Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 103
“I’m always honing
and tweaking things.
My toast tongs alone
have taken
ten years
to perfect!”
LEFT: One of Ambrose’s
scorched ash chairs, with
a white-willow seat woven
by Devon’s basketmaker
Hilary Burns.
ABOVE: Spiralled wood
shavings are created as
Ambrose shapes and smooths a
stool leg using a spokeshave.
which includes bar stools, chairs, benches, side tables, chopping boards
and spatulas. “My pieces are designed to age gracefully and with proper
care, will last for decades,” he says. “I’m always honing and tweaking
things. My toast tongs alone have taken ten years to perfect!” he says.
On some pieces, to create a dramatic look, Ambrose employs a
Japanese wood preservation technique called shou sugi ban, scorching
and blackening the grain to create striking patterns. “I can spend days
working on a piece of furniture, so it’s nerve-wracking to then effectively
set fire to it.”
A less risky task is maintaining the family woods to “give back” to the
land. He’s planting a wide mix of trees that includes cherry, walnut and
lime, in the hope that they’ll be resilient to climate change and disease.
“They have beautiful timber but I won’t get to use them in my lifetime.
My hope is that future generations of woodworkers will enjoy them.”
The Woodworker • Ambrose Vevers
103
