Originally, woodworking was a craft activity consisting of the manufacture of wooden boxes . Then the activity of the woodworker expanded to include the manufacture of various wooden utensils used in the household and on the farm. Nowadays, woodworking also includes the manufacture of a multitude of trendy objects ( decorative accessories , kitchen utensils , gardening accessories , interior design , etc.) meeting different uses with the only common point being the noble material from which they are made: wood . Historically, this craft activity is very present in rural and wooded regions in France such as the Jura but also in the Monts du Forez (Loire and Puy-de-Dôme), the Ardennes massif, the Vosges or even the Marais Poitevin. Abroad, countries such as Switzerland and Canada are renowned for this traditional practice .
THE STORY OF THE WOODWORKER
This artisanal practice dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. It developed in certain French regions based on several factors: dairy production, the importance of the surrounding forests and the artisanal tradition of certain territories linked to the length of the winters which often isolated the farms. The cooper works with different types of trees such as spruce , ash or beech which are renowned for their robustness. In the 19th century , the cooperages began to use hydraulic and then electric energy allowing a diversification of production thanks to the addition of machines in the workshop allowing sawing, splitting, cutting into strips but also heating and humidifying the wood in steaming boxes to create and imagine new shapes and therefore new everyday objects .
TODAY'S DRINKWARE
Today, contemporary woodworking shops have adapted to our times. After having once made skis, they now use their expertise to offer all sorts of trendy objects in various fields. Whether it's for kitchen accessories ( oyster clogs, wooden , wooden spoon , wooden spatula , honey spoon , wooden cutting board , rolling pins ...) garden utensils ( wooden rake , wooden flail , wooden fork , scythe handle ...) or decorative objects for the home ( wooden soap dish ...). All these objects handcrafted by French artisans from French wood also show a deep attachment to rural roots and artisanal traditions which give these objects an extra soul.
