Dateline: Covington Kentucky-Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, 2011
I have a blog site but I do not do woodwork. My husband enjoys woodworking as a hobby but does not have a blog site. He recently attended the Woodworking In America (WIA) conference in Covington, KY and we decided we’d blog about it.
What: Once a year hand tool ‘galoots’ from all over flock to the WIA conference. This year was the fourth annual get together. Galoots is the term used to describe those who pursue the craft of woodworking solely with hand tools. (Editor’s note: Beats me why someone would want to be called a galoot.) Dedicated hobbyists, craftspeople (there were a very few women at WIA) gather for 2 1/2 days of seminars, demonstrations and to drool as they toured the 20,000 sq, ft, marketplace of exhibitors.
Where: Covington, Kentucky (Covington is just across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio)
Why: To learn from the who’s who in hand-tool woodworking-to be clear, this is not carpentry. It is the world of hand cut mortice and tenons and smooth planed surfaces, of inlaid wood and carved contours. It’s an opportunity to meet craftspeople and tool makers that previously you would only have read about and chance to meet others who share the same passion.
WIA 2011 by the numbers:
- 450-500: approximate number of attendees. While most attendees were from the USA, there were some from Canada, South Africa, England and Australia
- 75: number of seminars/lectures to choose from over the 2 1/2 day conference
- 56: number of top-tier toolmakers and vendors demonstrating and selling their wares in the “marketplace”
- 6: number of evening programs to choose from
- 355 $US: cost of registration
- priceless: the opportunity to attend-according to my husband
Barb's True Stories 
This is all hand tool craftsmanship? Awesome. I want to go. Just to drool.
Too bad you live across the ocean. Perhaps through describing what was offered we can generate a minor drool from a distance…a Transatlantic drool.