Smaug Ichorfang wrote:
Not intendng to detract from the man's work (but perhaps to embrace it...),

Not sure how you could detract from the guy's work. It speaks for
itself far more clearly than a critic could. But it's good for you
sanity to remember that he only shows the work that is up to snuff.

doesn't his choice of wood and the condition it's in (moisture content,
etc.) have a lot to do with what he can do with the wood? Seems like you
can do lot more when the wood "likes" what you're doing to it and you
don't have to fight it. I know I've had many fights against wood where I
chose material that was too soft/hard/brittle/, too porous, etc. Sometmes
you go where the wood takes you, sometimes you can gently direct the wood.
Brute force seldom seems to help, and more is definitly not better.

If you check out the guy's web site you'll see that he uses a wide
variety of woods. Beyond that, any woodworker knows that careful stock
preparation and sharp tools are mandatory for quality work.

R