This is the village of Iaslovăț, a village of high standards with respect to the virtue of diligence, for diligence is the most crucial trait of the people from Iaslovăț. Add talent and skills to that, and you have found a true woodworking craftsman. As I had heard before, a man from this village is very good at making and mending things and extremely skillful with wood in all its different forms. It has proven to be true. The second I walked into Sorin Boicu’s yard, I found myself in awe of the great variety of woodwork.
Having been raised in an environment rich in folk tradition, as well as his early fondness for woodworking, had founded an immense passion for a pastoral way of life and Romanian traditional clothing. There is a tiny museum in his yard encompassing his works, from miniatures and model cottages to ox carts and chests, as well as old collectibles, peasant costumes, musical instruments, and wooden utensils that he has been stacking up his whole life.
He had made his own wood furniture to create custom furniture that fits his specific needs and lasts longer. He had worked on his house’s front porch and perfectly executed columns inspired by Constantin Brâncuși’s Endless Column.
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“You need imagination and tools to do this job. It also depends on the wood used. The windblown wood from the edge of the forest is harder. Our elders used to harvest it only on a full moon, in February“, he said.
Each morning, he enjoys sitting at a solid dining trunk table on the veranda, drinking coffee to the chirping sounds coming from the birdhouses, all made by his own hands.
Since early childhood, he said, he has increasingly felt drawn to the creation of rustic wood pieces, hand-made works that were quick to make, using simple tools and wood from trees in a natural state with a minimum of processing.
On those gloomy days, his favorite pastime is designing his own wood objects in his shed behind a logpile. His workplace is a space filled with shelves of neatly stacked woodworking tools that he uses to create wood objects, first to fill his house and later to sell.
As I carefully inspected each object, my gaze fell upon a rough rustic milking stool with a nice patina, and we agreed on having two similar ones made for us.
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Using the most basic of hand tools, he shaped an oak seat with an axe and a shaving horse, then he used an adze and a chisel to hollow out the seat and make it comfortable to sit on. With a hand auger, he bore holes in the seat.
He measured and cut four hazel legs that were sharpened with a draw knife until they fit through the holes. From a piece of ash wood, he shaped four wedges that were wedged into the legs to hold them tight.
His ability to take a piece of wood and fashion anything is admirable.
“A job well done”, he said, scooping one of the stools up and carefully inspecting it with satisfaction, assuring us that these chairs would last forever.
VIDEO – Woodworking Craftsman Builds Rustic Stool With Hand Tools
Location: Village of Iaslovăț, Suceava County, Romania
Contact: 004 0755 920 356
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