You may not believe it now, when we are faster than ever, more comfortable, and can travel longer distances than barely a hundred years ago, a handful of specialized craftsmen would spend days on end measuring, shaping, drilling, and hammering to set the wheels in motion. “In wartime, my grandfather had built canon wheels. A canon wooden wheel required two men to get the job done,” recalls master wheelwright Popescu Vasile Chiriacuț. Located in Straja, Suceava County, a picturesque village surrounded by mountains, the Chiriacuț family has handed down the ancient art of wheelwrighting from father to son for generations. Mr. Popescu preserves a rich cultural and artistic heritage passed down from family members to the next generation, a long process of teaching and learning between father and son. “My father had nine siblings. It was he who followed the family tradition and became a wheelwright. He made cartwheels. As I grew up he had taught me the trade. My interest in building wheels began in my early childhood. My father and grandfather were a big inspiration for me growing up because they were very skillful and their tools of the trade fascinated me”, he remembers. In past generations, wheelwrighting was … Continue reading Highly Skilled Craft of a Wooden Wheel – VIDEO