Sanomagic Wooden Bicycles

Ninth-generation Japanese shipwright handcrafts lightweight mahogany bicycles

A ninth-generation shipwright, Sueshiro Sano has been making exquisite wooden products since he was in elementary school. But in 2008, drawing inspiration and technique from a lifetime of shipbuilding, the woodworker produced his first bike constructed entirely of mahogany, including frame, fork, seat, seat post, handlebars/stem combination and even rims. Using mahogany lends flex and responsiveness in a way no metal frame can, which in …

Bob Kramer by Zwilling

A master craftsman's line of carbon steel knives for at-home chefs

The term “Master Bladesmith” may stir images of medieval men hammering steel on anvils, preparing for battle. Yet visit the workshop of Bob Kramer, one of only a hundred certified such experts in the world, and you’ll find a modern craftsman at work, renowned for his custom-made carbon steel blades—which regularly sell for up to $26,000 per knife. For those without Batali-deep pockets to afford …

Palo Samko

Sinewy surrealism handcrafted from reclaimed Brooklyn wood

Woodworker Palo Samko‘s impressive showing at ICFF has created a high level of buzz, and rightly so. Working out of his Brooklyn Navy Yard studio, Samko has been hand-crafting furniture and other housewares for years, lately turning out a whole new array of clocks, lamps and mirrors. By integrating metal with wood in several of his creations, Samko brings an intriguing element to woodworking and …