History

 

Established by Keith Schoonover in 1989,Wood Eye Wood Products Inc. is a locally owned and operated,  full-service sawmill that provides quality lumber and wood products from local, sustainably harvested or salvaged timber.  His wife, Lori, enjoys being part of the business, and any one of their seven children may be found helping from time to time in one aspect of the business or another.

 

Process

Tree companies clearing land, or homeowners with a fallen or dead tree contact Keith to pick up the logs with his log truck. From there, he  hauls them to the sawmill where they are sawn, and allowed to air dry before being kiln dried. The kiln is heated by a wood furnace, burning scrap wood from sawing or trimming logs; nothing is wasted. Currently, there are hundreds of slabs available in inventory for woodworkers as well as for those wishing to select their own table top for a custom Wood Eye table.

 

Design

For both furniture and Wood Eye serving boards, Keith selects the slab that his artist's eye deems will best showcase the wood. To preserve a tree’s natural beauty in his work, Keith’s designs emulate Nakashima’s live edge style. So Keith tips his hat to Nakashima and strives to emulate, but not imitate, a master. Douglas Little said, “A tree’s magnificence in nature easily surpasses most anything a man can do with its wood.” Keith’s designs, however, incorporate the best of what nature and man have to offer; a harmonious marriage of nature and craftsmanship. Each of Keith’s pieces is truly one of a kind, unique by its very nature.

 

“I want ANY spot you touch to feel soft, like new born skin, it should make you want to touch it, caress it. As an artist mentor and friend told me years ago, when properly finished, a piece of wood should sing. He said to me, ‘Don’t make it hum, make it sing!’ My desire is that when you take one of these pieces home, that it will sing for you!”