Henge Hill Farm
22 Center St.
Bowdoinham, ME 04008
home: (207) 666-5586
cell: (207) 208-7126
Henge Hill Farm
22 Center St.
Bowdoinham, ME 04008
home: (207) 666-5586
cell: (207) 208-7126
-"Hello Steven, I talked to you briefly at the Common Ground Fair, asking a rather dumb question about your use of the pole lathe (right term?) in your business... I came upon your work after a depressing tour through the craft and Maine marketplace areas on one of my too-infrequent breaks from my real work at the fair. Most of what I saw there was either very ordinary or worse, things done with very little creative spark or real care. There was, in fact, a chairmaker near our booth whose work I wouldn't take as a gift. So it was a real pleasure to see your green Windsor. It rescued an otherwise unpleasant tour through the work of people who should probably be doing something else. That chair has stuck with me since I saw it. Your chair and an Indian basket I saw were the best things of my tour, by a long way. My means don't allow me to acquire one of your chairs, although they are by no means over-priced, but it was the only thing I saw at the fair that I could actually conceive of looking at every day. It doesn't necessarily add any weight to my opinion, but I do spend a lot of time looking at things and thinking about them..."
-"...Thought I'd drop you a line to say "Don't sweat it" about raising your prices---I've been browsing some of the chairmaker's sites via links from the Windsor resources web page, and it's downright shocking how many of them are obviously getting their turnings through M.D. and the Windsor Institute. I am a true amateur when it comes to producing truly consistent turnings, but if I were doing this for a living, I'd darned well be up to snuff with it before I put my work up for display on a web page, and I wouldn't dream of buying machine copied turnings! The turnings are such a big part of the aesthetic expression of the chair--they can simply hold the chair up, or they can sing as part of a chorus of details that carry a piece from frankly bad, to ordinary, to the sublime. It is also pretty obvious that very few of these makers are truly creating their own interpretations--they are making clones of the pieces they've been taught to make. So much opportunity for creative expression, lost. Your work, and the variety of your turnings, speak volumes about the work you do. Charge what it's worth, and pardon my rant..."
-"Impressive! You have a very comprehensive site, paced with customer education and very personal in style. It shows hundreds of hours effort and much thoughtfulness in its creation. I think it conveys very well your extensive knowledge of the windsor, dedication of the purity of craftsmanship in every chair and carries the flavor of downhome honesty and integrity for which Maine is famous. Were I a visitor having never met you and looking for a chairmaker of comparing several makers via their sites I would be very comfortable with doing business with you. I can't see how a competitor could leave a better impression. Your site is a virtual catalogue; very thorough."
-"I'm the web editor at Fine Woodworking and just wanted to compliment you on a site well done! You'd never know that you were a novice. You've done a lot of things right on this site. One of my favorite things is that you've really tried to create a narrative about your work, about you, and so on. It's very important for handmade furniture craftsman like yourself to express that type of thing in their site. I think you've done a great job."
-"The chair arrived today in perfect condition. I'm extremely pleased with it! Love the comfort, quality of construction, antiqued finish, etc. My expectations have been exceeded. I'll definately look you up if I'm in the market for additional chairs."