Bill Esler

Woodworking craftsmanship is tied to best practices in education, and to our fate as a leader in technology. A hopeful tone is heard in recent support at IWF for WoodLINKS, the Woodwork Career Alliance and education funding.

Chances are you are seeing more custom furniture and cabinet orders. Housing is recovering, and it looks like we can trust the woodworking industry is recovering with it. Really.

Wood fittings, used in Japanese puzzles, have already been applied to solid wood furniture. Now a cypress building has been assembled entirely from giant sized versions of the wood puzzle sticks, held together only by uniquely shaped joints. See a slide show.

Your home remodeling consumer prospects can talk to each other easily. Now disappointed customers can broadcast their unhappiness, and it will show up in a Google search.

Georgia Chopsticks made a name for itself by exporting millions of poplar chopsticks from America, GA to buyers in China. The plant has been closed in a dispute with investors.

As manufacturing picks up, furniture manufacturing is becoming a poster child for insourcing jobs from Asia to North American factories.

Wood products that are Made in America are getting easier to find. One factor at work: more consumers are placing a value on buying products that are domestically produced.

Sniff at your own risk at the latest sensation: wood aroma cologne, including oak and sandalwood. You take extra care to get the saw dust out of your ears and nose while guys headed for a fun evening splash on (what else) Sawdust.