Exceptional
Hand Crafted Workmanship
Cowee Valley Crafts is a partnership between, John and Suzanne Saunders, husband and wife team for over 54 years. All work and products are hand made by either or both of us. We do not buy and resell any pass through products.
John R. Saunders:
Retired Diesel mechanic, Design Engineer, Welder and small business owner. Now living in the Cowee Valley area of North Carolina. I have always had a love for wood working and construction, although never employed in the construction field. My father was a carpenter by trade so I inherited my love of wood working from him. In the past I have built my home in FL. and North Carolina, from the ground up so I have experienced all the different phases of the construction process. Although I’m not an expert in any discipline I found wood working to be what I was drawn to.
Suzanne Saunders:
Retired after 20 years with a national retailer working in the accounting and auditing dept. Loving mom of one daughter and two wonderful grandsons. I have always been a very crafty type person my whole life. My mother taught me how to sew at a very young age and I made most of my clothes when I was young in school. All throughout my adult life I have been refinishing furniture and antiques. Appox. 30 years ago I attended a stained glass seminar and fell in love with Glass! Recently I have learned the art of “Glass Fusion “and have developed a love of that as you will see in our products. A great deal of Cowee Valley Crafts products are a joint effort between both wood working and glass in some form or the other.
Origins
A great deal of our raw wood products are sourced locally around the Western North Carolina area. The vast majority of our Walnut, Oak, Poplar, Maple and Hickory are all local to Western North Carolina. Typically I visit small independent saw mill operators and purchase from them when I have that opportunity. In some cases these same species are sourced from the northeast and mid-western area of the US through normal wholesale sources. Obviously exotics are imported from Africa, Southeast Asia and South America Etc.
Finishes
Our wood products are finished in a Varity of different Lacquers and Varnishes. This allows for light domestic use but “does not allow for automatic dish washer” use.
Some products will be labeled as “hand oiled finished” Most charcuterie board and all cutting boards will have this hand oiled finish. These also can be hand washed and dried, “THIS does not allow for automatic dish washers” Auto dish washing will destroy any of the hand oiled products. The hand oiled products need to be reoiled periodically with a Butcher Block oil or a light coat of vegetable oil. These oils are available at any big box store.
All products should be washed by hand and immediately hand dried to assure there finish.