.hirst@btinternet.com

Skilled woodcarver Anthony Griffiths will be joining us along with Bob Russon and Mick Weston from the Wooldale Woodcarvers group. Anthony, Bob and Mick will all be demonstrating their carving skills throughout the day. If you feel inspired and would like to to try carving wood with simple tools, Anthony's little owl taster sessions are always a big hit with our younger (and older) visitors.

Wooldale Woodcarvers is an enthusiastic and friendly wood carving club, meeting in a relaxed atmosphere every second Saturday in the month, from 10.00am to 3.00pm, at Wooldale Community Centre near Holmfirth. Friendly advice and helpful guidance is available to all, and new members will be made very welcome. If you are interested in finding out more about this therapeutic and creative craft, be sure to have a chat with Bob and Mick.

The WRWA was formed in 1992 and throughout its lifetime has produced large panels incorporating 30/40 relief carvings for charitable causes. Panels produced for Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield, Overgate Hospice in Elland, Wakefield Hospice, Besancon in France, Royal Armouries in Leeds, Children's Forget-Me-Not Hospice in Huddersfield and the Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract. They run carving classes during the winter months in Wakefield and Brooksbank School in Elland.

Lisa Shackleton - international artist and author of “Solid Point Pyrography” will be demonstrating this fantastic and therapeutic craft. Pyrography uses heat transferred onto wood, card and leather to make pictures, plaques and bookmarks with the solid point or Peter Child machine. Lisa's demonstrations are always hugely popular at our Open Days, with many visitors keen to have a go.

Taylors Mirfield was established in 2014 and became the first company in the UK to develop a range of high quality pen kits. In 2017 they started manufacturing some of their pen kits here in the UK. They have now expanded their product range to include high quality woodturning and woodworking equipment and offer service and value to match the quality of their products.

Tool-Wise will be showing a range of saw blades, from circular saw blades and reciprocating saws to a unique range of jigsaw and multicutters. Other items from the Felo range of electric tools will also be on show.

Promotional offers will be available on the day, and the first 20 orders will receive a FREE DRILL DRIVE SET. We look forward to seeing you on the day.

Kate Kitchin is a skilled woodworker and her woodturning hobby soon became her passion when she appeared on BBC2's 'Jay's Yorkshire Workshop' in 2021. She will be demonstrating for us on the day and will be joined by her workshop buddy Simon from Absolute Resin.

Barry Bell started by making garden furniture, before moving on to bespoke birdhouses, coffee tables and rocking horses. Barry now uses his skills to upcycle pre-loved items by turning them into new and unique creations. Visitors at our last Open Day were amazed by his wonderful steam train whistles.

Peter Kovacs is the man behind Soulwood Creations. Peter trained as a furniture maker in Hungary and after moving to England became a veneerist then a cabinet maker and a draftsman until he discovered green woodworking. Using an axe and a knife to carve, following the grain of the freshly felled tree was a revelation. We are very much looking forward to enjoying Peter's green woodcarving demonstration at our Open Day.

Shaun Wood fell on fret saw work by chance about seven years ago, and has not looked back. He's now moved up into a bit of router work, then adding some electrics and lamps into the mix.

The Lion's Den Shed from Keighley offers a community space for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of men to enjoy together. They will be joined on our Open Day by Shared Space.